Nodular Development of Spontaneous Epithelial Thymoma in (ACI/NMs × BUF/Mna)F1 Rats

The BUF/Mna strain is a high thymoma line of rats, and virtually all rats develop overt thymomas by the age of 40 weeks. To reveal the early morphologic changes in this thymomagenesis, thymuses and thyraomas were studied in (ACI/NMs × BUF/Mna)Fl (ABF1) rats, which inherit a thymoma susceptibility gene ( Tsr-1 ) from the BUF/Mna strain. At 50 weeks of age, 18% of ABF1 rats had developed medium to large thymomas, 54% had just began to develop multiple, small round nodules in their involuted thymuses, and the remaining 29% had involuted thymus only. The nodules were, microscopically, composed of cortex-like tissues with a starry-sky pattern, showing a quite similar structure to that of the large macroscopic thymomas of predominantly lymphocytic type seen in 104-week-old ABF1 or BUF-Mna rats. Thus, the nodule was actually a small thymoma. In fact, their epithelial cells often had larger atypical nuclei than those in the adjacent involuted thymus cortex. At 104 weeks of age, the incidences of the medium to large thymomas and the small thymoma nodules in ABF1 rats were 64 and 19%, respectively. These results suggest that the thymoma of ABF1 rats occurs initially as multiple small nodules which develop further into medium to large overt thymomas as a result of growth and fusion.     

Nodular development of spontaneous epithelial thymoma in (ACI/NMs x BUF/Mna)F1 rats

The BUF/Mna strain is a high thymoma line of rats, and virtually all rats develop overt thymomas by the age of 40 weeks. To reveal the early morphologic changes in this thymomagenesis, thymuses and thymomas were studied in (ACI/NMs x BUF/Mna)F1 (ABF1) rats, which inherit a thymoma susceptibility gene (Tsr-1) from the BUF/Mna strain. At 50 weeks of age, 18% of ABF1 rats had developed medium to large thymomas, 54% had just began to develop multiple, small round nodules in their involuted thymuses, and the remaining 29% had involuted thymus only. The nodules were, microscopically, composed of cortex-like tissues with a starry-sky pattern, showing a quite similar structure to that of the large macroscopic thymomas of predominantly lymphocytic type seen in 104-week-old ABF1 or BUF-Mna rats. Thus, the nodule was actually a small thymoma. In fact, their epithelial cells often had larger atypical nuclei than those in the adjacent involuted thymus cortex. At 104 weeks of age, the incidences of the medium to large thymomas and the small thymoma nodules in ABF1 rats were 64 and 19%, respectively. These results suggest that the thymoma of ABF1 rats occurs initially as multiple small nodules which develop further into medium to large overt thymomas as a result of growth and fusion.     

A single dominant susceptible gene determines spontaneous development of thymoma in BUF/Mna rat

Rats of the BUF/Mna strain developed spontaneous epithelial thymomas morphologically indistinguishable from human homologues at virtually 100% incidence. Segregation of thymoma development among crosses between BUF/Mna and ACI/NMs, which has 0% thymoma incidence, indicated that thymoma susceptibility was determined principally by a single autosomal dominant gene Tbm-1 (thymoma in BUF/Mna rats). In these crosses, another autosomal dominant or semidominant gene(s) contributed by ACI/NMs parents moderately reduced the thymoma incidence.     

Cytogenetic studies on rat thymic lymphomas induced by N-propyl-N-nitrosourea

N-Propyl-N-nitrosourea (PNU) was proved to be a strong leukemogen, which induces myelogenous leukemia or thymic lymphoma in rats. BUF/Mna rats and F344 rats were the strain most susceptible to thymic lymphomagenic activity of PNU. In addition, F1 rats between BUF/Mna and WKY rats were also susceptible to PNU-lymphomagenic activity. In the present experiment, karyotypes of 31 thymic lymphomas induced by PNU in BUF/Mna rats and in F1 rats between BUF/Mna and WKY rats were analysed for chromosomal abnormalities. Although no specific chromosomal abnormalities were observed throughout all lymphomas, del(11q) and dup(2q) were observed frequently in BUF/Mna rat lymphomas. Breakpoints and/or fusion-points were frequently observed in chromosome 11, followed by chromosomes 2, 5 and 6. Trisomy of chromosome 7, on which c-myc oncogene is mapped, was observed in seven cases, and monosomy of chromosomes 12, 18, 19, 20 and X was seen in seven or eight cases each, though these changes were generally observed in minor cell population in each case.     

Genetic Regulation of Development of Thymic Lymphomas Induced by N-Propyl-N-nitrosourea in the Rat

To clarify the linkage between Hbb and Tls-1 (thymic lymphoma susceptible-1) loci and to investigate other loci concerned in thymic lymphomagenesis, the BUF/Mna rat, which is highly sensitive to the lymphomagenic activity of N -propyl- N -nitrosourea (PNU), the WKY/NCrj rat, reported to be resistant, and their cross offspring were subjected to genetic analysis. F₁ hybrid and backcross generations were raised from the 2 strains, and 6 genetic markers including Hbb were analyzed in individuals of the backcross generation. However, no linkage between Hbb and Tls-1 loci could be demonstrated since WKY rats also developed a high incidence of thymic lymphomas in response to PNU. Nevertheless, thymic lymphomas developed more rapidly and reached a larger size in the BUF rats. F₁ rats expressed a rather rapid and large tumor growth phenotype, while the [(WKY × BUF) × WKY] backcross generation consisted of rats with either rapidly growing or slowly growing tumors. It was thus concluded that rapid development of thymic lymphomas is determined by a gene, provisionally designated Tls-3 . Analysis of the relationship between 6 genetic markers and development of thymic lymphoma in the backcross generation demonstrated that the Tls-3 locus is loosely linked to the Gc locus, suggesting a possible location on rat chromosome 14. Tls-3 may not be identical with Tls-1 and other genes known to be relevant to thymic tumors, but its relationship with Tls-2 remains obscure.     

An intrinsic thymic epithelial abnormality is responsible for the spontaneous development of predominantly lymphocytic thymomas in BUF/Mna rats.

The nature of tumorigenesis of predominantly lymphocytic thymoma was examined using an animal model. Rats of the inbred BUF/Mna strain were found spontaneously to develop predominantly lymphocytic thymomas, histologically indistinguishable from their human counterparts, at an incidence of virtually 100%. Thymic rudiments of BUF/Mna rats grafted 17 months previously under the renal capsule of young athymic ACI/NMs-rnu/rnu rats also gave rise to similar lesions. The lymphocytes in the thymomas expressed T-cell antigens (rat Lyt-1 and Lyt-2.3), as in the normal case, and ACI rat specific antigen. When BUF/Mna rats of thymoma age were irradiated with a lethal dose of 12 Gy and then received a single injection of bone marrow cells (8 x 10(7)) from BALB/c-nu/nu mice, thymomas were re-formed three weeks later (in 2 of 5 rats) with the replacement lymphocytes expressing mouse Thy-1.2 antigen. These results indicate that an intrinsic thymic epithelial abnormality is responsible for the development of predominantly lymphocytic thymomas in BUF/Mna rats.     

An Intrinsic Thymic Epithelial Abnormality Is Responsible for the Spontaneous Development of Predominantly Lymphocytic Thymomas in BUF/Mna Rats

The nature of tumorigenesis of predominantly lymphocytic thymoma was examined using an animal model. Rats of the inbred BUF/Mna strain were found spontaneously to develop predominantly lymphocytic thymomas, histologically indistinguishable from their human counterparts, at an incidence of virtually 100%. Thymic rudiments of BUF/Mna rats grafted 17 months previously under the renal capsule of young athymic ACI/NMs- rnu/rnu rats also gave rise to similar lesions. The lymphocytes in the thymomas expressed T-cell antigens (rat Lyt-1 and Lyt-2.3), as in the normal case, and ACI rat specific antigen. When BUF/Mna rats of thymoma age were irradiated with a lethal dose of 12 Gy and then received a single injection of bone marrow cells (8 × 10⁷) from BALB/c- nu/nu mice, thymomas were re-formed three weeks later (in 2 of 5 rats) with the replacement lymphocytes expressing mouse Thy-1.2 antigen. These results indicate that an intrinsic thymic epithelial abnormality is responsible for the development of predominantly lymphocytic thymomas in BUF/Mna rats.     

Possible single dosage effects of the nude gene: suppression of spontaneous development of thymoma and nephropathy in BUF/Mna-rnu/+ rats

Single dosage effects of the rat nude gene (rnu) on spontaneous development of epithelial thymoma, muscle atrophy and nephrotic syndrome were studied by comparing littermates of rnu /+ and +/+ rats on a high thymoma strain, BUF/Mna, background. Heterozygous rnu/+ rats had a significantly smaller thymus than the +/+ littermates at 6 weeks of age. The incidence of thymoma at 12 months of age was extremely low in the female rnu/+ rats (3%) as compared with that of the +/+ rats (94%). Development of the nephrotic syndrome but not of the muscle atrophy was also suppressed in the heterozygotes. The results suggest that a recessive mutant gene, rnu, in a single dosage, interfered with critical steps of the disease processes of the thymoma and nephrotic syndrome in BUF/Mna-background rats.     

Establishment of Transplantable Tumor Lines and in vitro Cell Lines of Malignant Thymoma Developed in a BUF/Mna Rat

A spontaneous malignant thymoma was found in an 18-month-old female BUF/Mna rat and serially transplanted subcutaneously in both syngeneic BUF/Mna rats (designated as MTH-R) and KSN nude mice (MTH-NM) for more than 5 years. Both tumors shared the histological appearance of sarcomatoid carcinoma as seen in the original tumor. However, MTH-NM grew faster than MTH-in the respective hosts. The MTH-NM grew in both KSN-nude mice and BUF/Mna- rnu/rnu rats but not in BUF/Mna rats the host of the original tumor. Three continuous tissue culture cell lines (MTHC-1, MTHC-2 and MTHC-3) were established from the MTH-NM tumors at the 2nd, 15th and 17th transplantation generations, respectively. The MTH-NM tumors and latter two tissue culture cell lines carried one or more mouse chromosomes, probably acquired by cell fusion with mouse cells during passages in vivo. The presence of the mouse chromosomes was confirmed by the presence of mouse DNA and of antibodies to the MTHC-2 and MTHC-3 cells in the sera of BUF/Mna rats transplanted with MTH-NM.     

Establishment of transplantable tumor lines and in vitro cell lines of malignant thymoma developed in a BUF/Mna rat.

A spontaneous malignant thymoma was found in an 18-month-old female BUF/Mna rat and serially transplanted subcutaneously in both syngeneic BUF/Mna rats (designated as MTH-R) and KSN nude mice (MTH-NM) for more than 5 years. Both tumors shared the histological appearance of sarcomatoid carcinoma as seen in the original tumor. However, MTH-NM grew faster than MTH-R in the respective hosts. The MTH-NM grew in both KSN-nude mice and BUF/Mna-rnu/rnu rats but not in BUF/Mna rats, the host of the original tumor. Three continuous tissue culture cell lines (MTHC-1, MTHC-2 and MTHC-3) were established from the MTH-NM tumors at the 2nd, 15th and 17th transplantation generations, respectively. The MTH-NM tumors and latter two tissue culture cell lines carried one or more mouse chromosomes, probably acquired by cell fusion with mouse cells during passages in vivo. The presence of the mouse chromosomes was confirmed by the presence of mouse DNA and of antibodies to the MTHC-2 and MTHC-3 cells in the sera of BUF/Mna rats transplanted with MTH-NM.     

Tumor-cytotoxicity of nitric-oxide produced from alveolar macrophages directly stimulated with tumor-cells

Macrophages activated by lipopolysaccharide or interferon-gamma have been shown to be cytotoxic to tumor cells by releasing nitric oxide. Here, we report that unstimulated rat alveolar macrophages cultured with certain tumor cells produce nitric oxide and are cytotoxic to these tumor cells. Alveolar macrophages were taken from BUF/Mna rats, which were known to produce spontaneous thymoma, and cultured with syngeneic BUF/Mna-derived thymoma cells. They were killed by syngeneic or allogeneic alveolar macrophages and this killing was partially abolished by addition of N(G)-monomethyl-L-arginine. X-ray irradiated, mitomycin C-treated or membranous fragments of BUF/Mna-derived thymoma cells directly stimulated rat alveolar macrophages to produce nitric oxide.     

Chromosomal mapping of genes controlling development, histological grade, depth of invasion, and size of rat stomach carcinomas

Rat stomach cancers induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG) are widely used as a model of differentiated-type human stomach cancers. ACI/N (ACT) rats are susceptible and BUF/Nac (BUF) rats are resistant to MNNG-induced stomach carcinogenesis, and the presence of an autosomal gene with a dominant BUF allele has been suggested. In this study, we performed a carcinogenicity test by giving MNNG in drinking water to 117 male ACI x (ACIxBUF)F1 backcross rats. Each of 100 effective rats was diagnosed for its "carcinoma development" and when it was bearing stomach carcinoma(s), for histological grade, depth of invasion, and size and number of tumors. Carcinoma development was diagnosed based both on the age of the rat and on the presence of stomach carcinoma(s). Linkage analysis was performed with the genotypes of 161 loci, covering 1637 cM of the rat genome. Contrary to our original expectations, the most influential gene was the one on chromosome (chr.) 15, Gastric cancer susceptibility gene 1 (Gcs1), which confers susceptibility to stomach carcinogenesis (LOD, 3.8) with a dominant BUF allele by promoting conversion from adenomas to carcinomas. Two resistance genes on chr. 4 and chr. 3, Gastric cancer resistance gene 1 (Gcr1) and Gcr2, were shown to confer dominant resistance (LOD, 2.7 and 2.6, respectively). Gcs1, Gcr1, and Gcr2 exerted additive effects on the development of stomach carcinomas. A gene on chr. 16, Gcr3, was indicated to reduce the depth of invasion (LOD, 2.2) and sizes of tumors (LOD, 1.9). No linkage was obtained using the number of tumors. These findings show that the coordinate effect of a susceptibility gene, Gcs1, and two resistance genes, Gcr1 and Gcr2, is responsible for the development of MNNG-induced stomach carcinomas and that Gcr3 is responsible for the growth of a stomach carcinoma, reflected in the depth of invasion and in the tumor size.     

Distal Chr 4 harbors a genetic locus (Gct1) fundamental for spontaneous ovarian granulosa cell tumorigenesis in a mouse model

The spontaneous development of juvenile-onset ovarian granulosa cell tumors in mice of the SWXJ-9 recombinant inbred strain is a model for juvenile-type granulosa cell tumors that appear in very young girls. To expedite gene discovery in this mouse model of childhood cancer, we did a gene mapping study with the SWXJ-9 recombinant inbred strain and the evolutionarily divergent Mus musculus castaneus (CAST/Ei) strain as a mapping partner. Our mapping strategy focused on autosomal determinants of susceptibility with a backcross scheme that exploited a paternal, parent-of-origin effect for a X-linked gene (Gct4) that strongly supports granulosa cell tumor development. Of 1,968 backcross females examined, we detected 81 granulosa cell tumor-bearing animals and compared their allelic inheritance patterns to non-tumor-bearing siblings in a case-control analysis. The results of our study have confirmed an important locus on mouse chromosome (Chr) 4 (Gct1) and have revealed new loci for granulosa cell tumor susceptibility (Gct7-Gct9) on Chrs 1, 2, and 13 with susceptibility alleles contributed by the SWXJ-9 progenitor. Two novel gene-gene interactions supportive for granulosa cell tumor development were also observed between loci on Chrs 17 and 18 and loci on Chrs 2 and 10. Our data substantiate the evidence that Gct1 on Chr 4 is a fundamental oncogene for granulosa cell tumorigenesis in mice and has identified additional interacting autosomal loci that support tumor development.     

Loss of heterozygosity at chromosome 1q loci in rat mammary tumors

To better characterize abnormalities affecting rat chromosome 1 during mammary carcinogenesis, tumors were induced by nitrosomethylurea in F₁ hybrid rats polymorphic at multiple chromosome 1 loci. By means of restriction fragment length polymorphism and microsatellite length polymorphism analyses, we observed loss of heterozygosity or allelic imbalance affecting various loci on the q arm of chromosome 1 in a high percentage of the 49 tumors analyzed. Fifty percent of the tumors showed loss or imbalance affecting the most distal (1q55) INS1 (rat insulin 1 gene) locus. The MT1PA (metallothionein-1 pseudogene a) locus was observed to be affected in 58% of tumors induced in BUF/NCr × ACI/Vsp rats. Most of the losses appeared to have occurred by mitotic recombination. No parental bias was observed on the affected chromosome 1. Tumors were also screened for mutations in codon 12 of the Ha-ras-1 gene, which is located on 1q. We observed an association between the presence of mutation and allelic imbalance. These studies confirm our previous cytogenetic observations of a high level of nonrandom instability affecting rat chromosome 1 during mammary carcinogenesis. The observed loss of heterozygosity may indicate the existence of a putative tumor suppressor gene within the distal half of the 1q arm. These abnormalities, however, could also be related to the early stages of Ha-ras amplification. © 1995 Wiley-Liss Inc.     

Hereditary Low Level of Plasma Ceruloplasmin in LEC Rats Associated with Spontaneous Development of Hepatitis and Liver Cancer

Both young (5 weeks old) and old (61 100 weeks old) hereditary hepatitis LEC rats showed a markedly low level of plasma ceruloplasmin (Cp) ferroxidase activity as compared with that of age-matched LEA and BN strain rats. This trait was genetically examined hy the use of (BN × LEC) F₁ hybrid and (F₁× LEC) backcross rats. The F₁ hybrids never developed hepatitis and showed a similar level of Cp to that found in the parental BN rats. Among the backcross rats with about 1:1 segregation rate for hepatitis, affected rats had a remarkably decreased level of Cp, as found in LEC rats, whereas unaffected rats exhibited a similar level of Cp to that of BN, F₁ and LEA rats. These results indicate that the low level of Cp is heritable in a single autosomal recessive mode in LEC rats. The observed tight link between the low Cp level and the hepatitis in LEC rats suggests that defective copper metabolism may he associated with the occurrence of hepatitis in LEC rats, since Cp is a copper-binding protein primarily involved in copper transport from the liver.     

Sequential histologic changes during gastric carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine in susceptible ACI and resistant BUF rats

Sequential histologic changes of the stomach during carcinogenesis induced by N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG; CAS: 70-25-7) were studied in susceptible ACI and resistant BUF strain rats. Rats were given MNNG at a concentration of 83 micrograms/ml in their drinking water for 32 weeks and then tap water and were sacrificed sequentially between weeks 1 and 57. In ACI rats, erosions, regenerative changes, focal and slightly atypical changes, and diffuse and severe atypical changes were observed sequentially in the pyloric region during the period of MNNG administration, where adenocarcinomas were observed after the cessation of MNNG treatment. In BUF rats, the main histologic changes induced by MNNG were erosions and hyperplasia of the glandular portion of pyloric glands at the margin of erosions. After the cessation of MNNG treatment, the hyperplasia of the pyloric glands subsided and was followed by atrophy of these glands. The results suggested that the responses of the gastric mucosa to MNNG in ACI and BUF rats were qualitatively different.     

Hereditary low level of plasma ceruloplasmin in LEC rats associated with spontaneous development of hepatitis and liver cancer

Both young (5 weeks old) and old (61-100 weeks old) hereditary hepatitis LEC rats showed a markedly low level of plasma ceruloplasmin (Cp) ferroxidase activity as compared with that of age-matched LEA and BN strain rats. This trait was genetically examined by the use of (BN x LEC) F1 hybrid and (F1 x LEC) backcross rats. The F1 hybrids never developed hepatitis and showed a similar level of Cp to that found in the parental BN rats. Among the backcross rats with about 1:1 segregation rate for hepatitis, affected rats had a remarkably decreased level of Cp, as found in LEC rats, whereas unaffected rats exhibited a similar level of Cp to that of BN, F1 and LEA rats. These results indicate that the low level of Cp is heritable in a single autosomal recessive mode in LEC rats. The observed tight link between the low Cp level and the hepatitis in LEC rats suggests that defective copper metabolism may be associated with the occurrence of hepatitis in LEC rats, since Cp is a copper-binding protein primarily involved in copper transport from the liver.     

The WD Gene for Wilson's Disease Links to the Hepatitis of LEG Rats

LEC rats develop an autosomal recessive hepatitis and subsequently liver cancer associated with copper accumulation in the liver similar to that of Wilson's disease. Using 71 backcross [(WKAH x LEC) x LEC] rats, linkage analysis of the hepatitis with the WD gene for Wilson's disease revealed identical segregation and no recombination event between these two genes. This result indicates that the WD gene is a prime candidate for the hts gene responsible for the hepatitis of LEG rats, and suggests that the hepatitis of LEC rats may be caused by a defect in a copper-transporting ATPase expressed in the liver.     

Presence of a modifier gene(s) affecting early renal carcinogenesis in the Tsc2 mutant (Eker) rat model

The Eker (Tsc2 mutant) rat model of renal carcinoma is an example of Mendelian dominantly inherited predisposition to a specific cancer. Effects of genetic background on renal carcinogenesis in the Eker rat model (Eker/Eker > Eker/BN strain) indicate the presence in the BN rat genome of a modifier gene(s) that suppresses tumorigenesis. The identification of such a modifier gene(s) might help clarify the diversity of tuberous sclerosis in humans. i) We found that preneoplastic lesions in 8-week-old F1 rats [(Eker x LE) and (Eker x BN)] were more numerous in the LE strain than in the BN strain although the difference was not large. ii) We next administered N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU; single injection, i.p.) at the age of 4 weeks to amplify the strain difference in tumorigenesis, as we had done in an earlier study to identify the predisposing gene. iii) This experiment was also done in BN congenic Eker rats to confirm the strain difference in tumorigenesis. Preneoplastic lesions were fewer in BN congenic rats than in Eker rats by a factor of 100. We used this ENU system to perform a backcross experiment [F1(Eker x BN) x Eker] and finally succeeded in mapping a new modifier locus on rat chromosome 5 (the LOD score of the D5Rat12 was 3.13).     

Identification of 29 Rat Genetic Markers by Arbitrarily Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction

The number of genetic markers for the rat is still limited, in spite of its wide use in cancer research. To facilitate accurate mapping of both established and novel rat genetic markers, we constructed a linkage map by genotyping 105 F₂ rats from ACI/N (ACI) and BUF/Nac (BUF) crosses. This map consists of 120 genetic markers that had been previously reported, mainly by two research groups, but had not been integrated. To find new genetic markers, the arbitrarily primed polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR) was applied to detect polymorphic bands between ACI and BUF rats. After testing 56 single primers and 12 combinations of primers, we found 36 bands produced by 16 single primers and two combinations to be reliably polymorphic between ACI and BUF rats. The 36 bands were typed in the 105 F₂ rats, and 29 of them could be linkage-mapped. AP-PCR is thus useful to detect new genetic markers in laboratory strains of rats.