Incidence and spectrum of spontaneous neoplasms in male and female CBA/J mice.

Although CBA mice are occasionally used in biomedical research, little is known about their life-data and diseases ("background pathology"). Therefore, it was the aim of this study to determine the life expectancy, spectrum and incidence of spontaneous neoplasms of the inbred CBA/J mouse strain. A total of 631 untreated mice (293 females; 338 males) were kept from birth to death under standard laboratory conditions. A complete histological examination was performed on all organs/tissues. In female CBA mice, the average lifespan was 94 weeks, while the mean age in males was 85 weeks. Neoplastic lesions were observed in 70% (238/338) of the males and 51% (150/293) of the female CBA/J mice. Tumours of the liver, lung and haematopoietic tissue were common in males, while tumours of the lung, ovary and haematopoietic tissue were the most frequent neoplasms in female CBA/J mice.