Objective To establish a rat model of human glioma xenotransplantation using immunosuppressants, and to provide an ideal experimental tool for clinical and basic research.
Methods The commonly used immunosuppressants, rapamycin and cyclosporin A, were selected and administered to SD rats by gavage 3 days before operation. SD rats were divided into three groups: rapamycin single (Rapa) group, cyclosporin A single (CsA) group, combined (Rapa+CsA) group and control group. Human glioma U87-MG cells were used for brain orthotopic transplantation and right back subcutaneous transplantation in SD rats to monitor the changes of tumor volume and body mass. When the tumor grew to about 60o mm3, the growth of rat glioma in situ was detected by near-infrared fluorescence in vivo imaging; Then the rats were killed, the tissue samples were separated, and the tumor histological morphology was detected by HE staining and immunohistochemistry.
Results Compared with Rapa group and CsA group, the combination of Rapa and CsA showed obvious advantages in immunosuppression, and the success rate of the model reached 100% (the modeling rate of Rapa and CsA alone was 0% and 40%, respectively). The body weight of rats in the combination group was significantly smaller than that in Rapa group, CsA group and control group. In vivo imaging showed that near-infrared fluorescent dye was enriched in the brain of rats, and the corresponding histopathological analysis confirmed that it was glioma. Immunohistochemical staining with human mitochondrial Mitochondria antibody showed that the tumor site was strongly positive.
Conclusion The xenotransplantation model of human glioma in rats can be successfully established by inoculating human glioma U87-MG cells after immunosuppression with the combination of drugs (Rapa+CsA). Pathological analysis confirmed the histomorphology of human glioma.