Rumex japonicus Houtt. Extract Suppresses Colitis-Associated Colorectal Cancer by Regulating Inflammation and Tight-Junction Integrity in Mice

Research status and hotspots of tight junctions and colorectal cancer: A bibliometric and visualization analysis

BACKGROUND

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer-related death. Over the past two decades, numerous researchers have provided important evidence regarding the role of tight junction (TJ) proteins in the occurrence and progression of CRC. The causal relationship between the presence of specific TJ proteins and the development of CRC has also been confirmed. Despite the large number of publications in this field, a bibliometric study to review the current state of research and highlight the research trends and hotspots in this field has not yet been performed.

AIM

To analyze research on TJs and CRC, summarize the field's history and current status, and predict future research directions.

METHODS

We searched the Science Citation Index Expanded database for all literature on CRC and TJs from 2001-2023. We used bibliometrics to analyze the data of these papers, such as the authors, countries, institutions, and references. Co-authorship, co-citation, and co-occurrence analyses were the main methods of analysis. CiteSpace and VOSviewer were used to visualize the results.

RESULTS

A total of 205 studies were ultimately identified. The number of publications on this topic has steadily increased since 2007. China and the United States have made the largest contributions to this field. Anticancer Research was the most prolific journal, publishing 8 articles, while the journal Oncogene had the highest average citation rate (68.33). Professor Dhawan P was the most prolific and cited author in this field. Co-occurrence analysis of keywords revealed that "tight junction protein expression", "colorectal cancer", "intestinal microbiota", and "inflammatory bowel disease" had the highest frequency of occurrence, revealing the research hotspots and trends in this field.

CONCLUSION

This bibliometric analysis evaluated the scope and trends of TJ proteins in CRC, providing valuable research perspectives and future directions for studying the connection between the two. It is recommended to focus on emerging research hotspots, such as the correlations among intestinal microbiota, inflammatory bowel disease, TJ protein expression, and CRC.

Laherradurin Inhibits Tumor Growth in an Azoxymethane/Dextran Sulfate Sodium Colorectal Cancer Model In Vivo

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common neoplasia in the world. Its mortality rate is high due to the lack of specific and effective treatments, metastasis, and resistance to chemotherapy, among other factors. The natural products in cancer are a primary source of bioactive molecules. In this research, we evaluated the antitumor activity of an acetogenin (ACG), laherradurin (LH), isolated from the Mexican medicinal plant Annona macroprophyllata Donn.Sm. in a CRC murine model. The CRC was induced by azoxymethane-dextran sulfate sodium (AOM/DSS) in Balb/c mice and treated for 21 days with LH or cisplatin. This study shows for the first time the antitumor activity of LH in an AOM/DSS CRC model. The acetogenin diminished the number and size of tumors compared with cisplatin; the histologic studies revealed a recovery of the colon tissue, and the blood toxicity data pointed to less damage in animals treated with LH. The TUNEL assay indicated cell death by apoptosis, and the in vitro studies exhibited that LH inhibited cell migration in HCT116 cells. Our study provides strong evidence of a possible anticancer agent for CRC.

Murine models of colorectal cancer: the azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) model of colitis-associated cancer

Background

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer. It is a heterogeneous disease, including both hereditary and sporadic types of tumors. CRC results from complex interactions between various genetic and environmental factors. Inflammatory bowel disease is an important risk factor for developing CRC. Despite growing understanding of the CRC biology, preclinical models are still needed to investigate the etiology and pathogenesis of the disease, as well as to find new methods of treatment and prevention.

Objectives

The purpose of this review is to describe existing murine models of CRC with a focus on the models of colitis-associated CRC. This manuscript could be relevant for experimental biologists and oncologists.

Methodology

We checked PubMed and Google from 01/2018 to 05/2023 for reviews of CRC models. In addition, we searched PubMed from 01/2022 to 01/2023 for articles using the azoxymethane (AOM)/dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) CRC model.

Results

Existing murine models of CRC include spontaneous, genetically engineered, transplantation, and chemically induced models. For the study of colitis-associated cancer (CAC), the AOM/DSS model is predominantly used. This model is very similar in histological and molecular characteristics to the human CAC, and is highly reproducible, inexpensive, and easy to use. Despite its popularity, the AOM/DSS model is not standardized, which makes it difficult to analyze and compare data from different studies.

Conclusions

Each model demonstrates particular advantages and disadvantages, and allows to reproduce different subtypes or aspects of the pathogenesis of CRC.