Inhibitory Effects of 3-Bromopyruvate on Human Gastric Cancer Implant Tumors in Nude Mice

Background: Gastric cancer is a common malignant tumor. Our previous study demonstrated inhibitoryeffects of 3-bromopyruvate (3-BrPA) on pleural mesothelioma. Moreover, we found that 3-BrPA could inhibithuman gastric cancer cell line SGC-7901 proliferation in vitro, but whether similar effects might be exerted invivo have remained unclear. Aim: To investigate the effect of 3-BrPA to human gastric cancer implant tumorsin nude mice. Materials and
Methods: Animals were randomly divided into 6 groups: 3-BrPA low, medium andhigh dose groups, PBS negative control group 1 (PH7.4), control group 2 (PH 6.8-7.8) and positive control groupreceiving 5-FU. The TUNEL method was used to detect apoptosis, and cell morphology and structural changesof tumor tissue were observed under transmission electron microscopy (TEM).
Results: 3-BrPA low, medium,high dose group, and 5-FU group, the tumor volume inhibition rates were 34.5%, 40.2%, 45.1%, 47.3%, tumorvolume of experimental group compared with 2 PBS groups (p<0.05), with no significant difference between thehigh dose and 5-FU groups (p>0.05). TEM showed typical characteristics of apoptosis. TUNEL demonstratedapoptosis indices of 28.7%, 39.7%, 48.7% for the 3-BrPA low, medium, high dose groups, 42.2% for the 5-FUgroup and 5% and 4.3% for the PBS1 (PH7.4) and PBS2 (PH6.8-7.8) groups. Compared each experimentalgroup with 2 negative control groups, there was significant difference (p<0.05); there was no significant differencebetween 5-FU group and medium dose group (p>0.05), but there was between the 5-FU and high dose groups(p<0.05).
Conclusions: This study indicated that 3-BrPA in vivo has strong inhibitory effects on human gastriccancer implant tumors in nude mice.