Distribution of m-IBG in nude mice bearing LAN-5 neuroblastoma xenografts and in vitro cell culture.
BACKGROUND: Neuroblastoma is the commonest extra-cranial solid tumour of childhood and has a poor clinical outcome in patients with disseminated disease. Animal xenografts of this tumour offer a useful method of studying new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the tumour, prior to consideration of clinical trials. METHODS: 131I m-IBG was injected into nude mice bearing xenografts of the human neuroblastoma line LAN 5 in several sites. Animals were sacrificed at 24 (n = 6) and 48 hours (n = 5) and the biodistribution of the agent as well as uptake into the xenografted tumours was determined in a gamma well counter. In-vitro uptake of m-IBG into suspensions of LAN 5 cells was also determined in order to confirm the animal studies. RESULTS: There was no preferential accumulation of m-IBG in the xenografted tumours in any of the sites considered. Similarly, the in-vitro uptake of m-IBG showed the typical Michaelis-Menten kinetics of simple diffusion with no evidence of active uptake. CONCLUSIONS: The human neuroblastoma line LAN 5 failed to enrich m-IBG in either the xenograft or in-vitro situation. This may be related to the poor degree of differentiation of the tumour as evidenced by its unusual ease of growth in the sub-cutaneous site.