The present study investigated the correlation between the abnormal expression of
adenosine triphosphate (
ATP)-binding cassette transporter G2 (ABCG2) in
esophageal cancer and the drug resistance of
esophageal cancer, the reversal effect in drug resistance of
artesunate (Art), and the mechanism underlying
esophageal cancer using nude mice with subcutaneous xenograft as an animal model. The gene and
protein expression of ABCG2 was detected in 80 cases of
esophageal cancer, atypical dysplasia, and normal mucosa. A subcutaneous xenograft
tumor mouse model was established by subcutaneous inoculation of
esophageal cancer cell line Eca109/ABCG2 into BALB/c nu/nu nude mice. The reversal of drug resistance by Art in
esophageal cancer was studied in vivo. The mice model was injected intraperitoneally with Art and/or
doxorubicin (ADM). The animals were divided into six groups: high dose Art (50 mg/kg), low dose Art (25 mg/kg), ADM (1 mg/kg), ADM and high-dose Art, ADM and low-dose Art, and physiological saline as a control.
ABCG2 protein expression and cellular ADM concentration were detected by flow cytometry. The
mRNA and
protein expressions of ABCG2 in
esophageal cancer were significantly higher than that in the normal esophagus (P < 0.01). The volume and mass of the subcutaneously implanted
tumors in the ADM+Art high- and low-dose groups were significantly decreased than that in the control group (P < 0.05), while the apoptosis rate of
tumor cells and the cellular concentration of ADM were increased significantly (P < 0.05), and the
ABCG2 protein expression in the
tumor cells decreased significantly (P < 0.05). Abnormally high expression of ABCG2 in
esophageal cancer tissues is involved in the multidrug resistance of
esophageal cancer. In vivo studies showed that Art could reverse the
esophageal cancer drug resistance by regulating the ABCG2 expression in
tumor cells.