SENCAR mouse skin tumorigenesis model versus other strains and stocks of mice.

The SENCAR mouse stock was selectively bred for eight generations for sensitivity to skin tumor induction by the two-stage tumorigenesis protocol using 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) as the initiator and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) as the promoter. The SENCAR mouse was derived by crossing Charles River CD-1 mice with skin-tumor-sensitive mice (STS). The SENCAR mice are much more sensitive to both DMBA tumor initiation and TPA tumor promotion than CD-1, BALB/c, and DBA/2 mice. An even greater difference in the sensitivity to two-stage skin tumorigenesis is apparent between SENCAR and C57BL/6 mice when using DMBA-TPA treatment. However, the SENCAR and C57BL/6 mice have a similar tumor response to DMBA-benzoyl peroxide treatment, suggesting that TPA is not an effective promoter in C57BL/6 mice. The DBA/2 mice respond in a similar manner to the SENCAR mice when using N-methyl-N-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-TPA treatment. The SENCAR mouse model provides a good dose-response relationship for many carcinogens used as tumor initiators and for many compounds used as tumor promoter. When compared to other stocks and strains of mice, the SENCAR mouse has one of the largest data bases for carcinogens and promoters.