Objective To explore the effects of chronic psychological stress on angiogenesis of transplanted gastric cancer tumor in nude mice.

Methods Human gastric cancer cell line HGC-27 was injected into the right armpit of nude mice to establish a human gastric cancer model.The nude mice were divided into the stress group and control group(6 mice in each group).The chronic psychological stress model was established in the stress group, and the control group was raised normally.The tumor volume changes in two groups were recorded, and the serum concentrations of epinephrine and corticosterone, and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) and microvessel density(MVD) in tumor tissues were measured and compared.

Results Compared with the control group, the body weight change, tumor volume, serum epinephrine and corticosterone concentrations and levels of VEGF and MVD in tumor tissues in the stress group obviously increased(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01).

Conclusions Chronic psychological stress can induce the production of epinephrine and corticosterone, promote the production of VEGF, increase the vascular density of gastric cancer xenografts in nude mice and promote the growth of tumors.