Nimustine (
ACNU) has antitumor activities in patients with
malignant glioma. Hyperbaric
oxygen (HBO) may enhance the efficacy of certain
therapies that are hampered by the hypoxic microenvironment. We examined the combined effects of
ACNU and HBO in a GFP transgenic nude mice bearing human
glioma model. Mice inoculated with human
glioma cells SU3 were randomly divided into the four groups: (A) the control group, (B) the HBOT (HBO therapy) group, (C) the
ACNU group, and (D) the HBOT+ACNU group.
Tumor size was measured at the indicated time intervals with a caliper; mice were sacrificed 28 days
after treatment, and immunohistochemistry staining and western blot analysis were carried out. By the end of the trial, the
tumor weights of groups A, B, C, and D were (P < 0.05), 6.03 ± 1.47, 4.13 ± 1.82 (P < 0.05), 2.39 ± 0.25 (P < 0.05), and 1.43 ± 0.38 (P < 0.01), respectively. The expressions of TNF-α, MMP9, HIF-α,
VEGF, NF-κB, and IL-1β were associated with the infiltration of inflammatory cells and the inhibition rate of
tumor cells.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) could inhibit
glioma cell proliferation and inflammatory cell infiltration, and exert a sensitizing effect on
ACNU therapy partially through enhancing
oxygen pressure (PO2 ) in
tumor tissues and lower expression levels of HIF-1α, TNF-α, IL-1β,
VEGF, MMP9, and NF-κB.