Abstract
Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a multifunctional protein that plays different roles in cancer biology. To better understand the role of Gal-3 and its ligands during colon carcinogenesis, we studied its expression in tumors induced in rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and in human tissues. Normal colon from untreated rats showed no staining using two specific monoclonal antibodies. In contrast, morphologically normal colon from DMH-treated rats and dysplastic aberrant crypt foci were strongly stained, indicating that increased Gal-3 expression is an early event during the neoplastic transformation in colon cells. Gal-3 was weakly expressed in adenocarcinomas. Overall, the Gal-3 expression pattern observed in the DMH rat model closely resembles that displayed by human colon stained with the same antibodies. We also found that Gal-3 phosphorylation diminishes in serines while increasing in tyrosines during rat colon carcinogenesis. Finally, we showed that Gal-3-ligands expression is strikingly similar in rat and human malignant colon and in non-malignant tissues. In conclusion, the DMH-induced rat colon cancer model displays expression patterns of Gal-3 and its ligands very similar to those observed in human samples. This animal model should contribute to clarifying the role of Gal-3 in colon carcinogenesis and also to finding effective preventive cancer agents based on Gal-3 targeting.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 553-565 |
| Number of pages | 13 |
| Journal | Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry |
| Volume | 58 |
| Issue number | 6 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2010 |
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Keywords
- Animal models
- Carcinogenesis
- Colon cancer
- Galectin-3
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Anatomy
- Histology
Cite this
A novel clinically relevant animal model for studying galectin-3 and its ligands during colon carcinogenesis. / Hill, Marcelo; Mazal, Daniel; Biron, Verónica Andrea; Pereira, Laura; Ubillos, Luis; Berriel, Edgardo; Ahmed, Hafiz; Freire, Teresa; Rondán, Mariella; Vasta, Gerardo R.; Liu, Fu-Tong; Iglesias, María Mercedes; Osinaga, Eduardo.
In: Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 58, No. 6, 06.2010, p. 553-565.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A novel clinically relevant animal model for studying galectin-3 and its ligands during colon carcinogenesis
AU - Hill, Marcelo
AU - Mazal, Daniel
AU - Biron, Verónica Andrea
AU - Pereira, Laura
AU - Ubillos, Luis
AU - Berriel, Edgardo
AU - Ahmed, Hafiz
AU - Freire, Teresa
AU - Rondán, Mariella
AU - Vasta, Gerardo R.
AU - Liu, Fu-Tong
AU - Iglesias, María Mercedes
AU - Osinaga, Eduardo
PY - 2010/6
Y1 - 2010/6
N2 - Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a multifunctional protein that plays different roles in cancer biology. To better understand the role of Gal-3 and its ligands during colon carcinogenesis, we studied its expression in tumors induced in rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and in human tissues. Normal colon from untreated rats showed no staining using two specific monoclonal antibodies. In contrast, morphologically normal colon from DMH-treated rats and dysplastic aberrant crypt foci were strongly stained, indicating that increased Gal-3 expression is an early event during the neoplastic transformation in colon cells. Gal-3 was weakly expressed in adenocarcinomas. Overall, the Gal-3 expression pattern observed in the DMH rat model closely resembles that displayed by human colon stained with the same antibodies. We also found that Gal-3 phosphorylation diminishes in serines while increasing in tyrosines during rat colon carcinogenesis. Finally, we showed that Gal-3-ligands expression is strikingly similar in rat and human malignant colon and in non-malignant tissues. In conclusion, the DMH-induced rat colon cancer model displays expression patterns of Gal-3 and its ligands very similar to those observed in human samples. This animal model should contribute to clarifying the role of Gal-3 in colon carcinogenesis and also to finding effective preventive cancer agents based on Gal-3 targeting.
AB - Galectin-3 (Gal-3) is a multifunctional protein that plays different roles in cancer biology. To better understand the role of Gal-3 and its ligands during colon carcinogenesis, we studied its expression in tumors induced in rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) and in human tissues. Normal colon from untreated rats showed no staining using two specific monoclonal antibodies. In contrast, morphologically normal colon from DMH-treated rats and dysplastic aberrant crypt foci were strongly stained, indicating that increased Gal-3 expression is an early event during the neoplastic transformation in colon cells. Gal-3 was weakly expressed in adenocarcinomas. Overall, the Gal-3 expression pattern observed in the DMH rat model closely resembles that displayed by human colon stained with the same antibodies. We also found that Gal-3 phosphorylation diminishes in serines while increasing in tyrosines during rat colon carcinogenesis. Finally, we showed that Gal-3-ligands expression is strikingly similar in rat and human malignant colon and in non-malignant tissues. In conclusion, the DMH-induced rat colon cancer model displays expression patterns of Gal-3 and its ligands very similar to those observed in human samples. This animal model should contribute to clarifying the role of Gal-3 in colon carcinogenesis and also to finding effective preventive cancer agents based on Gal-3 targeting.
KW - Animal models
KW - Carcinogenesis
KW - Colon cancer
KW - Galectin-3
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=77952762068&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=77952762068&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1369/jhc.2010.955237
DO - 10.1369/jhc.2010.955237
M3 - Article
VL - 58
SP - 553
EP - 565
JO - Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
JF - Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
SN - 0022-1554
IS - 6
ER -