Vitamin D Receptor Deficiency Enhances Wnt/β-Catenin Signaling and Tumor Burden in Colon Cancer
Figure 5
Colonic ACF and carcinomas in Apcmin/+Vdr-/- mice have elevated expression of β-catenin/TCF target genes Ccnd1/Cyclin D1 and Lef1.
Quantification of Cyclin D1 (a) and Lef1 (d) protein expression in colonic lesions from Apcmin/+Vdr+/+, Apcmin/+Vdr+/- and Apcmin/+Vdr-/- mice. Each dot corresponds to one lesion analyzed and the horizontal line indicates the mean. The p-values for one-way ANOVA analysis are shown. Asterisks indicate significant differences between groups upon Bonferroni multiple comparison post-test. Representative immunofluorescence images showing β-catenin and Cyclin D1 (b, c) or β-catenin and Lef1 (e, f) expression and localization in colon ACF (b, e) and carcinomas (c, f) from Apcmin/+Vdr+/+ and Apcmin/+Vdr-/- mice. Scale bars, 50 µm (b, e) and 200 µm (c, f). Asterisks indicate an unspecific staining.