Comparative Characterization of High-grade Glioma Models in Rats: Importance for Neurobiology

Glioblastoma (GB) is a fatal disease with extremely low survival. Combined treatment is being developed to prolong life, alleviate physical and mental state, which combines standard therapy with cognitive-behavioral interventions. Rats are the most accessible models for the preclinical study of physiology, behavior, and cognitive functions. CNS tumor models vary; among the differences are the rat strain, the glioma cell line, the carcinogen used for its induction, the tumor growth pattern and the rate of penetration into the surrounding brain tissues, morphology, metabolism, key signaling pathways. In this review, we examine the properties of four main rat strains — Wistar, Long-Evans, Sprague-Dawley, Fischer 344, Lewis and Wistar-Kyoto — and the most commonly used malignant glioma models, including the C6, RG2, F98 and 9L cell lines, as well as the 101.8 and 15/47 tissues. We also discuss the pathophysiology of human glioblastoma growth as a benchmark for modern neuro-oncological research and emphasize the importance of distinguishing between spontaneous and transplantable tumors, as they can contribute to the discrepancy in the results of clinical and preclinical studies. The aim of this review is to analyze factors critical for experimental neuroscience by characterizing rat strains and malignant glioma models.