Fig. 9.

Upregulation of miR-134 prevents tumour growth, MLD, and LNM of ESCC. Nude mice were injected with ESCC cells transfected with miR-134 expression and/or si-PLXNA1. (a) the tumour volume in mice; (b) the tumour weight in mice; (c) MLD in mice; (d) LM in mice. *p < .05 vs. the blank and NC groups (nude mice injected with cells without transfection and transfected with empty plasmid, respectively). Measurement data were expressed as mean value ± standard deviation. The differences in tumour volume were analysed by repeated measures ANOVA; the differences in tumour weight and LNM rate were analysed by one-way ANOVA, n = 12. ESCC, esophageal squamous cell carcinoma; miR-134, microRNA-134; ANOVA, analysis of variance; PLXNA1, plexin A1; NC, negative control; MLD, microlymphatic density; LNM, lymph node metastasis.