Generation and characterization of islet cell tumor in pTet-on/pTRE-SV40Tag double-transgenic mice model

A line of double-transgenic mice that develop neoplasms arising primarily in the pancreas was established. In these mice, the oncogene SV40 T antigen (Tag) was detected in the pancreas with and without the control of Tet-on system. The transgenic mice that developed pancreatic tumors as early as 20 weeks of age showed hypoglycemia on a blood glucose test. Pathological and immunohistochemical characterizations demonstrated that the tumors belonged to neuroendocrine neoplasms arising from pancreatic islets. A change in IGFs/IGF-1R signaling pathway was detected using real-time PCR analysis. A potential association between the IGFs/IGF-1R system and SV40Tag was studied to further explain the cancerogenesis of the double-transgenic mice by Western blot analysis and immunoprecipitation experiments. The results suggest that a Tag transgenic mice model could be used to study the molecular mechanism of the tumorigenesis of islets.