Establishment of a bioluminescent Renca cell line for renal carcinoma research.

PURPOSE

Luciferase modification of tumour cells enables early and non-invasive imaging to detect tumour growth in situ and could provide sensitive and effective detection of carcinoma during research and therapy.

METHODS

Renca cells, a murine renal carcinoma cell line, were infected with lentivirus expressing luciferase to obtain Renca-luc. The proliferation, invasion, and migration of Renca and Renca-luc cell lines were compared using colorimetric, Boyden chamber, and wound-healing assays. Orthotopic tumour models were established in BALB/c mice using Renca and Renca-luc cells, and tumour growth in vivo was detected using bioluminescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

RESULTS

Intensity of luciferase signals from Renca-luc was positively correlated with cell number. Bioluminescence signal was detected 1 day after the establishment of the renal carcinoma model using Renca-luc and was significantly increased after 7 days. Tumour size at 7 days following the establishment of renal carcinoma models using Renca and Renca-luc was determined using MRI. The presence of renal model tumours was confirmed by histological staining. The expression of luciferase did not affect Renca cell characteristics in vitro or tumour growth in vivo.

CONCLUSION

Luciferase labelling could provide a sensitive and non-invasive evaluation method for immunological and tumour therapy of renal carcinomas.