Fig. 5

The effects of ASC-J9® (ASC) and Cisplatin (Cis) treatment in J82 xenograft tumors. Nude mice bearing ~ 200 mm³ J82 xenograft tumors were treated with vehicle control, ASC (50 mg/kg/mouse 3 times a week), Cis (2.5 mg/kg/mouse once a week) or both for 4 weeks. Tumor growth and volumes were monitored and measurements taken on the days indicated (n = 5 per group). a The fractional tumor volume curve (left panel) over several days of treatment. Tumor volumes were calculated by the following formula: volume = (length x width²)/2. For each tumor, fractional tumor volumes were calculated using the following formula: Fractional tumor volume = (volume on day measured)/(initial tumor volume). The right panel is the image of dissected tumors in each treatment group. b-c Representative images (upper panels) and quantification (lower panels) of (b) apoptotic cells in the xenograft tumors from each group as determined by TUNEL assay and (c) cell proliferation as determined by PCNA staining. d-g Representative images (upper panels) and quantification (lower panels) of immunostaining of cell cycle related gene p21 (d), apoptosis related genes BCL-2 (e) and BAX (f) and activated NF-κB (g), using antibodies against phospho-p65 in xenograft tumors. Scale bars, 50 μm. Data are presented as mean ± SD. *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01