gms | German Medical Science

Objective: Formation of spinal metastases represents a severe oncological manifestation without effective treatment options. Preclinical research is limited by missing in vivo models. It was the aim of our study to establish an animal model of hematogenous spinal metastases formation.

Method: B16 melanoma and Lung cell carcinoma (LLC1) cell lines were transfected with luciferin by lentiviral transfection. Tumor cells (5*10⁵ cells) were injeceted retrograde into the left common carotid artery in Bl6 mice (N = 4 animals). Spinal MRI was performed when animals developed signs of paraperesis. Spinal columns were dissected for histology and number of tumor cells were analysed by luciferin analysis.

Results: LLC1 cells demonstrated multiple metastases in the lung, liver, GI tract and spleen without showing spinal metastases. B16 melanoma cells demonstrated spinal metastases in 75% of animals verified by MRI. Paraparesis developed 22 ± 3 days after tumor cell injection. Histology verified osteolytic metastases growth and spinal cord compression. Luciferin activity of tumor cells was not altered by metastases formation in vivo (in vitro: 0,2 ± 0,1 counts/ms vs. in vivo: 0,22 ± 0,1 counts/ms). Primary target was the thoracic spine (5,5 ± 1,23 *107cells) followed by the postthoracic (2,33 ± 2 *10⁷cells) and cervical spine (1,9 ± 2,9 *10⁷cells).

Conclusions: An animal model of hematogenos spinal metastases formation which reflects aspects of the human disease was established.