OBJECTIVETo establish a mouse model bearing human choriocarcinoma xenograft in severe combined immuno-deficient (SCID) beige mice and investigate the disease course and biological behaviors of the tumors.

METHODSHuman choriocarcinoma JAR cells were injected in female SCID beige mice (3-5 weeks old) either subcutaneously (group A, n=6) or via the tail vein (group B, n=6). Morphological studies, radioactive immunoassay, in vivo tumor imaging and histopathological examinations were performed to confirm JAR cell engraftment at the subcutaneous injection site and in the lungs of the mice.

RESULTSOn day 28 after tumor cell inoculation, the mice in group A showed palpable subcutaneous nodules, and HE staining revealed morphological features of the nodules consistent with choriocarcinoma cells; in vivo imaging in group B showed single or multiple solid tumor masses in the lungs, and tissue biopsy examination demonstrated varying degrees of tumor cell infiltration. Compared with the control mice, peripheral blood β-HCG levels in both groups A and B increased significantly on day 14 after cell inoculation (P<0.05), and the increment was more conspicuous in group B (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONMouse models bearing human choriocarcinoma xenograft can be successfully established by injecting JAR cells either subcutaneously or via the tail vein to mimic the characteristics of epithelial solid tumors and lung metastasis of human choriocarcinoma.