Fig. 7

Validation of RelB-enhanced tumor growth and metastasis in mice. a RelB-knocked out MDA-MB-231 and the parent cells were subcutaneously injected into the right axilla of female nude mice and allowed to form tumors. Thirty days after BCa cell implantation, tumor tissues were removed out prior to the execution. The excised tumor tissues were photographed. Two out of five mice injected with RelB-knocked out cells didn’t form the tumor. b, c Tumor growth rates and the excised tumor weights were measured and plotted. d Total proteins were extracted from the tumor tissues and immunoblotted with the relating antibodies, β-actin served as an internal control. e Female SCID mice were injected with RelB-knocked out MDA-MB-231 and the parent cells through the tail vein. After 6 weeks, the mice were sacrificed and lung metastasis was examined. The excised lung-metastasized tumors indicated by arrows were photographed. f The metastatic lung tissues were screened by IHC with relative antibodies incorporated with Ki67 staining. The relative images were plotted. g H&E staining was applied to conform the lung metastatic tissues and the numbers of micrometastasis in the two groups were plotted. Statistical significance between two groups as described in Fig. 3