RESUMO
OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of sodium cantharidinate on the angiogenesis of nude mice with human gastric cancer. METHODS: Nude mice xenograft models of human gastric cancer were established by injecting gastric carcinoma cell BGC823 into peritoneal. Expression of VEGF and MVD labeling by CD34 in human gastric cancer cells were measured by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Expression scores of VEGF in medium dose and high dose group with sodium cantharidinate treatment were lower than those in low dose and control group (P < 0.01). There was no significant difference between medium dose and high dose group or low dose and control group (P > 0.05). MVD values in medium and high dose group with sodium cantharidinate treatment were lower than those in low dose and control group (P < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between medium dose and high dose group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: sodium cantharidinate can inhibit the growth of the tumor by down-regulating VEGF expression of the tumour cell and the angiogenesis of the tumour.