A new rat brain tumor model: Glioma disseminated via the cerebral spinal fluid pathways

Summary

A rat brain tumor model has been developed with the clinical and pathological features of dissemination via the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) pathways. A precise number of 9L gliosarcoma cells (5 × 10² to 5 × 10⁵) is stereotactically injected into the CSF of the lateral ventricle. The interval until the onset of neurological symptoms and then death is reproducible and dependent upon the number of cells injected. The median survival of three groups of rats receiving 5 × 10⁵ cells in three different experiments was 17, 18 and 19 days respectively. For three groups receiving 5 × 10⁴ cells, the median survival was 23, 24 and 25.5 days respectively and for two groups receiving 5 × 10³ cells the median survival was 28 and 30 days respectively. The animals developed multiple tumor implants along the CSF pathways usually resulting in hydrocephalus. This tumor model was developed to simulate dissemination via CSF pathways as seen with medulloblastoma and other primitive neuroectodermal tumors of the central nervous system. It will be used to evaluate the therapeutic efficacy of intra-ventricularly administered anti-neoplastic drugs against small implants and malignant cells in the CSF pathways.