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Endometrial cancer, or cancer of the lining of the uterus, is the second most common gynecologic malignancy worldwide and the most common malignancy in developed nations1. The incidence of endometrial cancer has steadily increased, rising by 2.3% per year between 2005-2013 with a corresponding 2.2% increase in mortality1,2,3. The diagnosis of lymph node metastases is paramount as the presence of positive lymph nodes is a strong negative predictor of survival4,5,6,7 and can guide the administration of adjuvant therapy8,9,10,11,12,13. Lymph node metastases are currently diagnosed by surgically removing the lymphatic tissue overlying the major blood vessels in the pelvis and abdomen. This procedure, known as a lymphadenectomy, is controversial due to conflicting survival data from two large trials14,15,16,17,18 and the known risk of intra-operative15,19,20 and post-operative morbidity21,22,23. As current non-invasive imaging modalities do not have the required sensitivity and specificity to replace lymph node dissection24, there has been a push to develop new diagnostic imaging techniques. To test these novel techniques in a pre-clinical setting, a reliable model of endometrial cancer with retroperitoneal lymph node metastases is required.
The rabbit VX2 tumor model is a well-established model which has been used extensively to study multiple human solid organ tumors25 including lung26, head and neck27,28, liver29, kidney30, bone31,32, brain33, pancreas34 and uterus35,36,37. The VX2 model was originally developed in 1940 by Kidd and Rous38 by successfully transplanting a cottontail rabbit papilloma virus discovered by Shope in 193339. Since that time, the VX2 model has been maintained in vivo, requiring serial passage in the quadriceps muscle of White New Zealand rabbits40. More recently however, multiple groups have successfully grown VX2 cells in vitro40,41,42 and demonstrated the retained tumorigenecity of the cultured cell line31,42,43. VX2 tumors are histologically defined as anaplastic squamous cell carcinomas44 and contain glandular features which resemble adenocarcinoma26. Tumors are characterized by ease of implantation, rapid growth and hyper-vascularity44,45 and reliably metastasize, most commonly to regional and distant lymph nodes45. Similarities in uterine vascular and lymphatic anatomy46 as well as the orthotopic growth site ensure that the metastatic pattern of rabbit VX2 carcinoma mimics that of human endometrial cancer, making the VX2 model a reliable model for studying human metastatic disease. Furthermore, histologic features such as abnormal microvascular proliferation47 , as well as immunological48 and genetic similarities49,50 between humans and rabbits suggest that the tumor microenvironment may reflect that of human endometrial cancer.
Multiple groups have reported on the use of VX2 to create a model of endometrial cancer with retroperitoneal metastases with a high reported rate of success36,51,52; however, significant variation exists within the current literature with respect the method of model creation. Cell suspension doses as low as 4 x 105 cells/uterine horn51 and as high as 5 x 109 cells/uterine horn37,53 have been reported with no standard consensus on the required VX2 cellular dose. As well, a variety of inoculation methods have been reported including micro-surgical implantation of tumor into the uterine myometrium36, injection of VX2 cell suspension37,44,52,53 and in some cases, the addition of uterine horn suturing prior to innoculation52. Finally, no groups have reported the use of cultured VX2 cells to create this model. Thus, the purpose of this study is to demonstrate a successful standardized method of VX2 model creation and to report the first use of cultured VX2 cells to create a model of endometrial cancer with retroperitoneal metastases in a rabbit.