Spinal tumors induced by neonatal administration of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea in Wistar rats

The carcinogenic effect of N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) administered by single neonatal injection (40 mg/kg) was examined in wistar rats. By 2 months after ENU administration, 30% of the examined animals had spinal cord tumors. After months all rats had neurogenic tumors, and the incidence of spinal tumor was as high as 86%. Spinal cord tumors were observed at all levels of the white matter of the spinal cord without any predilection site, though spinal root tumors were located exclusively on lumbosacral plexuses. Most of the spinal cord tumors were oligodedrogliomas or glioependymomas, whereas all the spinal root tumors were anaplastic schwannomas.