DEVELOPMENT OF INTRAPANCREATIC TRANSPLANTABLE MODEL OF PANCREATIC DUCT ADENOCARCINOMA IN SYRIAN GOLDEN-HAMSTERS

Intrapancreatic and subcutaneous (SC) inoculation of cultured pancreatic cancer cells, derived from an induced primary pancreatic cancer in a Syrian hamster, resulted in tumor take in all recipient hamsters. The intrapancreatic allografts grew rapidly, were invasive, and metastasized into the lymph nodes and liver in 2 of 9 cases. In comparison, SC tumors grew relatively slower and formed a large encapsulated mass without invasion and metastases. Histologically, tumors of both sites showed fairly well - differentiated adenocarcinomas of ductal/ductular type resembling the induced primary cancer. Similar to the primary induced pancreatic cancers, tumor cells of both allografts expressed blood-group-related antigens, including A, B, H, Le(b), Le(y), Le(x), and tumor-associated antigen TAG-72. The tumor cells did not express Le(a), CA 19-9, 17-1A, or DU-PAN-2. The expression of these antigens was retained in the metastases and presented the same patterns of reactivity as the allografts. Thus intrapancreatic transplantation provides a rapid model for production of pancreatic cancer with morphologic similarities to human pancreatic cancer.