title: [Effects of esophageal cancer on the nerve fiber growth and guidance].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish the co-culture model of cancer cells and nerve, and to study the influence of esophageal cancer on nerve fibers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Mouse dorsal root ganglion (DRG) was cultured in sterile conditions by primary isolation. Co-culture model was established using matrigel matrix-embedded DRG and EC109 (esophageal cancer cell line) transfected with green fluorescent protein. Morphological changes of DRG, number and area of neurites were quantified with microscopy and image analysis. Furthermore, the mRNA expression of nerve growth factor(NGF) and brain derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF) was detected by real-time PCR.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In mixture cultivation model of EC109 and DRG cells, directional outgrowth of neurite projecting to EC109 was observed, and the length of neurite was markedly longer in proximal field compared to distal field. The number and area of neurite were 87 and 346 μm(2) in proximal field respectively, and 23 and 141 μm(2) in distal field on the 7th day. The expressions of NGF and BDNF were up-regulated in esophageal cancer cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The esophageal cancer may play an important role in nerve fiber growth and guidance, which may be associated with the up-regulation of NGF and BDNF expressions.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Xijing Hospital of Digestive Diseases, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China. zhanghw@fmmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guang-Hui
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Guo-Hong
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jian-Qin
authors.initials: JQ
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Xue-Wen
authors.initials: XW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Kang
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Hong-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal; D006801:Humans; D016501:Neurites; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015854:Up-Regulation