Ng. Carmichael et al., The p53 heterozygous knockout mouse as a model for chemical carcinogenesisin vascular tissue, ENVIR H PER, 108(1), 2000, pp. 61-65
Heterozygous p53 knockout mice were investigated as a potential model for v
ascular tumor carcinogenesis. Groups of 20 male mice were exposed by gavage
for 6 months to the vascular carcinogen urethane at 1, 10, or 100 mg/kg bo
dy weight/day. Wild-type and heterozygous p53 knockout control groups were
exposed by gavage to the vehicle alone. Another group of 20 male mice recei
ved A-limonene by gavage (d-limonene is noncarcinogenic in mice). The high
dose of urethane caused early mortality in the majority of mice associated
with histopathologic evidence of toxicity and tumors, including a high inci
dence of benign and malignant vascular tumors, in all animals. At the inter
mediate dose, toxicity was less marked and 3 of 20 mice had tumors; mice th
at received the low dose did not have signs of toxicity or neoplasia. The t
wo control groups had no tumors and the d-limonene group had one tumor of t
he prostate, which,vas considered spontaneous. We conclude that the p53 kno
ckout mouse is a useful tool for investigating vascular tumorogenesis.