Fig. 2. HOXB4 suppressed cervical tumorigenesis in vivo.
a HOXB4 expression in modified cervical cancer cell lines. HOXB4 protein expression in HeLa (a, left) and C-33A (a, middle) cells transfected with either empty vector (Vector) or HOXB4 overexpression vector (HOXB4) plasmid. SiHa (a, right) cells were transfected with either control (shNC) or shRNAs targeting the HOXB4 (shHOXB4) plasmid and detected using WB. GAPDH was used as a loading control. b–g Suppression of tumorigenesis by HOXB4. Each mouse (n = 8 biologically independent samples) was subcutaneously injected with 1 × 106 HeLa cells into the left (b black arrows, Vector) and right (b white arrows, HOXB4). SiHa cells were also injected (e left: black arrows, shNC; right: white arrows, shHOXB4). At the end of the experiment, mice were killed and tumors were harvested. Representative images of mice and tumors were shown (b, e). Tumor volumes (mm3) (c, f) and tumor weight (g) (d, g) were plotted. h–i Expression of Ki67. Immunohistochemical staining was performed with HOXB4 and Ki67 (h) from mouse xenograft tumors and quantification by IHC scores (i). Representative images (h) were shown. Scale bar: 10 μm.