Accumulation of Extracellular Hyaluronan by Hyaluronan Synthase 3 Promotes Tumor Growth and Modulates the Pancreatic Cancer Microenvironment

Figure 2

Localization and amount of hyaluronan in BxPC-3, BxPC-3 HAS2, and BxPC-3 HAS3 tumors and response to PEGPH20. Mice carrying BxPC-3, BxPC-3 HAS2, and BxPC-3 HAS3 peritibial xenograft tumors were treated twice with vehicle or 4,500 μg/kg PEGPH20, and tumors were collected 6 h after the last dose. Tumor sections were stained with H&E to visualize morphology of the tumors (a–f) and with bHABP for hyaluronan (g–l). Scale bar in (a–f) and (g–l) is 500 μm. Hyaluronan concentration in the tumors after two weekly treatments of vehicle, 37.5 μg/kg or 1,000 μg/kg of PEGPH20 (𝑛≥3/group) for three weeks was analyzed by hyaluronan assay (m). Statistical differences between the groups shown in figure (m) were tested using two-way ANOVA and Bonferroni’s post hoc test (^∗𝑃<0.05; ^∗∗𝑃<0.01; ^∗∗∗𝑃<0.001).