Objective: To establish a fluorescent implantation metastasis model of bladder carcinoma with high metastatic potential in nude mice and observe development and metastasis.
Methods: Human bladder cancer EJ cells with high invasive ability were screened and transfected with GFP plasmid to screen stable enhanced GFP-expressing clones instilled into the bladders of nude mice. Subsequent growth, invasion, and metastasis of the implanted tumors were observed and evaluated with a whole-body fluorescence optical imaging system.
Results: The transfected bladder cancer EJ cells stably and efficiently expressed EGFP. The growth, invasion and metastasis of the implant bladder tumor were readily observed and accurately evaluated by fluorescent microscopy. In the bladders of nude mice, the rates of EGFP expression detected by flow cytometry at weeks 1-4 were 22.6%, 46.7%, 62.3% and 72.7%, respectively, with clear increase over time.
Conclusion: GFP-labeled bladder cancer EJ cells display green fluorescence under fluorescent microscopy and show stable GFP expression. The model will provide a simple and reliable means for studying the mechanism of implantation metastasis of human bladder cancers in vivo.