Journal of Carcinogenesis & Mutagenesis

Abstract

In Vivo Bioluminescence Imaging of Pancreatic Cancer Xenografts in NOG Mice

Hisashi Yoshimura, Yoko Matsuda, Zenya Naito and Toshiyuki Ishiwata

Implantation of human tumors in immunodeficient mice and in vivo bioluminescence imaging are powerful tools for cancer research. In the present study, we established a novel cell line, PANC-luc5, from PANC-1 pancreatic carcinoma cells transfected with the luciferase gene. We confirmed the usefulness of this cell line by transplanting it into three mouse strains with different immunodeficiency statuses; BALB/cA Jcl-nu/nu (Nude), Crlj:SHO-PrkdcscidHrhr (SHO), and NOD/Shi-scid, IL-2γnull (NOG) mice. NOG mice were also inoculated with PANC-luc5 cells in either the tail vein or abdominal cavity, and monitored with in vivo bioluminescence imaging. Our results show that PANC-luc5 tumors orthotopically transplanted into NOG mice grew steadily and progressed to metastases, but those in Nude and SHO mice remained their original size with no metastasis throughout the experimental period. In the orthotopic and experimental metastasis models, in vivo bioluminescence imaging was used successfully to visualize tumor growth and metastasis of PANC-luc5 cells in NOG mice. In conclusion, in vivo bioluminescence imaging using orthotopic, intravenous, and intraperitoneal implantation of PANC-luc5 cells into NOG mice can be used to study the mechanisms of metastasis and to develop anti-pancreatic cancer drugs.