Different experimental models of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) have been used to investigate the biological mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis and its progression. However, previous studies have highlighted the difficulty of distinguishing between the tumor cells and stroma in experimental models of HCC. Therefore the aim of the present study was to establish a red‑green dual‑color fluorescence tracing orthotopic transplantation model of HCC, and investigate its practical values. Stable high red fluorescent protein (RFP)‑expressing HepG2 human hepatoma cells and Hepa1‑6 mice hepatoma cells were injected into the right liver lobe of green fluorescent protein‑expressing nude mice. The growth and metastasis of the tumors were visualized using a whole‑body in vivo fluorescence imaging system in real time. HCC tissues were extracted from tumor‑bearing mice, and cut into 5‑µm serial frozen slices. The organizational structure of the transplanted tumors was observed under a microscope. A dual‑color fluorescence tracing orthotopic transplantation tumor model of HCC was successfully established with a success rate of 100%. The growth and metastasis of the tumors were visualized at each stage of development in the tumor‑bearing mice. Tumor cells with red fluorescence and host cells with green fluorescence were identified to merge in the reconstruction region of tumor tissue. The invasion, migration, and cell fusion between tumor and host cells was observed clearly. The dual‑color fluorescence tracing orthotopic transplantation model of HCC was determined to be a stable and reliable method for tracking tumor progression. Mutual interactions between hepatoma cells and host tissues may be observed directly using this model, further elucidating the development of the tumor microenvironment.

The involvement of tumor‑associated macrophages in tumor progression is an indisputable fact. However, whether the growth‑promotion effects of macrophages towards tumors in the aggressive stage affect their own canceration remains unknown. In the present study, human glioma stem/progenitor cells transfected with red fluorescent protein gene (SU3‑RFP) were seeded inside the abdominal cavity of transgenic nude mice, of which all nucleated cells could express green fluorescent protein (GFP), forming a tumor model with a double‑color RFP/GFP fluorescent tracer. Ascites and tumor nodules from tumor‑bearing mice were cultured, then the GFP+ cells were separated for clonal culture and further related phenotypic characterization and tumorigenicity tests. It was observed that the GFP+ cells isolated from ascites and solid tumors exhibited unlimited proliferative potential; the monoclonal cells were mouse‑original, had a cancer cell phenotype and expressed the macrophage marker protein CD68. Thus, in the abdominal tumor model with double‑color fluorescent tracer, macrophages recruited by tumor cells not only promoted tumor cell growth, but also exhibited their own canceration. This discovery is significant for the further study of tumor tissue remodeling and the tumor microenvironment.

Gualou Guizhi decoction (GLGZD) is a well-established Traditional Chinese Medicinal formulation which has long been used to treat stroke in a clinical setting in China. The present study investigated the ameliorative effects of GLGZD on inflammation in focal cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injury. A rat model of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) was employed. Rats were administrated GLGZD (7.2 and 14.4 g/kg per day) or saline as control 2 h after reperfusion and daily over the following seven days. Neurological deficit score and screen test were evaluated at 1, 3, 5 and 7 days after MCAO. Brain infarct size and brain histological changes were observed via 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining and regular hematoxylin & eosin staining. Furthermore, inflammation mediators and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) were investigated using ELISA and immunohistochemistry. GLGZD treatment significantly improved neurological function, ameliorated histological changes to the brain and decreased infarct size in focal cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injury. GLGZD was found to significantly reduce interleukin (IL)-1, tumor necrosis factor-α and NF-κB levels, while increasing levels of IL-10. In conclusion, the present study suggested that GLGZD has a neuroprotective effect on focal cerebral ischemic-reperfusion injury and this effect is likely to be associated with the anti-inflammatory function of GLGZD.

Previous studies have reported that angelicin exerted antiproliferative effects on several types of tumor cell. However, to the best of our knowledge, the effects of angelicin monotherapy on human liver cancer remain to be investigated. In the present study, the antitumor activity of angelicin was evaluated in vitro and in vivo, and the molecular mechanisms underlying its effects were investigated. The present results revealed that angelicin induced apoptosis in liver cancer cells in a dose‑ and time‑dependent manner. Furthermore, in HepG2 and Huh‑7 cells, angelicin‑induced apoptosis was demonstrated to be mitochondria dependent, involving the phosphatidylinositol‑4,5‑bisphosphate 3‑kinase/RAC‑α serine/threonine-protein kinase signaling pathway. In addition, administration of angelicin to mice bearing liver tumor xenografts inhibited tumor growth, without producing significant secondary adverse effects. These results suggested that angelicin may have potential as a novel therapeutic agent for the treatment of patients with liver cancer.