Primary Cilia Blockage Promotes the Malignant Behaviors of Hepatocellular Carcinoma via Induction of Autophagy

Figure 5

Blockage of primary ciliogenesis promotes xenograft HCC growth in vivo. (a) Nude mice were subcutaneously implanted with SMMC-7721 HCC cells for tumor formation and then received intratumoral injection of cholesterol-modified si-IFT88 or control (si-NC) every three days for five times. Tumors were removed three days later after the last injection. (b) Volume changes of xenograft tumors of the mouse model. (c) Immunohistochemical staining with anti-IFT88 antibody or anti-Ki-67 antibody was performed on xenograft tumors tissues. Brown color was positive staining (×200). (d) Expression levels of IFT88, LC3 II/I, and p62 were determined by western blot analysis of tumor tissues; the value under the band is the ratio of the blot and normalized to control.

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