OBJECTIVETo study the morphologic and growing alterations of oral cancer cell line Tca8113 before and after cocultured with tumor stromal fibroblasts (TSF) and normal stromal fibroblasts (NSF) respectively, and evaluate the influence of mesenchymal cells on tumor cells.

METHODSTSF and NSF were isolated and cultured. To observe the morphologic change of Tca8113 cells after cocultured with TSF and NSF respectively.

RESULTSWhen cocultured with NSF, the Tca8113 cells proliferated as rapidly as monocultured to form colonies, while the NSF proliferated slowly to form pieces and then joined each other to form network. The NSF network segmented and surrounded the colonies of cancer cells so that the cancer cells shrank, turn round, broke away from the bottom and floated into the medium. The cancer cells proliferated actively but they were elbow out entirely in the end. TSF proliferated slowly when cocultured with cancer cells, projected several branched protrusions. The cancer cells proliferated along the two sides of protrusions of TSF, or projected short protrusions to connect the body or protrusions of TSF, and overlaid the protrusions gradually, finally, cover the body. In the end, TSF melt away, and the cancer cells took on the figure of TSF.

CONCLUSIONThe results do suggest that, oral cancer cell line Tca8113 are restrained when coculture with NSF, but are promoted when with TSF.