Ca. Kruse et al., A RAT GLIOMA MODEL, CNS-1 WITH INVASIVE CHARACTERISTICS SIMILAR TO THOSE OF HUMAN GLIOMAS - A COMPARISON TO 9L GLIOSARCOMA, Journal of neuro-oncology, 22(3), 1994, pp. 191-200
A glioma cell line, CNS-1, was developed in the inbred Lewis rat to ob
tain a histocompatible astrocytoma cell line with infiltrative and gro
wth patterns that more closely simulate those observed in human glioma
s. Rats were given weekly intravenous injections for a six month perio
d with N-nitroso-N-methylurea to produce neoplasm in the central nervo
us system. Intracranial tumor was isolated, enzymatically and mechanic
ally digested, and placed into culture. The tumor cell line injected s
ubcutaneously on the flanks of Lewis rats grew extensively in situ as
cohesive tumor masses but did not metastasize. Intracranially, CNS-1 d
emonstrated single cell infiltration of paranchyma and leptomeningeal,
perivascular, and periventricular spread with expansion of the tumor
within choroid plexus stroma. CNS-1 cells titrated in right frontal br
ain of Lewis rats at 10(5), 5 x 10(5), 10(5), 5 x 10(4) cells per grou
p had mean survival times ranging from 20.5 to 30.2 days. CNS-1 was im
munoreactive for glial fibrillary acidic protein, S100 protein, viment
in, neural cell adhesion molecule, retinoic acid receptor a, intercell
ular adhesion molecule, and neuron specific enolase. The CNS-1 cells c
ommonly had one or more trisomies of chromosomes 11, 13 or 18;losses,
possibly random, of chromosomes (3, 5, 19, 30, X or Y) were noticed, a
nd a marker chromosome made up of approximately 3 chromosomes was usua
l. Comparisons of CNS-1 to 9L, gliosarcoma tumor were made. The glial
CNS-1 tumor model provides an excellent system in which to investigate
a variety of immunological therapeutic modalities. It spreads within
brain in a less cohesive mass than 9L, and is accepted without rejecti
on in non-central nervous system sites by Lewis rats.