Murine xenograft model of Spirocerca lupi-associated sarcoma.

Nodular masses and granulomas of the esophagus are among the most frequent lesions caused by Spirocerca lupi, a nematode parasite of dogs, and neoplastic transformation of these granulomas to osteosarcoma or fibrosarcoma has been described. In this study, we developed a xenograft murine model of S. lupi-associated sarcoma. Samples of esophageal fibrosarcoma and osteosarcomas were excised from three dogs diagnosed with spirocercosis. These sarcomas were inoculated into three groups of 6-week-old NOD/SCID mice to create three tumor lines of S. lupi-associated sarcomas. Mice in all groups developed tumors after inoculation, and the cell lines could be further propagated as second-generation xenografts. We successfully established xenograft murine models of three different lines of S. lupi-associated sarcoma that offer readily available sources of these tumors for further experiments. This resource will facilitate studies on the malignant transformation of the granulomas, establishment of efficient chemotherapy and radiotherapy regimens, and identification of diagnostic molecular markers.