FIGURE 6.
Effect of Ag120 on HCT116 xenograft growth in mice. (A) Experimental protocol. Groups of athymic BALB/c nude mice were injected subcutaneously with 106 HCT116 cells and treatments were initiated 7 days later. Ag120 was injected once daily and V9302 was injected every 3 days via the intraperitoneal route. On day 28, animals were sacrificed and tumors and blood samples were collected for analysis. (B) Body weight change. (C) Tumor volumes. (D,E) Weights (D) and photographs (E) of tumor xenografts excised on day 28. (F) Blood glutamine levels on day 28. (G) Fluorescence microscopy images of EdU incorporation in sections of excised tumors. Scale bars, 50 µm. (H) Representative images of ASCT2, Ki67, and LC3 immunostaining in sections of excised tumors. Scale bars, 50 µm. (I) Schematic diagram of the proposed anti-tumor mechanism of action of Ag120 via regulation of glutamine metabolism in CRC cells. Mean ± SD of five mice per group. Symbols represent individual mice. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 by Student’s t-test.