Figure 4.
Therapeutic potential of autophagy inhibition upon treatment with L-asparaginase in ALL xenograft model. (a) Quantification of bioluminescent signals in mice transplanted with luciferase-transduced REH cells on day 7 after transplantation. The graph indicates that no significant difference was observed among the four treatment groups (control, n=7; CQ, n=9; L-asp, n=8; L-asp+CQ, n=11) in photon flux. (b) Measurement of peripheral amino-acid levels by LC-MS/MS. Samples were prepared from the plasma of mice on day 14 after administration in independent experiments. The levels were normalized to the volume of drawn blood. Data represent as mean±s.d. (n=3). (c) Whole-body mouse imaging. A pseudocolor scale shows relative bioluminescence changes over time. (d) Kaplan–Meier overall survival curve in mice treated with PBS only (control, n=7), CQ (50 mg/kg, n=9), L-asp (6 U/g, n=8) or L-asp plus CQ (6 U/g and 50 mg/kg, respectively, n=11). (e) Body weight on day 22 after transplantation (control, n=7; CQ, n=9; L-asp, n=8; L-asp+CQ, n=11). (f) Liver weight (% body weight) of control or treated mice. Mice were killed on day 15 after transplantation (n=5 per group). P-values were calculated using one-way ANOVA (a, b, e, f) and log-rank test (d; *P<0.05, ***P<0.001; ND, not detected; NS, not significant).
