[Animal modeling] - Observation on the ultrastructure of blood brain barrier in the brain metastasis model of lung cancer in nude mice

  Objective: To observe the ultrastructure of blood brain barrier (BBB) in brain metastasis model of lung cancer in nude mice by lanthanum nitrate (LN3) tracer electron microscopy.

  Methods: Six BALB/c nude mice were randomly selected from eight BALB/c nude mice and injected into the left ventricle to inoculate human lung adenocarcinoma cell PC-9 (1 × 106/0.1 mL) as model group; The other two nude mice were used as the blank group without any treatment. After inoculation, the state of nude mice was observed. At the 4th week, the ultrastructure of blood brain barrier was observed by lanthanum nitrate tracing electron microscopy, and lung and brain organs were taken for pathological HE staining.

  Results: The nude mice in the model group began to lose weight at the third week, and gradually appeared cachexia. All the nude mice were killed at the fourth week. No metastasis was found in the chest, lung, brain and organs when the material was taken by naked eye. HE staining showed that there were multiple brain metastases of different sizes in nude mice in the model group. Lanthanum nitrate trace electron microscope showed that lanthanum nitrate particles invaded the vascular cavity in the model group, and were sparsely or diffusely distributed in the brain tissue, while lanthanum nitrate particles in the blank group were only deposited in the vascular cavity.

  Conclusion: The dispersed distribution of DLA particles shows that the blood brain barrier structure in the model is incomplete, and the occurrence of lung cancer brain metastasis is accompanied by the destruction of the blood brain barrier structure.