Alterations in P53 Gene Expression in Experimental Colon Carcinoma of Wistar Rat

OBJECTIVE Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major cause of mortality in the human population worldwide. After prostate and breast cancers, it is the third most prevalent cancer around the world. The tumor suppressor gene, P53, is one of the significantly mutated genes in gastrointestinal cancers, including CRC. The present study was conducted to delineate the alterations of P53 gene expression in an experimental colon carcinoma in Wistar rats. METHODS In this study, 20 male Wistar rats were divided into two groups, receiving phosphate buffered saline (PBS) as a control group or dimethylhydrazine (DMH), 40 mg/kg (s.c.) twice a week for 8 weeks, as the treatment group. Subsequently, biopsies were performed, and hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining followed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis were conducted to examine changes in P53 gene expression. RESULTS Injection of DMH caused different types of colon tumors, including mucinous (40%), cribriform comedo-type (20%), undifferentiated (20%), signet-ring cell (10%), and serrated (10%), in which the rate of P53 gene alterations was shown to be high. According to T -test statistics, there is a statistically significant association between colonic adenocarcinoma slides and the presence of the P53 antigen -antibody complex (P<0.05). CONCLUSION In conclusion, this study confirmed the occurrence of dramatic changes in P53 gene expression in a laboratory model of colon cancer. However, more studies are required to determine the type and extent of these mutations, as well as the involved exons and introns. Copyright (c) 2024, Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology