FIG. 8.

Effects of α-mangostin on ASPC1 cells xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice. (A) Effects of α-mangostin on ASPC1 cell-derived ectopic xenograft tumors in athymic nude mice. Briefly, ASPC1 cells (2.0×10⁶) were suspended in 1:1 medium fixed with Matrigel and subcutaneously injected on both flanks of the mice. Three days later, the mice (n=8) were treated for 8 weeks with α-mangostin (6 mg/kg body weight, i.p. 5 days a week) in a 0.2-ml PBS containing 25% PEG. Control mice were administered with 0.2 ml of PBS containing 25% PEG. Representative photographs of control (Ai) and α-mangostin-treated (Aii) mice bearing xenograft tumors. (Aiii) Average tumor volume of control and α-mangostin-treated mice was plotted over the weeks. Each value in the tumor growth curve represents mean±SE of 16 tumors. (Aiv) Excised xenograft tumor weights of control and α-mangostin-treated mice after 8 weeks. Values in bar graph represent mean±SE of 16 tumors of each group. Asterisks represent the level of significance (p<0.001). (B) Effect of α-mangostin on the expression of pStat3Ser727, pNF-κB Ser552, NF-κB, and Stat3 in ASPC1 cells xenograft tumors as analyzed by western blot analysis. (C) Effect of α-mangostin on cell proliferation markers (PCNA and Ki-67) in excised xenograft tumors sections. Representative photographs of H&E sections of excised tumor obtained from control (Ci) and α-mangostin-treated (Cii) mice. Representative photographs show the expression levels of PCNA (Ciii, iv) and Ki-67 (Cv, vi) in control and α-mangostin-treated excised xenograft tumors. NC images of control (Cvii) and α-mangostin-treated (Cviii) excised tumor tissues section by using IgG antibody. H&E, hematoxylin and eosin; IgG, immunoglobulin G; PBS, phosphate-buffered saline; PCNA, proliferating cell nuclear antigen; PEG, polyethylene glycol.