Effect of osimertinib combined bevacizumab on lung adenocarcinoma with EGFR T790M mutation and its mechanisms / 中国肿瘤临床

ABSTRACT

Objective:This study was performed using preclinical transplanted animal experiments to analyce the effects and mechanisms of third-generation EGFR-TKIs combined with anti-angiogenic therapy, thereby providing theoretical basis for further clinical trials. Methods:Researchers constructed the transplant BALB/C nude mice models with H1975 lung adenocarcinoma cell line (EGFR T790M) and divided the mice into four groups and treated them with osimertinib (2.5 or 5 mg/kg/day, gavage) alone or plus bevacizumab (5 mg/kg/twice weekly, i.p.) when the tumors reached approximately 0.4-0.6 cm3 in volume. The tumor growth curve of tumor volume was drawn according to the time in every group. After 2 weeks of treatment, the mice were killed and the tumors were processed for immunohistochemical staining and Western blot analysis. Immunostaining was performed to detectHIF-1α, VEGF, and microvessel density (MVD) by using SP method on paraffin sections. Western blot analysis was used to analyze the protein expression levels of EGFR, AKT, and ERK signal transduction pathways. Results:After 2 weeks of treatment in high-and low-dose osimertinib alone, tumor volume in the high-dose group was significantly less than in low-dose osimertinib-alone group (P0.05). In the high-dose osimertinib-plus-bevacizumab group, tumor growth was not significantly greater than that in the high-dose osimertinib-alone group (P=0.642). No significant difference was observed in the above factors.In the high-and low-dose osimertinib-plus-bevacizumab groups, tumor volume and the above factors did not exhibit significant differences (P>0.05). Conclusion:Osimertinib has obvious antitumor effects in EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma with T790M mutation cell xenografts. Bevacizumab has a synergetic inhibitory effect with osimertinib against EGFR-mutant lung adenocarcinoma with T790M mutation cell xenografts. Bevacizumab enhanced the antitumor effects of osimertinib by reducing VEGF expression and the microvascular density of the tumor, thereby improving the tumor microenvironment. Bevacizumab can enhance the effect of osimertinib by suppressing EGFR, ERK, and AKT phosphorylation, thereby synergistically inhibiting EGFR activation and downstream signaling.