In the previous study, rLj-RGD3, a recombinant toxin
protein which contains three RGD motifs, was reported to not only inhibit the proliferation of an
ovarian cancer cell line, HeyA8 cells, by inducing apoptosis, but also block their adhesion, migration and invasion processes. However, whether rLj-RGD3 could also suppress the
tumor growth in HeyA8 xenografted mice has not been reported yet. In the present study, rLj-RGD3 was intraperitoneally injected in the nude mice bearing HeyA8
tumors. Compared with the control group (
normal saline), rLj-RGD3 inhibited the
tumor growth significantly in the HeyA8 xenografted mice in a dose-dependent manner without affecting their
body weights. Based on the H&E,
Hoechst 33258 and TUNEL staining assays, as well as western blot analysis, rLj-RGD3 reduced the weight and volume of the solid
tumors, probably by disturbing the tissue structure, inducing apoptosis and suppressing the FAK/PI3K/AKT pathway. Most importantly, rLj-RGD3 was found to prolong the survival days of the ovarian
tumor xenografted mice, which suggested rLj-RGD3 might act as an effective and safe
drug to treat
ovarian cancer patients.