Figure 7
In vivo testosterone-HSA effects on tumor incidence in BALB/c mice. A) Confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis of BALB/c colon tumor frozen sections stained with testosterone-HSA-FITC (a, a'), showing specific FITC related fluorescence at the cell membranes. No apparent membrane fluorescence was shown in control samples stained with HSA-FITC (b). Visualization of nuclei was evident by DRAQ5™ staining. Magnification, ×100. (B) Confocal laser scanning microscopic analysis of BALB/c colon tumor and healthy frozen sections stained with testosterone-HSA-FITC, showing specific FITC related fluorescence at the cell membranes of tumor sections (a). Very low membrane fluorescence was shown in healthy colon sections stained with testosterone-HSA-FITC (b). Visualization of nuclei was evident by DRAQ5™ staining. Magnification, ×100. (C) Arithmetic means ± SEM of colonic tumor incidence in BALB/c mice. Following treatment with the carcinogenic drug 1, 2-dimethylhydrazine followed by dextrane sodium sulphate, one group (7 animals) was treated subcutaneously (3 times/week for 12 weeks) with 5 mg/kg testosterone-HAS (black bar), whereas the other group (5 animals) remained untreated (white bar). # indicates significant difference between both groups (# P < 0.01). (D) After treatment, the colonic cancer and healthy tissue was cut to 8 μm frozen sections and fragmented DNA was assessed by TUNEL assay according to the manufacturer's instructions. Confocal laser scanning microscopy analyzed samples. Magnification, ×100.