Heterotransplantation of human upper urinary tract tumors in nude mice.

Eight human upper urinary tract tumors were transplanted subcutaneously into congenitally athymic nude mice. Subcutaneous growth was obtained in three (NKPP 1, NKPP 2, and NKPU 1) at initial transplantation and they were all serially passaged up to 29, 28, and 5 passages, respectively. Their histologic appearances were similar to those of the originals. These established strains with high transplantability and differing degrees of thromboplastic and fibrinolytic activities will provide a useful model system for studying anticancer therapies and biological characteristics of upper urinary tract tumors.