[Establishment and comparison of two intraperitoneally transplanted human ovarian carcinoma models with immune reconstitution in severe combined immunodeficient mice].

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Ovarian carcinoma is leading cause of death in gynecologic malignancies. The survival rate cannot be improved after routine surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy. Therefore biotherapy becomes the fourth treatment pattern for ovarian carcinoma. Adequate experimental models for the development of biologic therapeutic strategies are needed. Our purpose was to establish and compare two intraperitoneally transplanted human ovarian carcinoma models with human immune reconstitution in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice.

METHODS

Six and ten C.B17/SCID mice were intraperitoneally injected with human ovarian adenocarcinoma SKOV3 and SKOV3.ip1 cells, respectively. Their biological, histological, and immunological features were compared. Ascites of the mice in SKOV3.ip1 group was injected into other six mice. All the 22 SCID mice were intraperitoneally injected with human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) to establish immune reconstituted model.

RESULTS

The taken rates of the SKOV3 and SKOV3.ip1 groups were both 100%. The latent periods of tumor growth were 20-41 days and 22-30 days, respectively (P >0.05). While the mean survival time were 50-78 days and 32-43 days, respectively (P< 0.0001). 83.3% (5/6) of the mice injected with ascites of the mice in SKOV3.ip1 group successfully formed new tumor mass and ascites. Autopsy showed the tumors of the two models were widespread in pelvic cavity. The SKOV3.ip1 group also had 0.35-5.60 ml bloody ascites that was similar to the clinical behavior of most patients, while only 0.2 ml in one mice of SKOV3 group. Histological results showed the tumors of the two groups remained the characteristics of serous papillary adenocarcinoma of human ovary, and immunohistochemistry staining showed the ovarian associated antigen OC166-9 were both positive. Human IgG were detected in 72.7% (16/22) of the mice, and human CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells were positive in 54.5% (12/22) of the mice.

CONCLUSION

The two intraperitoneally transplanted human ovarian carcinoma models had been established in human PBL reconstituted SCID mice. The SKOV3.ip1 model may be an ideal animal model for biotherapy research of ovarian carcinoma as it simulates the intraperitoneally disseminating behavior of human ovarian carcinoma in the patients with immune function, and it took relatively shorter time to be established.