Combining protein arginine methyltransferase inhibitor and anti-programmed death-ligand-1 inhibits pancreatic cancer progression

Figure 4 Effect of PT1001B and anti-programmed death-ligand-1 mAb on tumor cell proliferation and apoptosis. A: Cell suspensions prepared from pancreatic tumor tissues were stained with annexin V and propidium iodide to analyze the apoptosis rate by flow cytometry; B: The four groups of tumors were sectioned and stained for Ki67 (brown); C: The four groups of tumors were sectioned and subjected to TUNEL assay (brown). Representative images are shown. a: Control; b: PT1001B; c: Anti-programmed death-ligand-1 (PD-L1) mAb; d: Anti-PD-L1 mAb + PT1001B. Scale bars = 100 µm. The populations of apoptotic cells, Ki67-positive, or TUNEL-positive cells were analyzed by one-way ANOVA. Data represent the mean ± SE (n = 4). ^aP < 0.05, ^bP < 0.01 vs control group; ^cP < 0.05, ^dP < 0.01 vs anti-PD-L1 group. PI: Propidium iodide; FITC: Fluorescein Isothiocyanate; PD-L1: Programmed death-ligand-1; TUNEL: Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP nick-end labeling.