Reference SummaryWakefield LM, Comp Med 2003 Aug;53(4):424-32

Title

 Spontaneous pituitary abnormalities and mammary hyperplasia in FVB/NCr mice: implications for mouse modeling.

Authors

 Wakefield LM; Thordarson G; Nieto AI; Shyamala G; Galvez JJ; Anver MR; Cardiff RD

Journal

 Comp Med

Volume

 53

Issue

 4

Year

 2003

Pages

 424-32

Abstract

 The FVB/N mouse strain is widely used in the generation of transgenic mouse models. We have observed that mammary glands of wild-type virgin female FVB/NCr mice frequently have the morphologic and histologic appearance of a gland during pregnancy. By 13 months of age, the mammary glands of more than 40% of the mice examined had lobuloalveolar hyperplasia that was characterized by the presence of secretory alveoli and distended ducts apparently containing secretory material. The prevalence of this phenotype further increased with age. The mammary phenotype was highly correlated with the presence of proliferative, prolactin-secreting lesions in the pituitary gland. In mice aged 18 to 23 months, hyperplasia of the pars distalis was seen in 11 of 21 mice (52%), and a further 4 of 21 mice (19%) had pituitary adenomas. Pituitary hyperplasia was already evident in some mice as young as nine months. The pituitary phenotype was also associated with high prevalence (4/6 mice) of spontaneous mammary tumors in aged multiparous, but not virgin FVB/NCr mice. This high prevalence of pituitary abnormalities and their effects on the mammary gland have important consequences for the interpretation of new phenotypes generated in transgenic models using this mouse substrain.

Links

 J:85349 – MGI References
14524419 – National Library of Medicine/PubMed

Strain Notes

Strain Note
FVB/NCr Some of the mice in the cohort analyzed in this paper were "wild-type littermates of transgenics generated on the same background".
"The FVB/NCr substrain mice were obtained from the NCI Frederick Animal Production Area (APA)".

Models
Strain Model Name Treatment Agent(s) Organ Affected Frequency Model Details
FVB/NCr Mammary gland carcinoma Mammary gland

67
FVB/NCr Mammary gland carcinoma - acinar Mammary gland

17
FVB/NCr Mammary gland carcinoma - adenosquamous Mammary gland

17
FVB/NCr Mammary gland carcinoma - glandular Mammary gland

4.8 - 33
FVB/NCr Mammary gland hyperplasia Mammary gland

observed
FVB/NCr Mammary gland hyperplasia - acinar Mammary gland

observed
FVB/NCr Mammary gland hyperplasia - lobular-alveolar Mammary gland

43 - 57
FVB/NCr Mammary gland metaplasia - squamous Mammary gland

moderate
FVB/NCr Mammary gland tumor Mammary gland

4.8
FVB/NCr Mammary gland tumor - mixed Mammary gland

4.8
FVB/NCr Pituitary gland - Pars distalis hyperplasia Pituitary gland - Pars distalis

17 - 75
FVB/NCr Pituitary gland - Pars distalis prolactinoma Pituitary gland - Pars distalis

0 - 83