Transplantable osteosarcomas with high lung metastatic potential in Fischer 344 rats

Both spontaneous (SOS) and 4-hydroxyaminoquinoline 1-oxide (4-HAQO)-induced osteosarcomas (COS) could be serially transplanted in the subcutaneous back space of syngeneic F344 rats, the success rate becoming 100% within 5 passage generations. Transplanted tumors demonstrated rapid growth and displayed high potential for metastasis to the lung in later generations. Thus, a 100% lung metastasis rate was observed for SOS after the 20th and for COS after the 14th generation. The histological features of the primary SOS and COS were retained during serial transfer. These model systems should be useful for investigation of the biology of this very important tumor type.