ABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the effects of rapamycin on tumor growth and mTOR/4E-BP1 signaling pathway in xenograft of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma ( ESCC ) EC9706 cells. Methods The expression of factors in mTOR/4E-BP1 signaling pathway of the tumor tissues was analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot. Results Both rapamycin and cisplatin significantly inhibited the growth of transplantable tumors as compared to control group ( P < 0. 05 ) and their combination had a synergestic effect. The results of RT-PCR and Western blot show that rapamycin significantly decreased the expression of Mtor and p-4E-BP1 but increased the expression of 4E-BP1. Conclusion Rapamycin inhibits the mTOR/4E-BP1 signalling pathway, resulting in the growth inhibition of xenograft of EC9706 cells.