Establishment of a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model of alveolar echinococcosis in nude mice

Objective To establish a subcutaneous xenograft tumor model of alveolar echinococcosis in nude mice, and to lay a foundation for further research on alveolar echinococcosis. Methods A total of 25 nude mice were given subcutaneous injection of 0. 1 ml 20% Echinococcus multilocularis protoscolex suspension at the back of the neck. The growth of lesions was observed and recorded, and trypan blue staining was performed at 6 months after injection to observe the cell viability of protoscolices. Results Subcutaneous lesions were observed at about 8 days after injection. At 3 months after the establishment of the model, the survival rate of the nude mice was 92% ( 23/25) , and the infection rate of Echinococcus multilocularis was 100% ( 23/23) . A small number of protoscolices died and were blue on trypan blue staining, and the cell viability of protoscolices was 98%. Conclusion Echinococcus multilocularis can be successfully transplanted to the subcutaneous part of nude mice, which provides a reference for further studies on the establishment of animal models of alveolar echinococcosis.