Heterotransplantation of Human Fetal Pituitaries in Nude Mice*

Abstract

The heterotransplantation of minced human fetal pituitaries into adult thymus-aplastic nude mice is described. Development and growth of such grafts were observed in 16 of 21 recipient mice. Histological examinations of the transplants showed typical adenohypophyseal cells. Neurohypophyseal cells could never be detected. The levels of human growth hormone (hGH) varied between 0.8 and 42.0 ng/ml in the plasma of the hosts (mean value 7.2 ng/ml, by radioimmunoassay).

Transplantation of Human Pituitary Adenomas into Nude Mice

“…However, on histo logical examination the remaining tumor ap peared to be viable. Moreover, mean hGH levels in 15 nude mice with fetal human pitu itary grafts exhibiting growth, was 7.2 ng/ml [5] , which is in the same range we and others [6] found with adenoma grafts. In contrast with the benign human pituitary' adenomas, a malignant serially transplanted rat pituitary tumor-secreting PRL.…”

“…HPRL and hGH were detectable only in mice bearing tumors from hyperpro lactinemic and/or acromegalic patients, which was also shown by others [6]. Further more, hGH has been found in nude mice after heterotransplantation of normal fetal pituitary tissue [5]. Il cannot be excluded that hormone levels in the recipient mice repre sented hormone released from dying cells as suggested by the decrease in size of the trans planted adenoma tissue.…”

“…Furthermore, the adenoma tissue might be 'contaminated' with normal surrounding pituitary tissue [1,2], The athymic nude mouse has been used successfully as a recipient for heterotrans plants. Growth of benign and malignant hu man breast tumor tissue has been reported [3,4], Growth of human fetal pituitaries in the nude mice has been described by Bastert et al [5], while human pituitary tumors could be maintained for several weeks in these mice [6. 7],…”

An investigation of cellular components released from human renal cancer and foetal kidney xenografts in nude mice (nu/nu) by cross-immunization of hairy littermate relatives

“…We used the HLM model to try and compare the release of cell surface components from xenografted human foetal kidney tissue with components released by the GYL tumour. However, in common with other reports of human foetal tissue xenografted into nude mice, we found that the foetal kidney tissue would not maintain over a long period (Povlsen et al, 1974;Bastert et al, 1977;Usadel et al, 1977). Careful scrutiny of the histological sections of the foetal kidney xenografts showed only a very few mitotic figures compared to the kidney tumour xenografts.…”

Growth and Differentiation of Fetal Rat Limb Buds Transplanted in Athymic (Nude) Mice

“…It is possible to follow the histogenesis of human embryonic organs by grafting the tissues of ther apeutic abortuses Skakkcbaek et al. 1974;Bastert et al. 1977;Bowker and Turmer.…”