Background & objective: Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) can induce apoptosis in various cancer cell lines with little toxicity toward normal cells. It offers a promising therapeutic method against ovarian cancer. Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) could home to tumor lesion, and take part in angiogenesis. This study was to observe antitumor effect of EPCs with TRAIL gene transfection on human ovarian epithelial cancer xenografts in nude mice.
Methods: EPCs were isolated from human cord blood by magnetic bead selection, and cultured and amplified in vitro. Human ovarian epithelial cancer cell line 3AO cells were transplanted subcutaneously in immunodeficiency nude mice. EPCs were transfected with hTRAIL plasmid (TRAIL-EPCs). TRAIL-EPCs, TRAIL, or culture media IMDM (control) was injected into the mice model of 3AO xenograft by caudal vein. The changes of tumor volume were observed, and the tumor growth inhibition rate was calculated.
Results: EPCs with TRAIL gene transfection obviously inhibited the growth of 3AO xenograft in nude mice; the tumor weight of control, TRAIL, and TRAIL-EPCs groups were (0.226 +/- 0.209) g, (0.118 +/- 0.164) g, and (0.075 +/- 0.084) g, respectively, the maximum tumor growth inhibition rate was significantly higher in TRAIL-EPCs group than in TRAIL group (66.9% vs. 48.1%, P < 0.05). HE staining showed that there were more hemorrhage and necrosis regions in TRAIL and TRAIL-EPCs groups than in control group. No severe toxic reaction was observed in the 2 groups.
Conclusions: Both TRAIL and TRAIL-EPCs can inhibit the growth of ovarian epithelial carcinoma xenograft in nude mice. EPCs have certain guidance effect in tumor xenografts in nude mice.