Are intestinal tumours in APC plus /-mice a suitable model of colorectal carcinoma in man?

In snap frozen sections of the duodenum, jejununum, ileum, the righ and lef t colon of APC+/- mice mucosubstances, activities of brush border glycosida ses and proteases, immunoreactivity of sucrase and activities of some enzym es of pericellular proteolysis were studied. Multiple adenomas (tubular or tubulovillous) the numbers of which decreased in the aboral direction occur red in the small intestine. Two tubulovillous adenomas with dysplastic nucl ei but with no invasion were found in the right colon. The morphological an d histochemical findings resembled those of human colorectal tumours. Activ ities of brush border enzymes and sucrase immunoreactivity were decreased t o various extent or were not present at all. The findings fluctuated even w ithin the same section. Activities of enzymes of pericellular proteolysis w ere slightly increased in comparison with non affected mucosa. This model i s suitable and deserves further studies.