Cyclophosphamide promotes pulmonary metastasis on mouse lung adenocarcinoma

Cyclophosphamide (CTX), as a common use of chemotherapeutic agent, has some side effects in clinical treatment. In our experiments, we studied CTX-treated T739 mice using histopathology, immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot for markers of proliferation, angiogenesis, tumor progression and distant metastasis. As a result, CTX increased the number and area of metastases and tumor embolus in lungs by effecting on the expression of matrix metalloproteinase-2, intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2. Taken together, it indicated that CTX enhanced the process of pulmonary metastasis by the synergistic effect of matrix-degrading proteases and adhesion proteins.