Susceptibility of Lobund-Wistar x Copenhagen hybrid rats to autochthonous prostate carcinogenesis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Transplantation of the Dunning R-3327 prostate tumor cell line is a common model of prostate cancer, though the rat strain (Copenhagen) from which the cell line was derived is resistant to spontaneous and chemically induced prostate cancer. METHODS: To determine if susceptibility to chemically induced prostate carcinogenesis can be transferred from the susceptible Lobund-Wistar (LW) rat strain to the resistant Copenhagen (COP) strain, male COP rats and LW x COP hybrids were administered an intravenous dose (30 mg/kg) of methylnitrosourea (MNU) and implanted three times with silastic capsules containing testosterone propionate (25 mg each) at a 2-month interval. Serum was sampled at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months of age and assayed for testosterone. RESULTS: Serum testosterone was significantly but transiently elevated following implantation of capsules with testosterone propionate, but then decreased by 12 months of age to a level which was significantly less (P < or = 0.001) than in LW rats but not significantly different from COP rats. Prostate cancer did not develop in COP rats, but 36% of LW x COP hybrids developed prostate-seminal vesicle tumors which expanded into the dorsolateral lobes within 10 months of MNU administration; this compares to 90% of LW rats which develop such tumors following this same induction protocol. CONCLUSIONS: COP rats lack inherent susceptibility to development of prostate cancer; susceptibility may be transferred from LW rats, or resistance from COP rats, to LW x COP hybrids and is present in the haploid state, consistent with the two-mutation event hypothesis of Knudson which holds that two mutations are required at a genetic locus for development of some cancers.