Figure 7. Comparison of Ad-stTRAIL with BCNU in Therapeutic Efficacy.

(A) Susceptibility of glioma cells to BCNU in vitro. Cells were incubated with different concentration of BCNU. After three days, cells were processed for the analysis of cell viability. The results represent the mean for three separate experiments. The SE bars were omitted, but <5% at all the data points. (B) Representative MRI after treatment with saline control, BCNU or Ad-stTRAIL. U87-MG cells (1×10⁵ cells/10 µl per mouse brain) were stereotactically implanted into the right striatum of athymic mice (nu/nu). At day 14 and 18 after tumor implantation, saline or Ad-stTRAIL (1×10¹⁰ VP/head) was delivered intra-tumorally. BCNU (10 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally delivered at day 14, 16 and 18 after tumor implantation. Tumor growth was monitored by MRI at the indicated times (n = 14 for each experimental group; total n = 42). (C) Tumor size calculated by MRI shown in (B). (D) TUNEL staining and histology of tumor tissues after treatment with saline control, BCNU or Ad-stTRAIL. Twenty one days after intracranial implantation of tumors, mice were sacrificed and cryostat sections of brain were prepared. Cryostat sections were stained with H&E, or subjected to TUNEL staining.