Neuromuscular transmission in nude mice bearing oat cell tumors from Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome

Abstract

Metastatic oat cell tumors from 3 patients with the Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome were successfully transplanted to athymic nude mice, and serially passaged by subcutaneous inoculation. Mice bearing large tumors which maintained the characteristics of each patient's tumor had no evidence of muscle weakness. Intracellular microelectrode studies of end-plate potentials in the diaphragms of the mice revealed no evidence of a defect of neuromuscular transmission.