Figure 5.

Blockade of CXCR4 could inhibit hepatic metastases of colon cancer. (A) The nude mouse hepatic metastasis model was employed to determine the effect of blocking the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis with AMD3100, a CXCR4 specific antagonist, on hepatic metastases. Cells were intra-splenically administered. The three groups were: CD133⁺CXCR4^-; CD133⁺CXCR4⁺; and CD133⁺CXCR4⁺ cells with continuous intraperitoneal administration of AMD3100. Mice were sacrificed 45 days later, and livers were harvested to observe metastatic tumor formation. A representative photograph of harvested livers is shown. (B) The hepatic metastasis status of the three groups is shown in the table. Comparisons between each group were made using Fisher's exact test (*P <0.01 compared with the CD133⁺CXCR4^- group).