Use of a fluorescently labeled poly-caspase inhibitor for in vivo detection of apoptosis related to vascular-targeting agent arsenic trioxide for cancer therapy

Arsenic trioxide (ATO, Trisenox) is a potent anti-vascular agent and significantly enhances hyperthermia and radiation response. To understand the mechanism of the anti-tumor effect in vivo we imaged the binding of a fluorescently-labeled poly-caspase inhibitor (FLIVO) in real time before and 3 h or 24 h after injection of 8 mg/kg ATO. FSaII tumors were grown in dorsal skin-fold window chambers or on the rear limb and we observed substantial poly-caspase binding associated with vascular damage induced by ATO treatment at 3 and 24 h after ATO injection. Flow cytometric analysis of cells dissociated from the imaged tumor confirmed cellular uptake and binding of the FLIVO probe. Apoptosis appears to be a major mode of cell death induced by ATO in the tumor and the use of fluorescently tagged caspase inhibitors to assess cell death in live animals appears feasible to monitor and/or confirm anti-tumor effects of therapy.