Figure 5.

sFZD7 sensitizes HCC cells to the anti-proliferative effect of doxorubicin in vivo. (A). Combination of sFZD7 and Doxil enhanced xenograft growth inhibition in vivo. Mice bearing Huh7-tumor xenografts were intratumorally injected weekly with PBS control; sFZD7 only (12.5 mg/kg); Doxil only (2.5 mg/kg); or sFZD7 (12.5 mg/kg) combined with Doxil (2.5 mg/kg) (n=5 in each treatment group). Tumor size was measured with digital calipers every three days. Significant differences in the tumor volumes between all treatment groups and the PBS control were observed after 14 days of treatment (*P < 0.05). Additionally, the sFZD7 plus Doxil combination group showed significant differences in tumor volumes compared with sFZD7 only or Doxil only groups after 17 days of treatment (*P < 0.05). (B). TUNEL staining of xenograft specimens removed from PBS control and all treatment groups (200 × magnification). Red arrows indicate some positively stained, apoptotic cells. (C). Representative cyclin D1 immunostaining of xenograft specimens removed from PBS control and all treatment groups are shown (200 × magnification). (D). Protein levels of c-Myc, cyclin D1, survivin, and β-actin (loading control) in tumor xenografts from two mice in each group were determined by Western blotting using specific antibodies. (E). The expression levels of c-Myc, cyclin D1, survivin were determined by analyzing Western blots with the ImageJ software, and normalizing their signal intensities to β-actin.