New Metastatic Models in Vivo of Prostate Cancer

Abstract

Experimental prostate cancer bone metastases are difficult to form in vivo, and some typical clinical patterns remain irreproducible. In our work we describe new metastatic models in vivo using different experimental approaches. Methods We injected prostate cancer cells in the left cardiac ventricle or in the medullar cavity of tibia of male nude mice. Results Mice were monitored by x-ray analysis and 70% of them revealed osteolytic lesions 40 days after heart injection. By scintigraphy and alu-PCR we were able to identify early a higher number of metastatic loci than by x-ray. Conclusions Heart and intratibial injection of prostate cancer cells in nude mice may represent a good experimental model to investigate the pathophysiology of bone and bone marrow metastases in vivo.