Abstract: [Abstract] Objective: To study the effect of arsenic trioxide(AS203) combined with hyperthermia on the growth of esophageal carcinoma EC-1 cell line and to discuss its possible mechanism. Methods: In every group ,the percentage of survival was calculated with MTT assay, the apoptosis and the cell cycle were observed by flow cytometry and TUNEL. Results: AS203 combined with hyperthermia could obviously inhibit cell proliferation and induce apoptosis as compared with AS203 or hyperthermia.The Flow cytometry assay showed that AS203 combined with hyperthermia could induced G2/M phase arrest and the reduction of the ratio of cells in G0/G1 and S phases expectively. Conclusion: AS203 in combination with hyperthermia can produce synergistic killing effect on EC-1 cell. This may be related with the increase of apoptosis and cell cycle specific killing combined with cell cycle regulator.

Key words: arsenic trioxide, hyperthermia, esophageal carcinoma EC-1 cell line, Cell cycle