Nude mouse in studies on chemical carcinogenesis

Enzyme of the monooxygenase complex were found in the skin of a nude mouse strain, and the activities increased after an intraperitoneal administration of 3-methylcholantrene. No comparable change was observed in UDPglucuronosyltransferase, an enzyme of the conjugation system. Fibroblast cultures prepared from nude mouse skin proved sensitive for transformation by carcinogenic chemicals. Nude mouse accepts transplants e.g. transformed cells more easily than conventional laboratory animals. The nude mouse model may therefore offer a useful alternative to other transformation assays using mammalian cells as targets.