A new in vivo model for studying invasion and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

The aim of our current study was to establish an orthotopic inoculation mod el for studying invasion and metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcino ma (SCC). Male BALB/c nude mice were used for the experiment. A midline inc ision was made from the upper to middle abdomen. The abdominal esophagus wa s carefully exposed. Human esophageal T.Tn SCC cells or human cervical HeLa SCC Celts, were injected into the submucosa of the lower esophagus. One of the mice injected with T.Tn cells was sacrificed at 5 weeks, and the remai ning five sacrificed at 13 weeks after inoculation. The mice injected with HeLa cells were sacrificed at 3-4 weeks after inoculation. T.Tn cells and H eLa cells formed tumors at the esophagus, but did not metastasize to lymph nodes or lungs. HeLa cells produced peritoneal implants, and directly invad ed the stomach and the liver. In the present study, we established a novel orthotopic. inoculation model of esophageal SCC. This system is an appropri ate and a useful model for studying invasion and metastasis of esophageal S CC, and can also be used as a model for developing therapeutic strategies f or esophageal cancer in vivo.