Effect of Endostar combined with angiopoietin-2 inhibitor on malignant pleural effusion in mice

The present study was designed to investigate the synergetic effect of Endostar combined with an angiopoietin-2 specific inhibitor L1-10 on malignant pleural effusion (MPE) mouse model. A MPE mouse model was established by injecting Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells into pleural cavity of C57BL/6 mice. The mice were randomly divided into four treatment groups: saline, Endostar, L1-10, and Endostar + L1-10. In the present study, we reported for the first time that Endostar combined with L1-10 had significant synergistic effects on the formation of MPE and tumor growth. Moreover, Endostar combined with L1-10 had additive effect on the attenuation of pleural inflammation, inhibition of tumor angiogenesis and pleural vascular hyperpermeability, which are central to the inhibition of MPE. Finally, these studies also found that Endostar combined with L1-10 could have complementary actions by reducing VEGF and IL-6 local release and downregulating VEGF expression in pleural tumors, which involved in the pathogenesis of MPE. Therefore, combined therapy with Endostar and L1-10 may be an encouraging strategy for the treatment of MPE.