[Tumour induction by ethylnitrosourea in the central nervous system].

Introduction: Experimental central nervous system (CNS) tumours have been proposed as a useful model for the study of oncogenesis, epiphenomena related to cancer and for the design of new therapeutic strategies.

Development: The administration of chemical substances is one of the most commonly-used methods to induce CNS neoplasms. N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) belongs to the nitrosourea family, a wide group of alkylating agents that are able to induce brain tumours in litters after transplacentary administration at the 15th day of pregnancy.