[A Novel Rat Glioblastoma 101/8 Model: A Comparative PET-CT Study with C6 Rat model]

The development of new drugs in nuclear medicine for diagnosis or treatment (chemotherapy) of brain tumors, in particular gliomas, is inextricably linked with the use of tumor models in animals (usually rats).

To compare the widely used glioma cell model C6 and the new experimental tissue model of glioblastoma 101.8.

A comparison was made of the diagnostic and morphological characteristics of the presented glioma models in two groups of animals with intracranially implanted tissue strain of experimental glioblastoma 101.8 (n=4) and the C6 glioma cell line (n=4) throughout the tumor development cycle within the rat brain. To monitor the progress of tumor growth and development, each animal underwent repeated diagnostic studies using PET-CT with ¹⁸F-FDG and ¹⁸F-FET to assess the metabolic activity and volume of the tumor. Also MRI images were collected. After the end of data acquisition, a histological examination of the tumor was carried out.

The tissue model of glioblastoma 101.8 demonstrated rapid growth and pronounced accumulation of the tracers in all animals during the tumor observation cycle. Formation of intratumoral necrosis and signs of disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) were detected. In PET-CT studies of animals with a transplanted C6 tumor, no visible necrosis in the tumor structure was observed. Tumor growth was less rapid than in the case of model 101.8. The obtained morphological characteristics of 101.8 tumors transplanted into the rat brain demonstrated similar properties observed in real clinical conditions in patients with glioblastoma of the brain (necrosis, neovascularization, multiple pseudopalisade structures).

Tumor model 101.8 can be recommended for scientific research as it most closely reproduces the diagnostic and morphological features of a human glioblastoma.