Figure 5. Both NUTF2P3-001-siRNA and miR-3923 could inhibit tumor growth and metastasis of pancreatic cancer xenograft in nude mice.

(A) Stable transfected PANC-1 cells was injected subcutaneously into the right flank of 3-week-old male BALB/c nude mice (n = 5 per group). The tumor volumes were measured every 3 days (tumor volume = length × width²/2). (B) Nude mice were sacrificed and the weights of tumor in LV-NUTF2P3-001-siRNA, LV-NC-siRNA, LV-miR-3923 and LV-miR-NC groups are measured respectively. (C) Nude mice, corresponding tumors, liver tissues and HE staining slices after 3 weeks inoculation. T stands for metastasis and N for normal liver tissues. (D) The mice with liver metastases and the mean number of liver metastases were quantified. Downregulated NUTF2P3-001 and overexpressed miR-3923 results in lower incidence of liver metastases (4/5 vs 2/5, 5/5 vs 2/5) and less number of metastases in liver (6.9 vs 2.2, 6.1 vs 2.5). (E) The relative expression of NUTF2P3-001 and KRAS in the implanted pancreatic cancer tumors of each group. The data showed that the expression of NUTF2P3-001 is significantly positive correlated with that of KRAS (r = 0.573, p = 0.008). All data were presented as means ± SD of at least three independent experiments. The p-value represents the comparison between groups (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.01,).