BACKGROUND: Ameloblastomas are odontogenic neoplasms characterized by local invasiveness. This study was conducted to develop a new animal model of ameloblastoma and to address the role of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the growth and invasiveness of ameloblastomas. METHOD: Donated fresh human ameloblastoma tissue was finely minced, screened, and subcutaneously implanted in three locations on each of 10 BALB/c-nu/nu nude mice. Newly established tumors on each mouse were injected with: (i) transfection reagent; (ii) liposome and transfection reagent; or (iii) liposome, transfection reagent, and the expression plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)/green fluorescent protein (GFP)-TIMP-2. Tumors were monitored for 5 weeks and excised for histopathology, RNA, and protein analyses. RESULTS: The ameloblastoma xenografts were established with high frequency and contained a variety of typical features, validating this new model system. Xenografts injected with the TIMP-2 expression plasmid showed reduced growth, increased TIMP-2 mRNA and protein, and decreased MMP-2 protein compared with the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully established a new experimental model of ameloblastoma consisting of subcutaneous human xenografts in nude mice. In addition, we demonstrated the successful introduction of the TIMP-2 gene in tumor xenograft cells in vivo, resulting in xenograft growth inhibition. This growth inhibition may have resulted from TIMP-2 overexpression specifically inhibiting MMP-2 protein expression and activity.
BACKGROUND:Ameloblastomas are odontogenic neoplasms characterized by local invasiveness. This study was conducted to develop a new animal model of ameloblastoma and to address the role of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) in the growth and invasiveness of ameloblastomas. METHOD: Donated fresh humanameloblastoma tissue was finely minced, screened, and subcutaneously implanted in three locations on each of 10 BALB/c-nu/nu nude mice. Newly established tumors on each mouse were injected with: (i) transfection reagent; (ii) liposome and transfection reagent; or (iii) liposome, transfection reagent, and the expression plasmid pcDNA3.1(+)/green fluorescent protein (GFP)-TIMP-2. Tumors were monitored for 5 weeks and excised for histopathology, RNA, and protein analyses. RESULTS: The ameloblastoma xenografts were established with high frequency and contained a variety of typical features, validating this new model system. Xenografts injected with the TIMP-2 expression plasmid showed reduced growth, increased TIMP-2 mRNA and protein, and decreased MMP-2 protein compared with the control groups. CONCLUSIONS: We successfully established a new experimental model of ameloblastoma consisting of subcutaneous human xenografts in nude mice. In addition, we demonstrated the successful introduction of the TIMP-2 gene in tumor xenograft cells in vivo, resulting in xenograft growth inhibition. This growth inhibition may have resulted from TIMP-2 overexpression specifically inhibiting MMP-2 protein expression and activity.
Authors: Josué Zuriel Ortiz-García; Susana Munguía-Robledo; Juan José Estrada-Orozco; Carlos Licéaga-Escalera; Mario A Rodríguez Journal: J Oral Biol Craniofac Res Date: 2022-04-06