title: Colon cancer cells treated with 5‑fluorouracil exhibit changes in polylactosamine‑type N‑glycans.
abstract: 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the major chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of colorectal carcinoma, which were found to have N-glycans containing polylactosamine on the cancer cell surface. Alterations in the expression and structure of polylactosamine glycans are associated with cellular differentiation and oncogenesis. However, little is known with regard to the correlation between the levels of polylactosamine expressed in colon cancer cells and the anticancer effect of 5-FU. In the present study, SW620 cells were treated with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50; determined by MTT-assay) of 5-FU. Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometric analysis indicated that 5-FU administration resulted in apoptosis in SW620 cells. An increased percentage of cells in S phase was also observed among the SW620 cells treated with 5-FU. Under the same experimental conditions, a decrease in the 5-FU‑induced inhibition of polylactosamine glycans was recorded. However, an increase in the activity of alkaline phosphatase was also observed. Furthermore, pretreatment of the SW620 cells with 5-FU inhibited the expression of β1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-8 (β3Gn-T8) and cluster of differentiation (CD)147 in a time-dependent manner. Overall, changes in glycosylation were associated with the anticancer effect of 5-FU in the colon cancer cells. In conclusion, polylactosamine may be a useful target for the identification of substances with anticancer activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Meiyun
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Jianlong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oncology, Taihe Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei 442000, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaoxia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yinghui
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shiliang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000606:Amino Sugars / Q000378:metabolism*; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D051926:Basigin / Q000378:metabolism; D059447:Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D020128:Inhibitory Concentration 50; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000606:Amino Sugars; D000964:Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic; D011134:Polysaccharides; C066929:polylactosamine; D051926:Basigin; D005472:Fluorouracil