Bcl-2 protein expression and gut neurohormonal polypeptide/amine production in colorectal carcinomas and tumor-neighboring mucosa, which closely correlate to the occurrence of tumor.
To clarify whether advanced colorectal carcinomas and tumor-neighboring mucosa simultaneously produce both Bcl-2 protein and gut neurohormonal polypeptides and/or amines, and the interrelationship of these phenomenon, we studied retrospective analysis of Bcl-2 protein production and neuroendocrine characteristics in 52 cases of advanced colorectal carcinoma and surrounding mucosa. All of the tumor-neighboring mucosa presented hyperplasia. The rates of enhanced immunoreactivity of the tumor-neighboring mucosa and of positive immunoreactivity of the carcinomas against human Bcl-2 protein and against human vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, pancreatic polypeptide and somatostatin were 78.8% and 94.2%, 82.7% and 59.6%, 78.8% and 67.3%, and 88.5% and 84.6% respectively. Double immunostaining for Bcl-2 protein and each peptide hormone revealed simultaneous expression. In contrast, that of tumor-neighboring mucosa and carcinomas to serotonin and chromogranin-A and to argyrophilia were 11.5% and 1.9%, 32.7% and 17.3%, and 26.9% and 21.2%, respectively. We concluded that tumor-neighboring crypt cells displayed not only hyperplasia but also neuroendocrine characteristics and that enhanced Bcl-2 protein immunoreactivity correlated with tumor occurrence in the wall of the colorectum. The production of Bcl-2 protein by tumor cells and tumor-neighboring crypt cells indicates that the bcl-2 protooncogene may act not only as an inhibitor of apoptosis but also as an inducer of neuroendocrine differentiation from the latent characteristics of the endodermal stem cell.
Ohmori
T
T
Second Department of Pathology, Ehime University School of Medicine, Japan. ohmori@m.ehime-u.ac.jp
Asahi
S
S
Sato
C
C
Maki
F
F
Masumoto
A
A
Okada
K
K
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000588:Amines / Q000378:metabolism*; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D009479:Neuropeptides / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D010455:Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*