Invasion and Metastasis of SY86B Human Gastric Carcinoma Cells in Nude Mice

A moderately differentiated tubular adenocarcinoma of human stomach, named SY86B, was successfully transplanted subcutaneously to nude mice of different genetic backgrounds (BALB/CA/PBI‐nu, C57BL/6J.615/PBI‐nu and ICR‐BALB/CA/PBI‐nu). The tumor has been passaged for 13 generations and the transplantability was 100%. The SY86B cells retained the capacity of invasive and metastatic growth in the nude mice and showed a high rate of metastasis to the regional lymph nodes and to such distant organs as the lungs, liver and pancreas. The overall rate of metastasis was 77.7%. The species of the nude mice, their age and sex apparently did not significantly affect the occurrence of metastasis. Tumor‐bearing time and the aggressive character of the tumor cells themselves appeared important for the genesis of metastasis. This experimental model can provide a new approach to basic and clinical studies of cancer metastasis.