摘要AIM: To investigate the effects of anti-sense oligonucleotides (ASODNs) on mRNA expression of heparanase in human esophageal cancer EC9706 cells.METHODS: One non-sense oligonucleotide (N-ODN) and five ASODNs against different heparanase mRNA sites were transfected into EC9706 cells, then the expression of heparanase mRNA in EC9706 cells was studied byin situ hybridization.RESULTS: The expression of heparanase mRNA could be inhibited by ASODNs.There was no significant difference among five ASODNs (P＞0.05), but there was a significant difference between ASODNs and N-ODN or non-transfected group (ASODN1: 2.25±0.25, ASODN2: 2.21±0.23, ASODN3:2.23±0.23, ASODN4:2.25±0.24 vs N-ODN: 3.47±2.80 or non- transfected group: 3.51±2.93 respectively, P＜0.05).CONCLUSION: The expression of heparanase mRNA in EC9706 cells can be inhibited by ASODNs in vivo, and heparanase ASODNs can inhibit metastasis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma or other tumors by inhibiting the expression of heparanase.