KAI1 gene expression in colonic carcinoma and its clinical significances

AIM: To investigate KAI1 gene expression in the progression of human colonic carcinoma and its clinical significances.METHODS: KAI1 expression was detected by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry in the 4 established cell lines of colorectal carcinoma with different metastatic potentials, and in 80 specimens of colonic carcinoma, 21 colonic carcinoma specimens with lymphatic metastasis and 20 controls of normal colonic mucosa.RESULTS: The expressions of KAI1 in HT29 and SW480 cell lines were higher than those in LoVo and SW620. Theexpression of KAI1 gene was significantly higher in colorectal carcinoma compared with normal colonic mucosa andlymphatic metastasis (X^2=46.838, P<0.01). The expression of KAI1 gene had no relationship with histological grade.The KAI1 expressions in Dukes A and B carcinoma were higher at both mRNA and protein levels compared to Dukes C carcinoma (72=16.061, P<0.05). The expression of KAI1 in colonic carcinoma specimens with lymphatic metastasis was almost lost. The results of in situ hybridization were in concordance with immunohistochemistry.CONCLUSION: KAI1 is highly related to the metastasis of colonic carcinoma and may be a useful indicator of metastasis in colonic carcinoma.

Effects of KAI1/CD82 on biological behavior of human colorectal carcinoma cell line

AIM: To investigate the effects of KAI1/CD82 on biological behavior of colorectal carcinoma cells. METHODS: KAI1 cDNA was transfected into highly malignant colorectal carcinoma cell line, LoVo, which had low level of endogenous KAI1 expression, and established stable transfectant clones with high KAI1/CD82 expression.The cell-cell adhesion, cell aggregation, cell-matrix adhesion and cell invasion assay were performed to determine whether KAI1 transfectant could have an effect on proliferation,adhesion and tumor metastasis in comparison with the control transfectant cells. RESULTS: KAI1 expression did not alter in vitro cell proliferation. But the KAI1 transfectant cells exhibited significantly increased homotypic cell-cell adhesion and cell aggregation in comparison with the control transfectant cells (P＜0.05). Furthermore, KAI1 expression significantly suppressed the cell adhesion to extracellular matrix components and in vitro cell invasion in KAI1-transfected LoVo cells. The data indicated that KAI1 expression significantly suppressed the metastatic potential of KAI1-transfected LoVo cells. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that KAI1 might function as a negative regulator of colorectal carcinoma metastasis.

Transcriptional gene expression profiles of HGF/SF-met signaling pathway in colorectal carcinoma

AIM: To explore the transcriptional gene expression profiles of HGF/SF-met signaling pathway in colorectal carcinoma to understand mechanisms of the signaling pathway at so gene level.METHODS: Total RNA was isolated from human colorectal carcinoma cell line LoVo treated with HGF/SF (80 ng/L)for 48 h. Fluorescent probes were prepared from RNA labeled with cy3-dUTP for the control groups and with cy5-dUTP for the HGF/SF-treated groups through reversetranscription. The probes were mixed and hybridized on the microarray at 60 ℃ for 15-20 h, then the microarray was scanned by laser scanner (GenePix 4000B). The intensity of each spot and ratios of Cy5/Cy3 were analyzed and finally the differentially expressed genes were selected by GenePix Pro 3.0 software. 6 differential expression genes (3 up-regulated genes and 3 down-regulated genes) were selected randomly and analyzed by β-actin semiquantitative RT-PCR.RESULTS: The fluorescent intensities of built-in negative control spots were less than 200, and the fluorescent intensities of positive control spots were more than 5000.Of the 4004 human genes analyzed by microarray, 129 genes (holding 3.22 % of the investigated genes) revealed differential expression in HGF/SF-treated groups compared with the control groups, of which 61 genes were up-regulated (holding 1.52 % of the investigated genes) and 68 genes were down-regulated (holding 1.70 % of the investigated genes), which supplied abundant information about target genes of HGF/SF-met signaling.CONCLUSION: HGF/SF-met signaling may up-regulate oncogenes, signal transduction genes, apoptosis-related genes, metastasis related genes, and down-regulate a number of genes. The complexity of HGF/SF-met signaling to control the gene expression is revealed as a whole by the gene chip technology.

Construction of a metastasis-associated gene subtracted cDNA library of human colorectal carcinoma by suppression subtraction hybridization

AIM: To construct a differentially-expressed gene subtracted cDNA library from two colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cell lines with different metastatic phenotypes by suppression subtractive hybridization.METHODS: Two cell lines of human CRC from the same patient were used. SW620 cell line showing highly metastatic potential was regarded as tester in the forward subtractive hybridization, while SW480 cell line with lowly metastatic potential was treated as tester in the reverse hybridization. Suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) was employed to obtain cDNA fragments of differentially expressed genes for the metastasis of CRC. These fragments were ligated with T vectors, screened through the blue-white screening system to establish cDNA library.RESULTS: After the blue-white screening, 235 white clones were picked out from the positive-going hybridization and 232 from the reverse. PCR results showed that 200-700 bp inserts were seen in 98% and 91% clones from the forward and reverse hybridizations, respectively.CONCLUSIONS: A subtractive cDNA library of differentially expressed genes specific for metastasis of CRC can be constructed with SSH and T/A cloning techniques.

A novel method for preparation of tissue microarray

AIM:To improve the technique of tissue microarray (tissue chip).METHODS: A new tissue microarraying method was invented with a common microscope installed with a special holing needle, a sampling needle, and a special box fixing paraffin blocks on the microscope slide carrier. With the movement of microscope tube and objective stage on vertical and cross dimensions respectively, the holing procedure on the recipient paraffin blocks and sampling procedure of core tissue biopsies taken from the donor blocks were performed with the refitted microscope on the same platform.The precise observation and localization of representative regions in the donor blocks were also performed with the microscope equipped with a stereoscope.RESULTS: Highly-qualified tissue chips of colorectal tumors were produced by a new method, which simplified the conventional microarraying procedure, and was more convenient and accurate than that employing the existing tissue microarraying instruments.CONCLUSION:Using the refitted common microscope to produce tissue microarray is a simple, reliable, cost-effective and well-applicable technique.

Tiaml gene expression and its significance in colorectal carcinoma

AIM: To explore the expression of Tiam1 gene in colorectal carcinoma and its correlation with tumor metastasis.METHODS: Expressions of Tiam1 gene in 8 colorectal carcinoma cell lines were detected by reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction. In vitro invasiveness was determined by means of Matrigel invasion assay. The correlation of Tiam1 expression with the invasive ability was also analyzed.RESULTS: Tiam1 gene was highly expressed in LoVo and SW620, which were established from metastatic colorectal carcinomas in comparison with LS174T, SW480, HCT116,LST, HRT-18 and Hee8693, which were established from primary colorectal carcinomas. In vitro cell invasivion demonstrated that LoVo and SW620 had a higher invasive ability than LS174T, SW480, HCT116, LST, HRT-18 and Hee8693. The expression of Tiam1 gene was highly related to the metastatic potential of colorectal carcinoma cells.CONCLUSION: Tiam1 gene may play an important role in invasion and metastasis of colorectal carcinoma and is a metastasis-related gene.