Low dosage of arsenic trioxide inhibits vasculogenic mimicry in hepatoblastoma without cell apoptosis

Hepatoblastoma (HB) is the most common type of pediatric liver malignancy, which predominantly occurs in young children (aged <5 years), and continues to be a therapeutic challenge in terms of metastasis and drug resistance. As a new pattern of tumor blood supply, vasculogenic mimicry (VM) is a channel structure lined by tumor cells rather than endothelial cells, which contribute to angiogenesis. VM occurs in a variety of solid tumor types, including liver cancer, such as hepatocellular carcinoma. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the effect of arsenic trioxide (As2O3) on VM. In vitro experiments identified that HB cell line HepG2 cells form typical VM structures on Matrigel, and the structures were markedly damaged by As2O3 at a low concentration before the cell viability significantly decreased. The western blot results indicated that As2O3 downregulated the expression level of VM‑associated proteins prior to the appearance of apoptotic proteins. In vivo, VM has been observed in xenografts of HB mouse models and identified by periodic acid‑Schiff+/CD105‑ channels lined by HepG2 cells without necrotic cells. As2O3 (2 mg/kg) markedly depresses tumor growth without causing serious adverse reactions by decreasing the number of VM channels via inhibiting the expression level of VM‑associated proteins. Thus, the present data strongly indicate that low dosage As2O3 reduces the formation of VM in HB cell line HepG2 cells, independent of cell apoptosis in vivo and in vitro, and may represent as a candidate drug for HB targeting VM.