TIGAR siRNA exacerbated the effects of dioscin on TIGAR‐mediated signalling in mice. (a) Effects of dioscin on SMMC7721 cell tumour xenograft in nude mice after TIGAR‐siRNA transfection. The mice were randomly divided into the indicated groups, and dioscin was administered by gavage once daily for 24 days. Chemically modified TIGAR‐siRNA was diluted in PBS and intratumoural injected into the mice once every 3 days. After administration, the tumours were collected and imaged. (b–c) Effects of dioscin on tumour volume (*P < 0.05 vs. control group) and tumour weight (#
P < 0.05 vs. dioscin group) on SMMC7721 cell tumour xenograft in nude mice after TIGAR‐siRNA transfection. (d) Effects of dioscin on TIGAR expression level and cell apoptosis in tumour tissues of SMMC7721 cell tumour xenograft in nude mice based on immunofluorescence and TUNEL assays after TIGAR‐siRNA transfection. (e) Effects of dioscin on the expression levels of TIGAR, p53, p‐Akt/Akt, p‐mTOR/mTOR, CDK5, and p‐ATM/ATM in tumour tissues of SMMC7721 cell tumour xenograft in nude mice based on Western blotting assay after TIGAR‐siRNA transfection (*P < 0.05 vs. control group; n.s: no significance). All data are expressed as mean ± SD (n = 5)