OBJECTIVETo establish a tumor-bearing nude mouse model of human neuroblastoma in order to study the mechanisms of neuroblastoma invasion and metastasis, and to investigate potential therapeutic modalities in the experimental animal models.

METHODSA human neuroblastoma cell line was cultured in vitro. 1 x 10(7) cells undergoing exponential growth were collected in 0.1 ml of suspension and subcutaneously inoculated into the right flank next to the forelimb in nude mice. The biological characteristics of the developed tumors were observed, and histopathological and DNA microarray analyses were performed. The expressions of NSE in the subcutaneous tumor, metastatic tumor and the primary neuroblastoma tumor tissues from a pediatric patient were analyzed by immunohistochemistry.

RESULTSTumors successfully grew in 36 out of 48 injected mice, with a total tumor-formation rate of 75.0%. Metastasis occurred in 10 cases, and the metastatic rate was 20.8%. Tumors in five injected mice grew locally without metastasis. These tumors had large volume and the tumor weight reached up to half of the body weight of the host animal. Four mice exhibited systemic metastasis without tumor growth at the primary inoculation site. There were six mice with locally growing tumor accompanied by metastasis.

CONCLUSIONWe have successfully established a human neuroblastoma xenograft model in nude mice with high tumor growth and metastatic rates. This model depicting the natural cell growth, local infiltration and distant metastasis characteristics of human neuroblastoma, providing an ideal animal model for in vivo studies of neuroblastoma. In addition, the results of this study indicate the heterogeneous nature of neuroblastoma, it may play an important role in metastasis of this tumor.