title: Altered expression of cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 in azoxymethane-induced mouse colon tumorigenesis.
abstract: Alterations in the expression of the cell cycle regulators, cyclin D1 and cyclin-dependent kinase 4 (Cdk4), have been implicated in malignancies of both humans and experimental animal models. We hypothesize that altered expression of cyclin D1 and Cdk4 may also be involved in mouse colon tumorigenesis induced by the chemical carcinogen, azoxymethane (AOM). In the present study, SWR/J mice were given AOM by i.p. injection at a dose of 10 mg/kg once a week for 8 weeks, and colonic tissue and tumors were isolated 18 weeks later. The expression and localization of cyclin D1 and Cdk4 were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemical analyses. Cyclin D1 and Cdk4 mRNA levels in tumor samples were increased 1.3-fold (P < 0.01) and 1.2-fold (P < 0.01), respectively, when compared with control mouse colon tissue. Control colon epithelium was uniformly negative for cyclin D1 immunoreactivity, whereas minimal Cdk4 nuclear staining was confined to the lower portion of the crypts within the control tissue. Both cyclin D1 and Cdk4 immunoreactive cells were markedly increased in preneoplastic lesions and in adenomas isolated from AOM-treated mice. Furthermore, some morphologically normal colon crypts from AOM-treated mice showed positive cyclin D1 immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that overexpression of cyclin D1 and Cdk4 occurs early in the AOM-induced mouse colon tumorigenesis and may contribute to tumor progression in this model.
authors.affiliation: University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Storrs 06269-2091, USA.
authors.forename: Q S
authors.initials: QS
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Papanikolaou
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Sabourin
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001397:Azoxymethane / Q000633:toxicity*; D002273:Carcinogens / Q000633:toxicity*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D019938:Cyclin D1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D011905:Genes, ras; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D002273:Carcinogens; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019938:Cyclin D1; C495902:Cdk4 protein, mouse; D051358:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase 4; D018844:Cyclin-Dependent Kinases; D001397:Azoxymethane