FIGURE 7

FIGURE 7

ADQ enhances the chemosensitivity of breast cancer in ex vivo and in vivo validation. (A) Representative bioluminescent images of MDA-MB-231-Luc xenograft mice model. Breast cancer xenografts were established by implanting luciferase-labeled MDA-MB-231-Luc cells into the mammary glands of BALB/C mice. Mice bearing MDA-MB-231-Luc xenografts received either saline or ADQ (100 mg/kg/day) by intragastric perfusion. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 4, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Control group; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 vs. Taxol group). (B,C) ADQ synergistically interacted with taxol to inhibit tumor growth in the MDA-MB-241-Luc xenograft model in vivo. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 4, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Control group; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 vs. Taxol group). (D) There were no significant differences in mouse body weights between the saline group and ADQ group, indicating no additional toxic and side effects of ADQ. n = 8. (E) ADQ administration obviously diminished the proportions of ALDH⁺ subsets induced by taxol. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 4, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Control group; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 vs. Taxol group). (F) ADQ (50 μg/ml) remarkably enhanced the inhibitory effects of Taxol (50 nM) on the zebrafish models bearing Dil-labled MDA-MB-231 cells. The red numbers represent the mean fluorescence intensities of Dil-stained MDA-MB-231 cells. All values represent the means ± SD (n = 4, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01 vs. Control group; ^#p < 0.05, ^##p < 0.01 vs. Taxol group). (G) Representative images of H&E and representative IHC images of the expression levels of GRP78, β-catenin, and LC3 in zebrafish models.