Dysregulated Wnt signalling is seen in approximately 30% of hepatocellular cancers, thus finding pathways downstream of activation of Wnt signalling is key. Using cre lox technology we have deleted the the adenomatous polyposis coli tumour suppressor protein (Apc) within the adult mouse liver and observed a rapid increase in nuclear beta-catenin and C-Myc. This is associated with an induction of proliferation leading to hepatomegally within 4 days of gene deletion. To investigate the downstream pathways responsible for these phenotypes we analysed the impact of inactivating Apc in the context of deficiency of the potentially key effectors beta-catenin and c-Myc. beta-catenin loss rescues both the proliferation and hepatomegally phenotypes following Apc loss. However c-Myc deletion, which rescues the phenotypes of Apc loss in the intestine, had no effect on the phenotypes of Apc loss. The consequences of deregulation the Wnt pathway within the liver are therefore strikingly different to those observed within the intestine, with the vast majority of Wnt targets beta-catenin dependent but c-Myc independent in the liver.
B-catenin deficiency, but not Myc deletion, suppresses the immediate phenotypes of APC loss in the liver.
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View SamplesEphB receptors regulate the proliferation and positioning of intestinal stem and progenitor cells. In addition, they can act as tumor promoters for adenoma development, but suppress progression to invasive carcinoma. Here we used imatinib to abrogate Abl kinase activity in ApcMin/+ mice and in mice with LGR5+ stem cells genetically targeted for APC. This treatment inhibited the tumor-promoting effects of EphB signaling without attenuating EphB-mediated tumor suppression, demonstrating the role of EphB signaling in intestinal tumor initiation. The investigated treatment regimen extended the lifespan of ApcMin/+ mice, and reduced cell proliferation in cultured slices of adenomas from FAP patients. These findings connect the EphB signaling pathway to the regulation of intestinal adenoma initiation via Abl kinase. Our findings may have clinical implications for pharmacological therapy against adenoma formation and cancer progression in patients predisposed to develop colon cancer.
An EphB-Abl signaling pathway is associated with intestinal tumor initiation and growth.
Specimen part
View SamplesGlobal energy balance in mammals is controlled by the actions of circulating hormones that coordinate fuel production and utilization in metabolically active tissues. Bone-derived osteocalcin, in its undercarboxylated, hormonal form, regulates fat deposition and is a potent insulin secretagogue. Here, we show that insulin receptor (IR) signaling in osteoblasts controls osteoblast development and osteocalcin expression by suppressing the Runx2 inhibitor Twist-2. Mice lacking IR in osteoblasts have low circulating undercarboxylated osteocalcin and reduced bone acquisition due to decreased bone formation and deficient numbers of osteoblasts. With age, these mice develop marked peripheral adiposity and hyperglycemia accompanied by severe glucose intolerance and insulin resistance. The metabolic abnormalities in these mice are improved by infusion of exogenous under-carboxylated osteocalcin. These results indicate the existence of a bone-pancreas endocrine loop through which insulin signaling in the osteoblast ensures osteoblast differentiation and stimulates osteocalcin production, which in turn regulates insulin sensitivity and pancreatic insulin secretion to control glucose homeostasis.
Insulin receptor signaling in osteoblasts regulates postnatal bone acquisition and body composition.
Specimen part, Time
View SamplesGinkgo biloba leaf extract (GBE) has been used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine and today is used as an herbal supplement for various indications such as improving neural function, anti-oxidant and anti-cancer effects. As part of the herbal supplement industry, these compounds are largely unregulated, and may be consumed in large concentrations over extended periods of time. This is of particular concern, because the long-term effects in terms of toxicity and carcinogenicity data is lacking for many herbal products, including GBE. The 2-year B6C3F1 mouse carcinogenicity bioassay indicated a marked dose-related increase in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development associated with exposure to GBE. We have shown that the mechanism of this increase in tumorigenesis is related to a marked increase in the incidence of -catenin mutation, and report a novel mechanism of constitutive -catenin activation through post-translational modification leading to constitutive Wnt signaling and unregulated growth signaling and oncogenesis. Furthermore, using global gene expression profiling, we show that GBE-induced HCC exhibit overrepresentation of gene categories associated with human cancer and HCC signaling including upregulation of relevant oncogenes and suppression of critical tumor suppressor genes, as well as chronic oxidative stress, a known inducer of calpain-mediated degradation and promoter of hepatocarcinogenesis in humans. These data provide a molecular mechanism to GBE-induced HCC in B6C3F1 mice that is relevant to human cancer, and provides relevant molecular data that will provide the groundwork for further risk assessment of unregulated compounds, including herbal supplements.
Hepatocellular carcinomas in B6C3F1 mice treated with Ginkgo biloba extract for two years differ from spontaneous liver tumors in cancer gene mutations and genomic pathways.
Specimen part
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