Abstract:

Objective To investigate the anti-tumor function of chloroquine on bearing cancer mice S₁₈₀ and its possible mechanism. Methods Forty S₁₈₀ tumor-bearing mice were divided into chlorquine, low dose group, middle dose and high dose group. The inhibiting effect of different concentration chloroquine on sarcoma 180 was observed with in vivo. The morphological changes in tumor cells of tumorbearing mice induced by chloroquine was observed under the transmission electron microscope. The apoptosis of tumor cells induced by chloroquine were tested with flow cytometry. The expression of apoptosisrelated factors Bcl-2, cytochrome-C and Cle-Caspase-3 was detected by immunohistochemistry. Western blotting was used to detect the protein levels of Bcl-2, Cle-Caspase-3 in tissue and the changes of Cytochrome-C in mitochondria and cytoplasm. Results Compared with the control group, the growth rate, the xenon graft volume and weight decreased obviously in chloroquine group (P<0.05). Apoptotic changes and apoptotsis body were discovered obviously in chloroquine group under the electron microscope. Chloroquine induced the apoptosis of bearing cancer mice S₁₈₀ cell in every group, down-regulated the expression of anti-apoptotic factors Bcl-2 and up-regulated the expression of apoptotic genes Cle-Caspase-3 (P<0.05). Chloroquine reduced the mitochondria Cytochrome-C protein levels and increased the cytoplasm cytochrome-C protein levels (P<0.05). Chloroquine promoted the release of cytochrome-C to cytoplasm. Conclusion Chloroquine has the anti-tumor effect on the growth of bearing cancer mice S180 cell. It may affect the mitochondria apoptosis pathway and thus play a role in anti-tumor.

Key words: Chloroquine, Anti-tumor function, Western blotting, Tumor-bearing mouse