N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea induced brain tumors in rats monitored by nuclear magnetic resonance imaging, plasma proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and microscopy

Magnetic resonance imaging of ethyl-nitrosourea-induced rat gliomas: a model for experimental therapeutics of low-grade gliomas

Human low-grade gliomas represent a population of brain tumors that remain a therapeutic challenge. Preclinical evaluation of agents, to test their preventive or therapeutic efficacy in these tumors, requires the use of animal models. Spontaneous gliomas develop in models of chemically induced carcinogenesis, such as in the transplacental N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) rat model. However, without the ability to detect initial tumor formation, multiplicity or to measure growth rates, it is difficult to test compounds for their interventional or preventional capabilities. In this study Fisher-334 rats, treated transplacentally with ENU, underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination in order to evaluate this approach for detection of tumor formation and growth. ENU-induced intracranial cerebral tumors were first observable in T2-weighted images beginning at 4 months of age and grew with a mean doubling time of 0.487 +/- 0.112 months. These tumors were found histologically to be predominately mixed gliomas. Two therapeutic interventions were evaluated using MRI, vitamin A (all-trans retinol palmitate, RP), as a chemopreventative agent and the anti-angiogenic drug SU-5416. RP was found to significantly delay the time to first tumor observation by one month (P = 0.05). No differences in rates of tumor formation or growth rates were observed between control and RP-treated groups. MRI studies of rats treated with SU-5416 resulted in reduction in tumor growth rates compared to matched controls. These results show that MRI can be used to provide novel information relating to the therapeutic efficacy of agents against the ENU-induced tumor model.

Surface antigens of cell subpopulations in prenatal rat brain are expressed in a characteristic non-random pattern on their ethylnitrosourea-induced malignant counterparts

Selective induction of neural tumors in the rat by single-dose exposure of the immature nervous system to ethylnitrosourea (EtNU) is a model for the study of cell lineage-, differentiation stage-, and carcinogen-dependent mechanisms in neuro-oncogenesis. Overall yields and relative frequencies of different types of neural tumors vary with the developmental window chosen for the EtNU-pulse. Precursor cells belonging to different neural lineages and targeted by the carcinogen at distinct developmental stages may thus bear a differential risk of malignant conversion. To specify subpopulations of neural precursors in fetal (prenatal day 18) BDIX-rat brain, four monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) recognizing cell surface differentiation antigens were used: mAb RB13-2 directed against O-acetylated gangliosides and binding to approximately 36% of fetal brain cells (FBC); mAb RB13-6 recognizing a 130 kDa glycoprotein (expressed by approximately 8% of FBC); and mAbs RB21-7 and RB21-15 which bind, respectively, to embryonal neural cell adhesion molecules (N-CAM) and a 24 kDa protein (expressed by approximately 55% and 12% of FBC). Antigen expression profiles were compared with those of 14 primary brain tumors and 16 malignant neural cell lines, all of which had been induced by EtNU on prenatal day 18 in vivo. Monoclonal antibodies RB13-2 and RB21-7 did not bind to any of the tumors or cell lines. In contrast, mAbs RB13-6 and RB21-15 both reacted with 14/14 tumors, and with 16/16 and 10/16 cell lines, respectively. Expression of the latter antigens might thus specify lineage-specific stages of FBC development/differentiation particularly susceptible to EtNU-induced malignant transformation. Two-color fluorescence analyses revealed three subsets of FBC binding mAb RB13-6 (RB13-2+/RB13-6+/RB21-15-; RB13-2-/RB13-6+/RB21-15-; and RB13-2-/RB13-6+/RB21-15+), representing successive stages of differentiation.