Endocrine pancreatic tumors in MSV-SV40 large T transgenic mice

Mice carrying a Moloney murine sarcoma virus-(MSV) simian virus 40 large T transgene develop heritable tumors including endocrine pancreatic tumors. We have established several independent transgenic mouse lines expressing this transgene. One of these lines, designated MSV125, is characterized by the development of congenital cataracts and either pancreatic or brain tumors. The development and histopathology of the pancreatic tumors were studied by light microscopy and immunocytochemistry for large T antigen, neuron-specific enolase, insulin, proinsulin, glucagon, somatostatin, pancreatic polypeptide, gastrin, and serotonin. The 23 tumors examined were similar to human endocrine pancreatic tumors with respect to their macroscopic and histological features. We classified 91% of the tumors as insulinomas based on the predominance of insulin immunoreactivity. In newborn and young transgenic animals, nesidioblastosis and islet cell proliferation, consisting mostly of insulin containing beta cells, was obvious and persisted into adulthood. In transgenic animals more than 2 months old, islet hyperplasia and dysplasia predominated from which single tumors developed. Hyperplastic and dysplastic islets were composed mostly of beta cells. Large T antigen was detectable not only in tumor cells, but also in cells of normal and hyperplastic islets and in islet anlagen of newborn transgenic mice, indicating expression of the transgene in the endocrine part of the pancreas. Large T antigen-immunoreactivity was restricted to the beta cells. Insulinomas of the MSV-simian virus 40 T antigen-derived MSV125 transgenic mouse line may represent a valuable model for the study of the development and biology of insulinoma.