Colorectal Cancer
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 21, 2007; 13(11): 1659-1665
Published online Mar 21, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i11.1659
Sonic hedgehog-Gli1 pathway in colorectal adenocarcinomas
Yue-Hong Bian, Shu-Hong Huang, Ling Yang, Xiao-Li Ma, Jing-Wu Xie, Hong-Wei Zhang
Yue-Hong Bian, Shu-Hong Huang, Ling Yang, Xiao-Li Ma, Hong-Wei Zhang, Institute of Developmental Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan 250100, Shandong Province, China
Jing-Wu Xie, Sealy Centers for Cancer Cell Biology, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas 77555-1048, United States
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30228031, No. 30671072
Correspondence to: Dr. Hong-Wei Zhang, Institute of Developmental Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong University, Jinan 250010, Shandong Province, China. zhw@sdu.edu.cn
Telephone: +86-531-88364935 Fax: +86-531-88565610
Received: October 9, 2006
Revised: December 5, 2006
Accepted: January 30, 2007
Published online: March 21, 2007
Abstract

AIM: To determine the role of Sonic hedgehog (Shh) pathway in colorectal adenocarcinomas through analysis of the expression of Shh pathway-related molecules, Shh, Ptch1, hedgehog-interacting protein (Hip), Gli1, Gli3 and PDGFRα.

METHODS: Expression of Shh in 25 colorectal adeno-carcinomas was detected by RT-PCR, in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Expression of Ptch1 was observed by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Expression of Hip, Gli1, Gli3 and PDGFRα was analyzed by in situ hybridization.

RESULTS: Expression of cytokeratin AE1/AE3 was observed in the cytoplasm of colorectal crypts. Members of the Hh signaling pathway were expressed in colorectal epithelium. Shh was expressed in cytoplasm of dysplastic epithelial cells, while expression of Ptch1, Hip and Gli1 were mainly detected in the malignant crypts of adenocarcinomas. In contrast, PDGFRα was expressed highly in aberrant crypts and moderately in the stroma. Expression of Gli3 could not be detected in colorectal adenocarcinomas.

CONCLUSION: These data suggest that Shh-Ptch1-Gli1 signaling pathway may play a role in the progression of colorectal tumor.

Keywords: Sonic hedgehog pathway; Sonic hedgehog; Ptch1; Hedgehog-interacting protein; Gli1; Gli3; PDGFRα; Colorectal adenocarcinomas