Current imaging methods detect cancer only when it has reached "visible" size and has significantly disrupted the structure of the organ.
When the culture reached visible density (>10 cells/ml), three blindly chosen images of a 20 µl sample were taken on the microscope with a 20× objective.
When tumor volume reached visible proportions, animals were treated i.p with either PBS or AECHL-1 5 µg/kg body weight of the animal for 10 days.
Latency to reach the visible platform was recorded for 4 different, random platform locations with an intertribal interval of 1 min. The visible platform test examines the animal's gross visual ability.
Finally, on the last day, visual acuity and motor functions were tested by analyzing the ability of mice to reach a visible platform located in the quadrant opposite to the one that had contained the hidden platform.
The time to reach the visible platform was recorded and analyzed.
Mice were given six trials per day for 2 consecutive days, and the latency to reach the visible platform was measured.
The distance travelled to reach the visible platform was similar in all the groups of mice (repeated ANOVA "genotype", trials", F 3,147) = 0.157, p = 0.925).
Taken together, these results indicated normal visuo-spatial orientation, preserved motivation to reach a visible and hidden platform and intact spatial learning and memory in EphA3KI/KI and EphA3KI/+ mice.
