Effects of cyclosporin A and tacrolimus on biological behaviors of lung cancer A549 cells in nude mice

Abstract

Objective To explore the effects of cyclosporin A (CsA) and tacrolimus (Tac) on biological behaviors of lung cancer A549 cells in nude mice.Methods Thirty-six models of transplanted tumor in Balb/c mice were established by using lung cancer A549 cells and divided into three groups:control group,without given any immunosuppressant; CsA group,intraperitoneally given CsA; Tac group,intraperitoneally given Tac.The transplanted tumor growth curve was drawn according to the transplanted tumor volume,and the influencing ratio was calculated according to the final tumor weight.The changes in cell migration ability were observed by using Transwell system.Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay was used to examine the apoptosis index of the transplanted tumor.Quantitative RT-PCR was used to detect the expression levels of Bcl-2 mRNA and Bax mRNA.Results The growth of transplanted tumor in CsA and Tac groups was faster than in control group.Final tumor volume and final tumor weight in CsA and Tac groups were greater than those in control group.The influencing ratio in CsA and Tac groups was 19％ (P＜0.05) and 25％ (P＜0.05),respectively.The migration ability was greater in CsA and Tac groups than in control group (P＜0.01).The apoptosis index of the transplanted tumor in CsA and Tac groups was lower than in control group (P＜0.05).The expression level of Bcl-2 mRNA was higher in CsA and Tac groups than in control group (P＜0.05),and that of Bax mRNA was lower in CsA and Tac groups than in control group (P＜0.05).Conclusion Both CsA and Tac can promote the growth of transplanted tumor in nuce mice bearing 549 cells and enhance the invasion forces,which is probably related with the apoptosis induction of tumor cells. Key words: Rats; Lung neoplasms; Neoplasm invasiveness; Apoptosis; Cyclosporine; Tacrolimus