Abstract:

BACKGROUND: Rabbit VX2 carcinoma has been widely used in building tumor models of multiple body organs, but it is rarely reported to be used for establishing the squamous cell carcinoma model of auricle.
OBJECTIVE: To establish the VX2 auricular tumor model in rabbits by two tumor transplantation methods and to investigate its biological characteristics.
METHODS: The VX2 cell suspensions were injected in the ears of New-Zealand rabbits by tumor cells suspension injection method and tumor tissue incision implantation method. Then the growth status of the tumors, the tumor-take rates and the metastasis rates of the models were evaluated.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The tumor take-rate of tumor cells suspension injection group and tumor tissue incision implantation group was 73.3% and 50%, respectively, and the difference was significant (P < 0.05), metastases rate of lymph node in two groups was 75% and 85.7% respectively. In the rabbit VX2 squamous cell carcinoma transplanted models established by the two methods, the organization showed infiltrative growth, the deeply stained tumor nuclei and division phase were common, and cancer nest arranged cells were in line with the characteristics of the squamous cell carcinoma. It confirmed that the squamous cell carcinoma transplanted model established by tumor cell suspension injection method and tumor tissue incision implantation method was closed to the natural growth process of human squamous cell carcinoma. The animal model established by tumor cell suspension injection method is more suitable for the study of the squamous cell carcinoma due to the high rate of tumor formation and transfer rate.