The min mouse on FVB background: susceptibility to spontaneous and carcinogen-induced intestinal tumourigenesis

The multiple intestinal neoplasia (Min) mouse is a model for intestinal tumourigenesis. On the C57BL/6J (B6) background, with an incidence of 100%, the Min mouse develops numerous tumours throughout the intestine, particularly in the small intestine. The Min phenotype was backcrossed to the FVB/NJ (FVB) genetic background in order to reduce the number of tumours. Control FVB Min mice had an incidence of 7% tumours, both in the small intestine and in the colon. One or more flat aberrant crypt foci (ACF) were also observed in the colon of 20% of the control mice. Neonatal mice were given one dose of the food-processing contaminant 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo [4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP) in order to test the chemical induction of tumours and flat ACF. Treatment with PhIP significantly increased both the number and incidence of tumours in the small intestine, and gave a non-significant increase of tumours and flat ACF in the colon.