RESUMEN
Objective: To use in vivo fluorescence image analysis system for evaluating the efficacies of pVAX1-Ag85A and pVAX1-Ag85B DNA vaccines in treatment of bladder cancer cell-implanted tumors in mice. Methods: Discosomasp red fluorescent protein (DsRed) stably transfected bladder cancer BTT cell line (BTT-DsRed) was established and BTT-DsRed cell-implanted mouse model was constructed. Six days later, 24 BTT-DsRed-bearing mice were randomly divided into pVAX1-Ag85A DNA vaccine group, pVAX1-Ag85B DNA vaccine group, and saline group through injecting the pVAX1-Ag85A, pVAX1-Ag85B, and saline into the right hind limbs of mice, respectively. The growth and metastasis of implanted BTT-DsRed tumors were examined by in vivo fluorescence image analysis system. Results: BTT cell line stably transfected with DsRed (BTT-DsRed) was successfully established. Fluorescence visible mouse model was successfully es-tablished by inoculating BTT-DsRed cells into hind limbs of mice. After treatment with pVAX1-Ag85A or pVAX1-Ag85B for 2 weeks, the in vivo tumor fluorescence intensity in pVAX1-Ag85B group was significantly lower than that in the saline group (P <0.05). After 3 weeks, tumor fluorescence intensities in both pVAX1-Ag85A and pVAX1-Ag85B groups were significantly lower than that in the saline group (P < 0.01). But the efficacies of pVAX1-Ag85A and pVAX1-Ag85B groups were similar (P > 0.05). The distant lymphatic metastasis rate in pVAX1-Ag85B group was significantly lower than those in the saline (25.0% vs 87.5%) and pVAX1-Ag85A groups (25.0% vs 62.5%) (P <0.05). Conclusion: In vivo fluorescence image analysis system can dynamically, sensitively and visually evaluate the anti-tumor effects of DNA vaccines against bladder cancer cell-implanted tumors. Both pVAX1-Ag85A and pVAX1-Ag85B DNA vaccines have anti-tumor effects for bladder cancers.