The effect of 2-methoxyestradiol liposome on growth inhibition, angiogenesis and expression of VEGF and Ki67 in mice bearing H22 hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aims and background2-methoxyestradiol (2-ME), an endogenous metabolite of estrogen, has very low water solubility. It is currently in phase II clinical trials as both a chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic agent and has been orally administered to cancer patients. However, the poor oral absorption of the compound is one of the major obstacles for 2-ME development. Based on the molecular features of 2-ME, liposome can be considered an attractive formulation approach. Our purpose in this study is to research the antitumor efficacy of 2-methoxyestradiol liposome (2-ME-L) in mice bearing H22 tumors.MethodsMurine H22 hepatocarcinoma served as an ectopic solid tumor model. The effects of antitumor therapy were evaluated by testing tumor growth, measuring the tumor inhibition rates in terms of weight and volume, and staining the tissues by hematoxylin and eosin. The synergistic mechanism of 2-ME-L therapy was elucidated by detecting changes in the expression of pathognostic factors in the tumor microenvironment....