Abstract:ObjectiveTo establish a rat model of transplanted lung cancer by intravenous injection of tumor cells and evaluate the feasibility of this method. MethodsThree doses of Walker-256 tumor cells were intravenously injected into the tail vein in rats:the high dose group (1.5×106cells/mL), mid-dose group (0.5×105 cells/mL), and low dose group (2.5×104 cells /mL), 10 rats in each group. The survival time, body weight, tumor formation rate in the lung and metastasis to other organs in the rats of different groups were observed. The lung and several other organ tissues were examined by histopathology. ResultsCompared with the normal group, the body weight and daily food intake of the rats in model groups were markedly decreased 14 days after the injection of tumor cells. Some rats of the high-dose group began to die at 21 days after the injection of tumor cells. Therefore, at the 21 days after the injection of Walker tumor cells, all rats were sacrificed and organ samples were taken for pathological examination. The tumor formation rate in the rat lungs of the high-dose,mid-dose and low-dose groups were 100%, 80% and 30%, respectively. The liver coefficient and lung coefficient of model groups were much higher than that of the normal group. Pathological examination revealed that tumor nodules occurred in the rat lung tissues of model groups, but no was found in the liver, spleen and other organs. ConclusionsIntravenous injection of high-dose of Walker-256 cells can be used to establish successfully transplanted lung cancer model in rats, therefore, to provide a useful method for establishment of rat models of lung cancer and serve further experimental studies of lung cancer.