Fig. 4
CASZ1 represses HCC growth and metastasis in vivo a. Effects of CASZ1 on HCC growth in subcutaneous xenograft model. The size of tumors was measured at indicated time points, and is shown as mean ± SD. **P < 0.01; ***P < 0.001. b Tumors were excised and weighted after mice were sacrificed. **P < 0.01. c Representative bioluminescent images of the orthotopic HCC model in HCCLM3Control, HCCLM3CASZ1, PLC/PRF/5shCtr and PLC/PRF/5shCASZ1 groups (n = 6 for each group, left panel). The colored region represents the fluorescence signal of HCC cells in nude mice. Luciferase activity was quantified for experimental and control groups (right panel). **P < 0.01. d Representative H&E-stained sections of orthotopic primary liver tumors formed by HCCLM3CASZ1, PLC/PRF/5shCASZ1 and their control cells (original magnified × 100; inserted figures magnified × 400). e The presence of lung metastasis was examined in ex vivo bioluminescence imaging. f Representative H&E staining of pulmonary metastatic nodules in experimental and control groups (left panel: original magnified × 100; inserted figures magnified × 400). The number of lung metastatic nodules in each group is presented as mean ± SD (right panel). *P < 0.05; **P < 0.01