IN VIVO GROWTH OF CEREBRAL C6 GLIOMA CELLS TRANSFECTED AND TREATED WITH CX43 GENE

Objective: To study the role of connexin gene (Cx43) on the development of glioma and the feasibility of using Cx43cDNA as a target of gene therapy of gliomas.Methods: Parental rat C6 cells and C6 cells transfected with Cx43cDNA were implanted into right caudate nucleus of SD rats as control and transfected group.Rats bearing cerebral C6 gliomas were treated with Cx43cDNA and empty vector as treated group and empty vector group. The general manifestation, survival time, MRI dynamic scanning and histopathological changes of all rats were observed. In situ hybridization and immunohisto- chemistry were used for examination of Cx43mRNA and its protein in gliomas. Average number of AgNOR staining was used for detection of cell proliferation activity, and TUNEL method for determination of cell apoptosis. Results: All rats in control and empty vector group died of cerebral gliomas within 3 weeks after implantation of C6 cells. Six out of nine rats in the transfected group and eight out of ten rats in treated group kept alive beyond 120 days with totally disappearing of the tumor foci, except one treated rat having a little residue of tumor. In gliomas of transfected and treated groups Cx43 gene expression was upregulated, proliferation activity was lowered,However, the apoptotic cells did not increase.Conclusion: The present study indicates that Cx43 gene is of crucial importance in the development of malignant glioma. It can be an effective target for gene therapy of gliomas.     

Anti-Tumor Effect of Curcumin on Human Cervical Carcinoma HeLa Cells In Vitro and In Vivo

Objective: To investigate the anti-tumor effect of curcumin on human cervical carcinoma HeLa cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods: (1) Human cervical carcinoma cell line HeLa was cultured in vitro. HeLa cells were treated with 5-50 μmol/L curcumin for 24. 48, 72 h and the growth inhibition rates of HeLa cells were measured by MTT method. Cell apoptosis was inspected by electron microscopy and flow cytometry (FCM). (2) A transplanted tumor model by injecting HeLa cells into subcutaneous tissue of BABL/C mice was established and its growth curve was measured. 30 BABL/C mice with tumors were divided into 2 groups at random and 0.2 ml saline or 0.2 ml 250 μmol/L curcumin was injected into abdominal cavity respectively once everyday and lasted for ten days. The changes of tumor volume were measured continuously and tumor inhibition rate was calculated. At last the expressions of caspase-3 and bax protein in transplanted tumors were detected by immunohistochemistry. Results: (1) Curcumin inhibited the proliferation of Lela cells on a dose-depending manner. Apoptosis of cells could be observed by FCM. Partial cells presented the characteristic morphological changes of apoptosis under electron microseope. (2) When 1×107 HeLa cells were inoculated for each mouse, 100% of the mice developed growing tumors after seven days. An inhibition effect was observed in treatment group, and the inhibition rate of curcumin was 74.33%. The expressions of caspase-3 and bax in the transplanted tumors were increased in curcumin group. Conclusion: Curcumin is effective as an anti-cancer drug not only in vitro but also in vivo.     

Experimental study on the gene therapy of malignant glioma with antisense VEGF RNA

Objective: To study the effect of antisense VEGF RNA on rat C6 gliomas in vivo and find out the feasibility of antiangiogenesis therapy with antisense VEGF RNA formalignant gliomas. Methods: Parental rat C6 glioma cells and C6 cells transfected with antisense VEGF cDNA were implanted intracerebrally and subcutaneously into SD rats as control and transfected group. Rats bearing cerebral and subcutaneous C6 gliomas were treated with antisense VEGF cDNA as treated group and sense VEGF cDNA and empty vector as control of treated group. The general manifestation, survival time, MRI and histopathological changes of all rats were observed. The volume of subcutaneously implanted tumors was determined regularly. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemical staining were used for detection of VEGF gene expression of gliomas while PCNA immunostaining and TUNEL method for examination of proliferation activity and apoptosis of gliomas, respectively. Results: The survival of the rats in transfected and treated group was prolonged.There were two rats surviving over 90 d in the treated group and their tumors disappeared. The VEGF gene expression, the number of microvessels and the proliferation activity were decreased and a large amount of apoptotic cells could be found in cerebral and subcutaneous gliomas in treated and transfected groups. Conclusion:VEGF is one of the candidate genes for gene therapy of malignant gliomas. Antisense VEGF RNA combined with other therapies should be studied further for enhancing the therapeutic effect of malignant gliomas.     

Reversal of Adriamycin Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Targeting with Recombined Adenovirus Carring Antisense mdr1 RNA

OBJECTIVE Chemotherapy is an important therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. However, it is not effective in many cases due to recurrence and metastasis even if the initial treatment produces a response. Multidrug resistance （MDR） is considered to be one of the considerable causes. The aim of this study was to reverse MDR of HepG2/ADM cells by blocking mdr1 with an adenovirus vector carrying antisense mdr1 in a tumor transplantated in athymic mice. METHODS PCMV IE was removed from the pshuttle vector. A 0.3 kb AFP promoter was inserted into the pshuttle vector and pCMV changed into pAFP. The pAFP and asmdr1 PCR products were doubly digested with Kpnl and Apal, the digested products were ligated by T4 ligase, the asmdr1 gene was inserted into pAFP and a newly plasmid pAFP-asmdr1 was constructed. Following digestion with PI-SceI/I-Ceu I, pAFP-asmdr1 was ligated with Adeno-X genome DNA and amplified in E.coli XL1-Blue. The HEK293 cells were transfected and virus collected. The HepG2 MDR cells （HepG2/ADM） were induced by graded resistance to ADM and were inoculated into athymic mice. After adeno-asmdr1 was injected, the expression of mdr1-mRNA and the volume of the transplantated tumor and its cells were observed. RESULTS Following injection with Adeno-asmdr1, the tumor volume in the ADM＋Adeno-asmdr1 group did not increase. However the tumor volume in the PBS plus ADM group did significantly increase （P〈0.05）. In the tumor xenograft cells, mdr1 mRNA in the xenografts was assessed by RT-PCR and was found to be reduced at 1 week and 4 weeks in the ADM＋asmdr1 group, but it was stable in the ADM group. It was only 20% in the ADM＋asmdr1 group compared to the ADM group at the 4th week （P〈0.05）. Evidence of apoptosis was observed in the tumor xenograft cells treated with Adeno-asmdr1, but there was rare or no apoptosis in the group treated with ADM and PBS. CONCLUSION Adenovirus carrying antisense mdr1 RNA can partially reverse the MDR of HepG2/ADM cells and inhibit tumor growth by down-regulating mdr1 mRNA resulting in tumor cell apoptosis.     

Experimental study on the relationship between traumatic stress and tumor growth,proliferation,and metastasis

Objective This study aimed to investigate the relationship between traumatic stress and tumor growth,proliferation,and metastasis.Methods A scalding method was used as an injurious factor to induce traumatic stress in Wistar rats.The rats were randomly divided into three groups—the control group,mild-scald group,and severe-scald group,with 14 rats in each group.Wistar rats were used to subculture the Walker-256 cell line for the generation of tumor ascites.Tumor cells from the ascites were cultured and used to establish a rat subcutaneous xenograft model.After 7 days,the mild-burn group and the severe-burn group were subjected burns to 10%and 15%of their backs,respectively.Blood was taken from the tail vein of rats at different times to detect changes in blood cortisol,IL-1β,and TNF-αlevels.Pathological specimens were collected 14 days later,and immunohistochemistry was performed to examine vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF),proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA),E-cadherin,and vimentin.Results Cortisol,IL-1βand TNF-αlevels were significantly higher in the scalding groups than in the control group.Tumor examination was performed after 14 days.The changes in tumor size showed that the tumor volume in the control group(0.593±0.195 cm3)and the mild-scald group(0.782±0.344 cm3)were not significantly different.However,the tumor volume was significantly larger in the severeburn group(1.806±0.838 cm3)than in the control and the mild-burn groups(P<0.05).Tumor tissue immunohistochemistry showed that the percentage of cells expressing PCNA in the control group,mildscald group,and severe-scald group was 57.1%,71.4%and 85.7%,respectively,and the differences among the groups were statistically significant.The number of VEGF-positive cells in the mild-and severescald groups was significantly higher than those of the control group(P<0.05).The number of E-cadherinpositive cells in the tumor tissues was significantly lower in the severe-scald group than that in the control and mild-scald groups.Vimentin showed the opposite trend in the tumor tissue,and the differences were statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion Different degrees of a traumatic response in tissues caused by scalding can cause a corresponding stress response in the body.The release of inflammatory mediators;increase in VEGF,PCNA and vimentin in the tumor tissue;and decrease in E-cadherin lead to a change in tumor tissue growth and metastasis.Traumatic stress is associated with tumor growth,proliferation,and metastasis.     

THE PHENOTYPE OF MAST CELL IN PRIMARY ADENOID LIVER TUMOR OF RAT AND ITS RELATION TO TUMOR CELL

Mast cells in adenoid liver tumors of 32 rats induced with nitrosomorpholine were observed ultrastructurally, and among them, some were studied immunocytochemically via immunogold techniques. Data indicating that mast cells which located in tumor tissues presented positive expression of rat mast cell protein (RMCP) Ⅰ, Indicating origination from the mucosa mast cells, while those in the connective tissues around tumors were largely stained negatively with either RMCP Ⅰor RMCP Ⅰ antisera, with the exception of only a few cells showing positive RMCP Ⅰ staining. Ultrastructural observation showed that mast cells in tumon contacted closely with the tumor cells. Membranes of the intracytoplasmic granules in these mast cells were fusing together. The content inside the granules were discharged and spread along the intercellular space between the tumor cells. There was not any lesion observed uitrasructrually in the tumor cells contacting with the mast cells. The significance of mucosa mast cells in adenoi     

Reversal of Adriamycin Resistance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Targeting with Recombined Adenovirus Caning Antisense mdr1 RNA

OBJECTIVE Chemotherapy is an important therapy for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, it is not effective in many cases due to recurrence and metastasis even if the initial treatment produces a response. Multidrug resistance (MDR) is considered to be one of the considerable causes. The aim of this study was to reverse MDR of HepG2/ADM cells by blocking mdr1 with an adenovirus vector carrying antisense mdr1 in a tumor transplantated in athymic mice. METHODS pCMV IE was removed from the pshuttle vector. A 0.3 kb AFP promoter was inserted into the pshuttle vector and pCMV changed into pAFP. The pAFP and asmdr1 PCR products were doubly digested with Kpnl and Apal, the digested products were ligated by T4 ligase, the asmdrl gene was inserted into pAFP and a newly plasmid pAFP-asmdr1 was constructed. Following digestion with PI-Scel/l-Ceu l, pAFP-asmdr1 was ligated with Adeno-X genome DNA and amplified in E.coli XL 1-Blue. The HEK293 cells were transfected and virus collected. The HepG2 MDR cells (HepG2/ADM) were induced by graded resistance to ADM and were inoculated into athymic mice. After adeno-asmdr1 was injected, the expression of mdr1 -mRNA and the volume of the transplantated tumor and its cells were observed. RESULTS Following injection with Adeno-asmdr1, the tumor volume in the ADM Adeno-asmdr1 group did not increase. However the tumor volume in the PBS plus ADM group did significantly increase (P<0.05). In the tumor xenograft cells, mdr1 mRNA in the xenografts was assessed by RT-PCR and was found to be reduced at 1 week and 4 weeks in the ADM asmdr1 group, but it was stable in the ADM group. It was only 20% in the ADM asmdr1 group compared to the ADM group at the 4th week (P<0.05). Evidence of apoptosis was observed in the tumor xenograft cells treated with Adeno-asmdr1, but there was rare or no apoptosis in the group treated with ADM and PBS. CONCLUSION Adenovirus carrying antisense mdr1 RNA can partially reverse the MDR of HepG2/ADM cells and inhibit tumor growth by down-regulating mdr1 mRNA resulting in tumor cell apoptosis.     

Antitumor effects of artesunate on human breast carcinoma MCF-7 cells and IGF-IR expression in nude mice xenografts

Purpose： The objective of this study was to investigate the anti-tumor effects and analyze the mechanism of artesunate （ART） action on breast cancer in vivo using tumor transplanted nude mice. Methods： The human breast tumor cell line MCF-7 was transplanted into nude mice, and the animals were treated with various doses of ART alone or in combination with cyclophosphamide （CTX） or normal saline （NS）. The tumor inhibitory effects were observed and compared, and the ultrastructural morphology of the transplanted tumor cells was observed by electron microscopy. The apoptosis rates and cell cycle status were detected by flow cytometry （FCM）. The expression of apoptosis-related proteins p53, Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 were detected by immunohistochemistry and IGF-IR was detected by western blot. The expression correlation for these proteins was also analyzed. Results： The tumor inhibition rates in the low dose ART group, high dose ART group, CTX group and combined drug therapy group were （24.39±10.20）%, （40.24±7.02）%, （57.01±5.84）% and （68.29±5.1）%, respectively. The cell cycle was arrested in phase G0/Gt after treatment with ART. The expression of Bcl-2 was significantly reduced, and the expression levels of Bax and Caspase-3 were significantly increased in the ART group compared to the negative control saline group. There was no significant difference detected in p53 expression. The Bcl-2 level was negatively related to Bax and Caspase-3. The western blotting results showed IGF-IR downregulation. Conclusions： ART inhibits the growth of MCF-7 breast tumor cell xenografts in nude mice. The anti-tumor mechanism of ART for human breast carcinoma in nude mice might be correlated with the alteration of apoptosis related protein expression, which may further induce apoptosis and inhibit cell proliferation.     

An Inhibitory Effect of MAD1 on Bladder Tumor Cellular Proliferation in Vivo

OBJECTIVE To observe the inhibitory effect on bladder tumor prolivera-tion after transfection with the expression plasmid pcDNA3.1( )/Mad1. METHODS Bladder tumors were induced in SD rats by intravesical instillation of MNU . The tumor-bearing rats were randomly divided into 3 groups: group A, transfected with pcDNA3.1 ( )/Mad1, group B, trans-fected with an empty vector and group C, transfected with saline. Rat body weight (RBW), bladder absolute weight (BAW) and bladder relative weight (BRW) were measured and expression levels of Mad1 and TERT were assayed. Flow cytometer analysis was used to observe the effect of Mad1 on the bladder tumors. RESULTS Comparions of RBW among the 3 groups showed there were no differences (P>0.05). But the BAW and BRW for group A were significantly decreased (P<0.01, P<0.05, respectively) comparded to groups B and C. In group A, the Mad1 mRNA expression level was markedly improved, while the TERT mRNA expression level was decreased. Flow cy-tometry showed an increase in G0/G1-phase cells and a decrease of S-phase cells after transfection with Mad1. CONCLUSION Over expression of Mad1 can inhibit the cellular proliferation of bladder tumors.     

The Inhibitory Effect of Endostatin and Doxycycline Administration on B16 Melanoma Angiogenesis and Cellular Proliferation

OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of endostatin and doxycycline on melanoma cellular proliferation and tumor angiogenesis.METHODS The effects of endostatin and doxycycline were studied in mice transplanted with B16 melanoma cells.The mice were divided into 4 groups that were treated as follows:endostatin treatment(E group),doxycycline treatment(D group),endostatin plus doxycycline trearment(DE group),controls(C group) received no treatment.Following 9 days of treatment the tumor tissue was removed to compare the differences in the tumor necrotic rate and micro-vessel density(MVD) among the different groups.Immunohistochemical staining was conducted to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)in the di?erent groups. RESULTS The MVD of the 3 experimental groups was significantly less than the control group,(F=10.888,P<0.05),indicating that doxycycline and endostatin can inhibit tumor angiogenesis by decreasing the tumor blood supply.This effect results in inhibition of tumor cellular proliferation and promotion of tumor cell necrosis.The tumor cell necrotic rate of the 3 experimental groups were all significantly higher than the C group(F=7.229,P<0.05) and the difference between the DE and C groups also was statistically significant.PCNA expression in all 3 experimental groups was statistically less than the C group(F=17.729,P<0.05). CONCLUSION The combined use of endostatin and doxycycline in vivo can influence PCNA expression and angiogenesis in melanoma,and significantly inhibit melanoma cellular proliferation.     

Effects of Promoter Region 5＇CpG Island Demethylation on the Biological Behavior of Human Colorectal Cancer RKO Cells in Vitro

OBJECTIVE To explore the relationship between the methylation status of the promoter 5＇CpG island region and the biological behavior of human colorectal cancer RKO cells in vitro. METHODS RKO cells were treated with a selective DNA methyltransferase inhibitor-5-aza-2＇-deoxycytidine （5-aza-CdR） for 72 h. Methylationspecific PCR （MSP）, T-A cloning and DNA sequence analysis were used to determinate the 5＇CpG island methylation status of the p16/CDKN2 tumor suppressor gene. Cell growth, morphological changes and apoptosis were analyzed by the MTT assay, flow cytometry, fluorescence staining and electron microscopy. RESULTS The 5＇CpG island of the p16/CDKN2 tumor suppressor gene in RKO cells was a typically hypermethylated. The DNA methyltransferase inhibitor （5-Aza-CdR） effectively reversed the hypermethylation status of the promoter region. With demethylation, RKO cell growth was suppressed, the cells doubling times were prolonged （P〈0.01） and apoptosis was induced, which showed a relationship. CONCLUSION A selective DNA methyltransferase （DNMT） inhibitor can inhibit proliferation by demethylation in 5＇CpG islands, and may be a potential new therapy target for colorectal cancer.     

Experimental study on enhancement of the metastatic potential of portal vein tumor thrombus-originated hepatocellular carcinoma cells using portal vein serum

Objective： Portal vein metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma（HCC） results in a poor prognosis and seriously affects the survival rate of patients. The mechanism underlying the formation of portal vein tumor thrombus（PVTT） is complex and is not yet fully understood. This study was conducted to investigate the impact of portal vein blood on the proliferation, metastasis, invasion and apoptosis of PVTT cells and to explore its possible mechanisms, which was expected to lay a foundation for ascertaining the mechanism underlying the portal vein metastasis of HCC.
Methods： Peripheral blood and portal vein blood were collected from patients with HCC, and the sera from these two sources were used to culture the PVTT-originated HCC cell line CSQT-2. The cells were collected after 24 h, and flow cytometry was performed to detect cell proliferation, cell cycle stages and apoptosis. Transwell migration and invasion assays were applied to detect the metastasis and invasion of the cells in each group. The changes in the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9 in cells were detected via Western blotting. The contents of IL-12, IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2 and TNF-α in the two groups of sera were quantified using corresponding kits.
Results： Compared with the group of cells cultured with peripheral serum, the cells cultured with portal vein serum showed significantly lower apoptosis（P〈0.01）, significantly enhanced cell metastasis and invasion（P〈0.01）, whereas cell proliferation and the stages of the cell cycle did not differ significantly（P〉0.05）. A significantly increased expression level of MMP-2 has been observed in tumor cells treated portal vein serum. In addition, compared with peripheral serum, the content of IL-12 was significantly decreased in portal vein serum（P〈0.05）, while the contents of IFN-γ, IL-1β, IL-2, and TNF-α did not differ significantly（P〈0.05）.
Conclusions： Portal vein serum from HCC patients could inhibit the apoptosis of PVTT-originated HCC cells and promote cell met     

Transfection of the Human Sodium/Iodide Symporter （NIS） Gene with Liposomes and the Expression of the NIS Protein in Human Lung A549 Cancer Cells

OBJECTIVE To examine the possibility of human sodium iodide symporter （hNIS） protein expression in lung cancer cells. METHODS Human lung A549 cancer cells were thawed and cultured in vitro. The cells were divided into an experimental group transfected with a recombinant pcDNA3-hNIS plasmid and a control group transfected only with a pcDNA3 plasmid. The recombinant plasmid vector encoding the hNIS gene （pcDNA3-hNIS） was amplified, purified and identified. The hNIS gene was followed by DNA sequencing. A Western blot and an immunohistochemical assay were applied to detect the hNIS protein expression in the transfected human lung A549 cancer cells. RESULTS Restriction enzyme digestion and DNA sequencing results showed the size and direction of the inserted gene in the recombinant pcD- NA3-hNIS plasmid was correct. The Western blot method and immunohistochemical analysis showed a positive NIS protein expression in the experimental group. The NIS protein was detected mainly in the cell membranes showing a positive rate up to 70.6% with no expression of the NIS protein in the control group. There was a significant difference between two groups （P=0.000）. CONCLUSION The hNIS gene was transfected effectively into human lung A549 cancer cells mediated by Lipofectamine 2000, and was expressed with its protein in vitro.     

Preliminary research on dendritic cells loaded with resistant breast cancer antigens in breast cancer-bearing nude mice

Objective The aim of the study was to investigate the inhibitory effects of dendritic cells(DCs) loaded with resistant breast cancer antigens on breast cancer in nude mice. Methods A single-cell suspension was prepared from a primary breast cancer and chemotherapeutic drugs were screened using the ATP-PCA susceptibility testing system. Cancer cells were treated with 1/10 × IC50, 1/5 × IC50, 1/2 × IC50, 1 × IC50, and 2 × IC50 medium until their growth became steady in the 2 × IC50 medium. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMCs) were obtained from the peripheral blood of patients with leukapheresis. The obtained adherent cells were induced by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor(GM-CSF) and interleukin-4(IL-4) to generate DCs, which carried resistant strain cell lysis compounds or non-treated cancer cell lysis compounds. The former mature DCs carried resistant breast tumor antigens. A breast tumor-bearing nude mouse model was established with these resistant strains and the mice were randomly divided in three groups. The mice in the treatment group were injected with DCs loaded with resistant breast cancer antigens. The control group consisted of mice injected with DCs loaded with primary tumor cell antigens and the blank group consisted of mice injected with the same volume of normal saline. Changes in the cancers were observed. Results After treatment with the effector cells, the cancer volume and weight were significantly different to those before treatment in every group of mice(P < 0.05). The tumor volume in the blank group was the largest(3.362 ± 0.068 cm3) and the tumor weight was 637.50 ± 59.398 mg. Compared to the blank group, the tumor volume in the experimental group was the smallest(1.273 ± 0.071 cm3) and the tumor weight was 206.81 ± 32.711 mg. Conclusion DCs loaded with resistant breast cancer antigens demonstrated a significant inhibition effect on the cancers of breast tumor-bearing nude mice.     

EFFECTS AND MECHANISMS OF ENDOSTATIN ON THE GROWTH OF OVARIAN CANCER SKOV3 CELLS IN VITRO AND IN VIVO

Objective： To evaluate the inhibitory effect of Endostatin on ovarian cancer cell line SKOV3 and to investigate the possible mechanism of the inhibition. Methods： Using MTT, transmission electron microscope （TEM） and immunocytochemistry, the effects of Endostatin on the proliferation of SKOV3 cells were studied. Nude mice were subcutaneously implanted with SKOV3 cells. The cell apoptosis of implanted tumor was detected by TUNEL and TEM. The expressions of bcl-2 and bax in implanted tumor tissues were measured by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Results： Endostatin significantly inhibited the proliferation of SKOV3 cells in vitro （P〈0.01） and induced cell apoptosis, whereas the expressions of bcl-2 and bax were not changed obviously in SKOV3 cell treated with Endostatin. The mean tumor weight of Endostatin treated group was markedly lower than that of PBS control group （P〈0.05）. The expression of bcl-2 was down-regulated in Endostatin treated group, but bax was not influenced. Conclusions： The results demonstrated that Endostatin might have anti-tumor effect on ovarian carcinoma. One of the important mechanisms of Endostatin effect of anti-angiogenic and anti-tumor activities might involve regulating the bcl-2/bax expression and inducing apoptosis.     

Cryoablation Combined with TACE for Treating Large Hepatocellular Carcinoma： Tumor Load and Cellular Immunity

OBJECTIVE To study the effectiveness on the tumor load and cellular immune function of percutaneous cryoablation （argon-helium cryoablative system, AHCS） combined with transarterial chemoembolization （TACE） for treating large hepatocellular carcinomas （HCCs） with diameters over 10 ca. METHODS A total of 48 HCC patients were treated with AHCS after TACE. Tumor sizes ranged from 10 to 14 cm. All cases were a hypervascular type. There were 38 Child A cases and 10 Child B cases. Forty were AFP positive and 8 negative. The patients were randomized with therapy group consisting of 26 cases and the control group 22 cases. The therapy group received AHCS 4 weeks following TACE treatment. Reexamination included pathology, tumor markers, T-lymphocyte subgroup levels and computed tomography or MRI. The necrosis rate of the tumor load was calculated by Cavalieri＇s theory. EORTC QLQ-C30 was used in quality of life evaluation. RESULTS The average tumor-load reduction rate （necrosis rate） was 8.07% after TACE, and 28.65% after AHCS. Coagulation necrosis was produced in the target area. The tumor markers deceased significantly after AHCS. Tumor-load reduction after AHCS was more significant than after TACE. Suppression of cellular immunity after TACE was significant. In contrast, CD3^＋, CD4^＋ and NK increased after AHCS and an abnormal T-lymphocyte distribution was corrected. Quality of life after AHCS increased according to the EORTC QLQ-C30 evaluation. No severe complications occurred. CONCLUSION Percutaneous AHCS cryoablation after TACE reduced the tumor load in the short term. At the same time, cellular immune function was increased after AHCS. TACE was critical in increasing the therapeutic efficacy of AHCS because of its embolisation of blood vessels preventing a Flow Effect. Reduction of the tumor load in the short term may conduce to increase cellular immunity. Percutaneous AHCS cryoablation combined with TACE can reduce the tumor load, improve cellular immunity and increase quality of life of HCC patients. This type of therapy deserves to be studied further research.     

肿瘤坏死因子相关的凋亡诱导配体对胰腺癌细胞抗肿瘤作用的研究

Objective To investigate the antitumor effect of tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)gene transfection mediated by adenovirus into human pancreatic carcinoma cell line Panc-1, and the mechanisms involved in this effect. Methods TRAIL gene was transfected into pancreatic cancer cell line Panc-1 by an adenovirus vector (Ad-TRAIL).Level of TRAIL mRNA expression was determined using RT-PCR, and TRAIL protein synthesis was evaluated with Western blot. Cell-growth activities were determined by MTT assay. The bystander effect was observed by co-culturing the Panc-1cells with the transfected TRAIL gene at different ratios. Apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells was detected by flow cytometry.Procaspase-8 and procaspase-3 were determined by Western blot. Results The stable overexpression of TRAIL was detected in Panc-1 cells transfected by Ad-TRAIL. Ad-TRAIL significantly inhibited of cell viability of Panc-1 cells. Furthermore,co-culture of cancer cells transfected with TRAIL with that nontransfected resulted in the cell death of both cells by bystander effect. Moreover, the percentage of apoptotic cells was significantly higher in the Ad-TRAIL-treatment group compared to the control groups (P ＜ 0.01). And there was a diminished amount of procaspase-8 and procaspase-3 after infection with Ad-TRAIL. Conclusion The overexpression of TRAIL gene in Panc-1 cells by Ad-TRAIL exerts its antitumor effects, and themechanisms involved in this effect may be proapoptosis and bystander effect.