Figure 5. Effects of miR-208a-3p and PDCD4 on the growth of gastric cancer cell xenografts in mice.

(A) Flow chart of the experimental procedure. MKN45 cells were infected with a control lentivirus or a miR-208a-3p overexpression lentivirus, or transfected with a PDCD4 overexpression plasmid, or co-transfected with a miR-208a-3p overexpression lentivirus and a PDCD4 overexpression plasmid. MKN45 cells (2 × 10⁶ cells per 0.1 mL) with different treatments were implanted subcutaneously into 6-week-old SCID mice (5 mice per group), and the tumor growth was evaluated on day 28 after cell implantation. (B) Representative images of the tumors from the implanted mice. (C) Quantitative analysis of the tumor weights. (D) Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of miR-208a-3p levels in the tumors from implanted mice. (E) Quantitative RT-PCR analysis of PDCD4 mRNA levels in the tumors from implanted mice. (F and G) Western blotting analysis of PDCD4 protein levels in the tumors from implanted mice. (F) representative image; (G) quantitative analysis. (H–J) H&E-stained sections and immunohistochemical staining for Ki-67 and PDCD4 in the tumors from implanted mice. (H) representative image; (I) and (J) quantitative analysis (*p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.005).