[Use of Apc(Min/+) mouse model in the studies of intestinal tumors]

More than thirty kinds of mutant or knockout mice bearing intestinal neoplasm have been reported up to the present. Apc(Min/+) mouse holding multiple intestinal neoplasia, provides an appropriate model to evaluate human familial adenomatous polyposis. APC is an important tumor-suppressor gene in the Wnt pathway, which is involved in the pivotal signal transduction cascade in animal embryogenesis and colorectal carcinogenesis. Apc(Min/+) mouse model was presented as aspects of the strain background, genotype/phenotype, divergent canonical Wnt signaling pathway, methylation of tumor-suppressor gene, TGF-b signaling pathway and multidrug resistance gene, etc. This review also introduced the application and signification of the mouse model in studies of anti-colorectal tumor drugs.