Brain tumors induced in hamsters by intracerebral inoculation of SR-RSV-infected embryonic brain cells.

Brain tumors were induced in Syrian hamsters by intracerebral inoculation of brain cells which were obtained from 12-day old syngeneic hamster and infected with Schmidt-Ruppin strain of Rous sarcoma virus (SR-RSV) in vitro. A total of 212 tumors were developed in all 25 recipients within 19 to 125 days after transplantation. On the basis of light and electron microscopic study, they were classified into four main groups: astrocytoma (45.8%), pleomorphic glioma (50.0%), sarcoma (3.8%), unclassified (0.4%). The morphological features of these tumors were described, and the advantages of this brain tumor model were discussed.