Quercetin potentiates SMMC7721 tumor growth inhibition by DOX <i>in vivo</i>.

<p>SMMC7721 cell-derived tumors were developed in nude mice and treated with saline, quercetin, DOX, and DOX + quercetin. (A) Tumor growth was monitored by measuring the tumor volume for three weeks. (<i>n</i> = 5 mice per group). *<i>P</i><0.01 vs. the control and quercetin-treated groups. **<i>P</i><0.01 vs. DOX-treated group. (B) At the end of three weeks, the tumors were collected and weighed. DOX reduced the tumor size compared with the control and quercetin-treated groups (*<i>P<</i>0.05). Co-treatment significantly reduced the tumor size compared with other treatment groups (**<i>P<</i>0.001). (C) Tumor samples were subjected to hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemical analysis using Ki67, Bcl-xl, and p53 antibodies. Co-treated tumors showed a significant reduction in Ki67 and Bcl-xl expression as well as an increase in p53 expression compared with other treated tumors (<i>P</i><0.05).