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Determination of optimal freezing parameters of human prostate cancer in a nude mouse model
T M Turk1, M A Rees, P Pietrow
1Department of Urology, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, USA. TTURK@LUC.EDU
Background:
We sought to determine whether more than one freeze/thaw cycle is required and what minimum temperature reliably kills prostate cancer in vivo.
Methods:
Two human prostate cancer cell lines (LNCaP and PC3) were implanted subcutaneously in male nude BALB/c mice. Tumors were frozen with contemporary cryosurgery equipment and monitored for temperature, size, and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) measurements. The tumors were subjected to one or two freeze/thaw cycles through a wide range of temperatures from 0 - -80 degrees C.
Results:
These experiments show that a single freeze/thaw to a temperature < -40 degrees C is adequate to kill most tumor cells in this mouse model of prostate cancer.
Conclusions:
Freezing prostate cancer to < -40 degrees C and ensuring that the entire tumor is frozen is more important than additional freeze/thaw cycles in this experimental model.