title: E-cadherin and β-catenin expression during urothelial carcinogenesis induced by N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine in mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  E-cadherin and β-catenin are adhesion molecules that promote integrity and stability of the urothelium. A decrease in their expression is associated with more aggressive tumour phenotypes with the ability to invade and metastasize.
  
  
  METHODS
  45 ICR male mice were used, of which 25 received N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl)nitrosamine (0.05%) in drinking water for a period of 12 weeks. Immunohistochemical expression was evaluated in all urinary bladder preparations for E-cadherin and for β-catenin.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Preneoplastic lesions showed staining patterns similar to normal urothelium. In simple and nodular hyperplasia, membrane staining was dominant (66.7-78.6 and 50-100%, respectively). In dysplasia a cytoplasmic pattern was prevalent (86.7-100%). Neoplastic lesions exhibit an abnormal staining pattern (100%) with heterogeneous staining (cytoplasmic, nuclear and membrane staining). A strong correlation was observed between both adhesion molecule staining patterns (r = 0.83; p = 0.039).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In mice, as in humans, E-cadherin and β-catenin are valuable tools to investigate cellular adhesion status of urothelium and can be considered as indicators of tumour aggressiveness and evolution.
authors.affiliation: Agrarian School of Viseu, Polytechnic Institute of Viseu, Viseu, Portugal.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vasconcelos-Nóbrega
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Vala
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colaço
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Oliveira
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002085:Butylhydroxybutylnitrosamine / Q000737:chemistry*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D063646:Carcinogenesis; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000378:metabolism; D018450:Disease Progression; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D010641:Phenotype; D011379:Prognosis; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000187:drug effects; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism*; D019459:Urothelium / Q000378:metabolism; D051176:beta Catenin / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C495267:CTNNB1 protein, mouse; D015820:Cadherins; D051176:beta Catenin; D002085:Butylhydroxybutylnitrosamine