Forkhead Box P4 promotes the proliferation of cells in colorectal adenocarcinoma

Abstract

Abstract Objectives Forkhead Box P4 (FOXP4) is a transcription factor that promotes tumor formation and progression. However, studies on its roles in colorectal adenocarcinoma (CRAC) and cell proliferation regulation are few to date. This work investigates the expression of FOXP4 in CRAC, explores the characteristic of FOXP4 in different clinicopathological features, and analyzes its regulation of cell proliferation. Methods The GEPIA database was used to predict the trend of FOXP4 expression in colon cancer and normal mucosa. Tumor tissue and normal paracancerous mucosal tissue were sampled from 64 cases diagnosed with CRAC and who were receiving radical surgery at Tianjin Hospital from January 2017 and December 2022. FOXP4 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) were detected by the immunohistochemistry EnVision method. The colon cancer cell lines SW480, HCT15, and SW620 and the normal colon cell line NCM460 were selected, and expression of FOXP4 was detected by the Western blot method. The siRNA-FOXP4 plasmid was synthesized and transfected with SW480 and HCT15 cell lines, respectively, to establish si-FOXP4 groups, and empty vector transfection group (NC-FOXP4) and blank control group (NC) was set up. The expression levels of FOXP4 and PCNA were detected by the Western blot method, while the cell proliferation activity was assessed using CCK-8. Normally distributed quantitative data were compared between two and more groups with ANOVA (SNK-based pairwise comparison), while intergroup enumeration data comparisons were performed through χ 2 test and assessed through linear correlation analysis. Results GEPIA-based prediction shows a potential rise in FOXP4 expression in colon cancer. The rate of positive FOXP4 expression is significantly higher in CRAC tissue than in normal mucosa (p<0.05). The difference in FOXP4 is statistically significant in the comparison of maximum tumor diameter and depth of invasion in CRAC (p<0.05) but not in the comparison of gender, age, degree of differentiation, tumor focus, tumor embolism, and lymph node metastasis (p>0.05). The expression levels of FOXP4 and PCNA in CRAC are positively correlated (p<0.05). FOXP4 expression is significantly higher in cell lines SW480, HCT15, and SW620 than in cell line NCM460. The cell proliferation activity and PCNA expression are significantly lower in si-FOXP4 group than in NC-FOXP4 and NC groups for cell lines SW480 and HCT15. Conclusions FOXP4 is highly expressed and has a proliferative effect on tumor cells in CRAC.