Fig. 3

HDAC7-c-Myc positive feedback loop to promote ESCC growth and involves in the anti-proliferative action of melatonin on ESCC cells. a Representative IHC images for c-Myc expression in ESCC tissues. Scale bar, 200 μm and 50 μm (inset), respectively. b Statistical analysis of c-Myc expression in 148 ESCC patients through IHC staining. c Kaplan–Meier survival analysis by high/low c-Myc levels of the 148 ESCC patients based on the microarray tissue IHC results. d Spearman correlation analyses of HDAC7 and c-Myc expression in the ESCC tissues. e Kaplan–Meier analysis of the association between overall survival and the expression of HDAC7 and c-Myc on 148 ESCC patients. f Representative Western blotting results of c-Myc, HDAC7, p21, p27 and Cyclin D1. g Representative Western blotting results of HDACs in the EC109 cells with c-Myc knockdown. h Representative Western blotting results of c-Myc, HDAC7, p21, p27 and Cyclin D1 in the EC109 and EC9706 cells with 10058-F4 treatment. i Representative images and results of colony formation and EdU incorporation assays. j Co-treatment of melatonin, LV-Flag-HDAC7 and LV-shc-Myc #1 was applied to EC109 cells. Representative Western blotting results of HDAC7, Flag-HDAC7, c-Myc, p21 and p27 were shown. ^*P < 0.05 vs. the NC group, ^#P < 0.05 vs. the HDAC7 OE group, ^&P < 0.05 vs. the MEL 4 mmol/L group, ^$P < 0.05 vs. the HDAC7 OE + MEL 4 mmol/L group. HDAC7 histone deacetylase 7, ESCC esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, OE overexpression, LV lentivirus, MEL melatonin, IHC immunohistochemistry