Effects of NF-κB Inhibitor on the Growth and Angiogenesis of Human Lung Cancer Xenografts in Nude Mice

Objective To study the effect of pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC), a potent inhibitor of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation, on the growth and angiogenesis of human lung cancer xenografts in nude mice. Methods A549 cells were incubated and were inoculated subcutaneously in athymic nude mice to establish xenograft models.The mice were divided into control group and PDTC group. The inhibitory rate was calculated according to the weights of xenografts. Cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) mRNA was measured by semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis. The proteins expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and FⅧ were assessed by immunohistochemical method, and MVD was counted according to FⅧ staining. Results The weight of xenografts was significantly lower in PDTC group than that in control group (P 0.01) and the inhibitory rate was 41.03%. The expressions of COX-2, VEGF and MVD count of xenografts were significantly decreased in PDTC group than that in control group (P 0.01,P 0.01,P 0.05). Conclusion PDTC can inhibit the growth of human lung cancer xenografts in nude mice, which may be due to the downregulation of COX-2 and VEGF thus inhibit tumor angiogenesis.