Monitoring Prostate Tumor Growth in an Orthotopic Mouse Model Using Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Imaging Technique

Jie Ni; Paul Cozzi; Tzong-Tyng Hung; Jingli Hao; Peter Graham; Yong Li

doi:10.1016/j.tranon.2015.11.011

Monitoring Prostate Tumor Growth in an Orthotopic Mouse Model Using Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Imaging Technique

Transl Oncol. 2016 Feb;9(1):41-45. doi: 10.1016/j.tranon.2015.11.011.

Authors

Jie Ni¹, Paul Cozzi², Tzong-Tyng Hung³, Jingli Hao¹, Peter Graham¹, Yong Li⁴

Affiliations

¹ Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia; St George and Sutherland Clinical School, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
² St George and Sutherland Clinical School, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia; Department of Surgery, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia.
³ Biological Resource Imaging Laboratory, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia.
⁴ Cancer Care Centre, St George Hospital, Kogarah, NSW 2217, Australia; St George and Sutherland Clinical School, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Kensington, NSW 2052, Australia. Electronic address: [email protected].

Abstract

Prostate cancer (CaP) is the most commonly diagnosed and the second leading cause of death from cancer in males in USA. Prostate orthotopic mouse model has been widely used to study human CaP in preclinical settings. Measurement of changes in tumor size obtained from noninvasive diagnostic images is a standard method for monitoring responses to anticancer modalities. This article reports for the first time the usage of a three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound system equipped with photoacoustic (PA) imaging in monitoring longitudinal prostate tumor growth in a PC-3 orthotopic NODSCID mouse model (n = 8). Two-dimensional and 3D modes of ultrasound show great ability in accurately depicting the size and shape of prostate tumors. PA function on two-dimensional and 3D images showed average oxygen saturation and average hemoglobin concentration of the tumor. Results showed a good fit in representative exponential tumor growth curves (n = 3; r(2) = 0.948, 0.955, and 0.953, respectively) and a good correlation of tumor volume measurements performed in vivo with autopsy (n = 8, r = 0.95, P < .001). The application of 3D ultrasound imaging proved to be a useful imaging modality in monitoring tumor growth in an orthotopic mouse model, with advantages such as high contrast, uncomplicated protocols, economical equipment, and nonharmfulness to animals. PA mode also enabled display of blood oxygenation surrounding the tumor and tumor vasculature and angiogenesis, making 3D ultrasound imaging an ideal tool for preclinical cancer research.