Fig. 8

A DNMT inhibitor improves chemotherapy sensitivity in a preclinical trial. A Control cells and mtDNA-depleted ESCC TE11 cells were allowed to grow for 14 days in BALB/cAJcl nude mice, after which saline, CDDP, zebularine or CDDP combined with zebularine were injected intraperitoneally every 3–4 days. B Regarding physical changes, there was no difference in tumor volume between the saline- and CDDP-treated mice that received mtDNA-depleted ESCC cells. However, the tumor volume was lower in mice that received cells followed by injection of CDDP combined with zebularine than in mice that received cells followed by injection of only CDDP or zebularine. The proliferation of mtDNA-depleted ESCC cells in mice treated with CDDP combined with zebularine was significantly lower than that of cells in mice treated with only CDDP or zebularine. The tumor weights were in line with the above results. C Immunostaining showed that the expression of E-cadherin was higher in mtDNA-depleted ESCC cells in mice treated with CDDP and zebularine than in those in mice treated with other drugs and that the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin was lower in those in mice treated with CDDP and zebularine than in those in mice treated with other drugs. D CDDP combined with zebularine induced the highest apoptosis rate of the drugs