title: Comparison of GFP-Expressing Imageable Mouse Models of Human Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma Established in Various Anatomical Sites.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a recalcitrant cancer. Mouse models of this disease could be used for discovery of more effective therapy for ESCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  The green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing human esophageal cancer EC1 cell line was established with a lentiviral expression system. Subsequently, nude mice were injected subcutaneously, intracardiac or intravenously, or orthotopically implanted with EC1-GFP cells. Tumor growth and metastasis were examined by fluorescence in vivo imaging or by open fluorescence imaging after autopsy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four different mouse xenograft models of ESCC expressing GFP were established. In the subcutaneous model, primary tumor growth was monitored in real-time by whole-body fluorescence imaging. No metastasis was observed in the subcutaneous or surgical orthotopic implantation model. By 55 days after implantation, all mice had developed orthotopic esophageal cancer, but without detectable metastasis. In contrast, experimental metastasis occurred in the intracardiac and intravenous models. In the intravenous injection model, the lung was the sole organ of experimental metastasis. In the intracardiac model, extensive experimental metastases occurred in the bone, brain and lung.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The mouse xenograft models of ESCC developed in the present study can provide a means of discovering more effective therapy of this recalcitrant type of cancer.
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China Laboratory Animal Center, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: AntiCancer Biotech (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Qi
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Pei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guoqiang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yangcheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qianyun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chunzhi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yilin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Laboratory Animal Center, Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chunyao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: AntiCancer Biotech (Beijing) Co., Ltd., Beijing, P.R. China AntiCancer, Inc., San Diego, CA, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of California, San Diego, CA, U.S.A. AntiCancer, Inc., San Diego, CA, U.S.A. dongzm@zzu.edu.cn zzdx_chenping@zzu.edu.cn all@anticancer.com.
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Hoffman
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China dongzm@zzu.edu.cn zzdx_chenping@zzu.edu.cn all@anticancer.com.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: College of Basic Medical Sciences, Zhengzhou University; Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan province for cancer chemoprevention, Zhengzhou, P.R. China dongzm@zzu.edu.cn zzdx_chenping@zzu.edu.cn all@anticancer.com.
authors.forename: Ziming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Dong
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*; D000077277:Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D040521:Subcutaneous Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D023041:Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins
keywords: Esophageal cancer; GFP imaging; experimental metastasis; mouse models; orthotopic