Acupuncture enhances anticancer effects of cyclophosphamide on 4T1 tumors via suppression of angiogenesis in BALB/c mice

摘要

Objective:Acupuncture is considered an important part of the alternative medical treatment of tumors.However,it is still unclear whether acupuncture has a direct effect on inhibition of tumor growth.The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of acupuncture treatment on tumors in BALB/c mice that were or were not administered cyclophosphamide.Methods:A 4T1 breast carcinoma mouse model for this study was established.When the mice developed 5 mm × 5 mm visible subcutaneous tumors,they were subjected to acupuncture and/or cyclophosphamide (CTX) treatment for 15 days.Results:Acupuncture and CTX treatment both reduced the size of the solid tumors.When used in conjunction,the tumor size reduction was even more obvious.Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that acupuncture had a significant effect on induction of tumor cell necrosis and inhibition of angiogenesis.Immunohistochemistry showed that the expression of CD34 and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9),which were related to angiogenesis,decreased after treatment with either acupuncture or CTX.However,when the two treatments were used in conjunction,they showed a synergistic effect on inhibiting the expression of CD34.However,the synergistic effect was not observed onMvMP-9 expression.Conclusion:Acupuncture plays an important role in improving the effect of chemotherapy by inhibiting angiogenesis.