Characterization of an orthotopic gastric cancer mouse model with lymph node and organ metastases using bioluminescence imaging

Lymph node (LN) metastasis of gastric cancer (GC) is the strongest prognostic indicator for this disease; however, the majority of the LN metastasis profiles of GC remain unknown, which notably hinders the therapeutic efficacy in clinic. In the present study, an orthotopic model of human GC was established for investigation of time-dependent LN metastasis patterns in mice. Luciferase-expressing NCI-N87 human GC cells were injected into the subserosa of the gastric body, resulting in a tumor formation rate of 100%. LN metastasis at four different anatomical positions in the abdomen were characterized until week 10 after tumor cell injection using sensitive bioluminescence imaging and histopathological analyses. Skip LN metastases were observed at later stages (weeks 8–10) of the experiment. Metastases in other major organs, including liver, spleen and lung, were also examined. Characterization of this orthotopic GC model and metastasis patterns in LNs and major organs should aid in the preclinical GC research regarding the metastatic mechanism and drug development.