Strain-dependent growth of a human carcinoma in nude mice with different genetic backgrounds: selection of nude mouse strains useful for anticancer agent screening system.

Human gastric carcinoma showed different growth in nude mice depending on their genetic backgrounds which included BALB/cA-nu (nude mice with a BALB/cA genetic background), CBA/N-nu, NFS/N-nu, NIH(s)-nu, C3H/HeN+-nu, C57BL/6N-nu and lasat mice (BALB/cA-nu, Dh). Rapid growth of human carcinoma was observed in CBA/N-nu, NFS/N-nu and NIH(s)-nu. The human carcinoma in NIH(s)-nu showed the widest deviation in tumor weight. These data suggest that NFS/N-nu and CBA/N-nu are strains which are more recommended for anticancer agent screening systems than BALB/cA-nu, NIH(s)-nu, C3H/HeN+-nu, C57BL/6N-nu and lasat mice, although many other factors including productivity of the mice, strain differences in drug metabolism and drug toxicity must be considered.