HETEROTRANSPLANTATION OF GASTRIC CARCINOMA INTO NUDE MICE

V. Alpha-Fetoprotein Producing Human Gastric Poorly Differentiated Adenocarcinoma Transplanted Serially into Nude Mice

Abstract

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) producing human gastric carcinoma was transplanted into BALB/c AJcl-nu nude mice.
The original tumor tissue was obtained by the gastrectomy from 72-year-old patient with gastric carcinoma. The tumor had been transplanted serially 20 passages in nude mice. The transplantability was 100%. The doubling time of the tumor was ranged 5.6 days to 11.2 days.
AFP appeared in the serum of nude mice 3 to 4 weeks after subcutaneous (s.c.) transplantation and 6 weeks after intraperitoneal (i.p.) transplantation of the tumor cell suspension prepared from s.c. transplanted tumors. Positive correlation was observed between serum AFP level and tumor growth rate. Serum AFP level of mice received i.p, transplantation was elevated as the function of time after transplantation.
AFP was stained positively with immunochemical technique in the original and transplanted tumors and it was located in the cytoplasms of the tumor cells. The histology of original tumor was retained.
The malignant potential of these transplanted tumor cells was expressed as carcinomatous peritonitis and liver and/or lung metastases.