The establishment of an athymic mouse model bearing breast cancer monitored by an in vivo optical imaging system

Objective To establish the athrmic inouse model of breast cancer in normal position and imitated metastatic breast cancer. Methods Breast cancer cells MDA-MB-231-luc carrying luciferase gene was injected into the athymie mice.The optieal imaging in vivo system was used to observe the establislament of the model. Reseults The breast tumor emerged after we planted the MDA-MB-231-lue cells in the mammary gland fatpads,the volume and photon of the tumor increased during the second weekto the fifth week.After injection by the tail vein,the tumors mainly located in the lungs While after infusion in the left alrtrium.the tumolrs metastate to all over the body. Conclusions We succeeded in the establishment of the athymic mice model of breast cancer.in situ and imitated metastatic breast cancer by iniection into the vena caudalis and the left alttrium.The optical imaging in vivo system could distinctly show the formation of the tumors. Key words: Breast neoplasms; Disease model,animal; Luciferases; Optical imag in vivo