title: [Inhibitory effect of Biejiajian pills on HepG2 cell xenograft growth and expression of β-catenin and Tbx3 in nude mice].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore the molecular mechanism by which Biejiajian pills inhibit hepatocellular carcinoma in a nude mouse model bearing HepG2 cell xenograft.
  
  
  METHODS
  The inhibitory effect of Biejiajian pills on the growth of HepG2 cell xenograft in nude mice was observed. Immunohistochemical method was used to examine proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) expression in HepG2 cell xenograft, and TUNEL method was employed to detect the cell apoptosis; the expression levels of β-catenin and Tbx3 were measured by Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Biejiajian pills significantly suppressed the growth of HepG2 cell xenograft in nude mice. The tumor-bearing mice treated with a high and a moderate dose of Biejiajian pills showed significantly increased apoptosis rate of the tumor cells [(22.9±1.220)% and (14.7±0.50)%, respectively] compared with the control group [(5.5±0.90)%, P<0.05]. Treatment with Biejiajian pills significantly decreased the expressions of PNCA, β-catenin, and Tbx3 in the cell xenograft (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Biejiajian pills can inhibit the growth of HepG2 cell xenograft in nude mice and promote tumor cell apoptosis possibly by inhibiting PNCA expression and the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 458 Hospital of PLA, Guangzhou 510602, China. E-mail: hjzwb@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.forename: Hai-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Song-Qi
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: LA
authors.forename: Hai-Yan
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Pang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D056945:Hep G2 Cells; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism*; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D060449:Wnt Signaling Pathway; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D020825:T-Box Domain Proteins; C491460:Tbx3 protein, mouse; D051176:beta Catenin