Antitumor effects of bevacizumab in combination with fluoropyrimidine drugs on human oral squamous cell carcinoma

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) serves an important role in new blood vessel formation or angiogenesis, which is a critical event in tumor growth and metastasis. Bevacizumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody against VEGF-A, whereas S-1 is a fluoropyrimidine antineoplastic agent that induces apoptosis in various types of cancer cells. The present study evaluated the antitumor effects of bevacizumab in combination with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) or S-1 against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) in vitro and in vivo. Two human OSCC cell lines were used, namely the high VEGF-A-expressing HSC-2 cells and the low VEGF-A-expressing SAS cells. MTT assay was used to evaluate the effect of bevacizumab and/or 5-FU against HSC-2 and SAS cell proliferation. Additionally, the antitumor effect of bevacizumab was evaluated alone and in combination with S-1 against HSC-2 tumors in nude mice. S-1 (6.9 mg/kg/day) was administered orally every day for 3 weeks, and bevacizumab (5 ml/kg/day) was injected intraperitoneally twice per week for 3 weeks. Apoptotic cells in mouse tumors were detected using the TUNEL method, and cell proliferation and microvessel density (MVD) were determined by immunohistochemical staining of Ki-67 and CD31, respectively. Bevacizumab alone did not inhibit OSCC cell proliferation in vitro, and did not exhibit any synergistic inhibitory effect in combination with 5-FU in vitro. However, combined bevacizumab and S-1 therapy exerted synergistic and significant antitumor effects in vivo on HSC-2 tumor xenografts, and induced apoptosis in tumor cells. Furthermore, this combination therapy led to decreased MVD and cell proliferative abilities, as well as increased apoptosis in residual tumors. The present findings suggested that the bevacizumab plus S-1 combination therapy may exert antitumor effects in high VEGF-A-expressing OSCC cells.