Abstract: Objective To establish a rat xenograft model of human glioma and to provide ideal animal models for clinical and basic research by injecting immunosuppressants. Methods SD rats were divided into rapamycin (Rapa), cyclosporin A (CsA), Rapa+CsA, or negative control groups (n = 5 each) for 3 days before surgery. Human glioma U87-MG cells were injected orthotopically into the rat brains and subcutaneously into the back, and the volume and weight of subcutaneous tumors were monitored regularly. Once the subcutaneous tumors had grown to approximately 600 mm³, the growth of the brain glial tumors in situ was detected by near-infrared fluorescence optical imaging. The rats were sacrificed and tissue samples were isolated, and hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were performed to determine the modeling success rate. Results Compared with Rapa or CsA treatment, Rapa+CsA treatment showed an obvious immunosuppressive effect. The success rate of Rapa+CsA treatment model reached to 100%, while that of Rapa or CsA treatment model was only 0% and 40%, respectively. The mean body weight of the rats in the combination group was significantly lower than that in the other groups. A strong near-infrared fluorescent dye signal was detected in the rat brain by optical imaging and was further confirmed to be glioma tissue by histopathological analysis. The IHC staining was strongly positive for the human mitochondrial antibody at the tumor site. Conclusion A rat xenograft model of human glioma can be successfully established by the combined injection of immunosuppressants Rapa+CsA, and the morphology of human glioma can be conformed by pathological analysis.

Key words: Human glioma, Rapamycin, Cyclosporin A, Optical image, Xenograft