The aim of this project is to validate two animal models of ovarian adenocarcinoma with histologic similarities to the human disease for the purpose of evaluating chemopreventive efficacy of selected agents. The ovarian cancers are being induced by implanting 7,12 dimethylbenz[a]anthracene impregnated suture into the left ovary of inbred 8-week old Lewis rats and FVBxSwiss albino mice. The right ovary will serve as a internal negative control. A 1 cm length of 3-0 suture is impregnated with 2.1 fg of DMBA and imbedded in the ovarian parenchyma with a sterile needle and knotted at one end to fix it in place. The rats will be sacrificed at 36 weeks for the evaluation of cancers of the ovary. The mice will be evaluated at 30 weeks for ovarian tumors. The ovaries and tumors will be fixed in 10% buffered formalin and analyzed by a pathologist for lesions. Thirty animals per group will be used which should allow sufficient power to see a difference in treatment versus control at 50% reduction in ovarian cancers.
