Influence of myeloperoxidase on colon tumor occurrence in inflamed versus non-inflamed colons of ApcMin/+ mice

•Myeloperoxidase is a determinant of colitis-associated colon tumors in ApcMin/+ mice.•Inhibition of MPO by resorcinol dampened colitis-associated colon tumor occurrence. Acrolein is a by-product of MPO catalysis.•Acrolein forms a covalent adduct with the phosphatase tensin homolog tumor suppressor.•Acrolein adducted PTEN enhances the activity of the Akt kinase proto-oncogene.•MPO may have an effect on endogenous exposure to oxidants and acrolein. MPO may be an important determinant of diet and inflammation on colon cancer risk.

Control of colorectal cancer needs to be tailored to its etiology. Tumor promotion mechanisms in colitis-associated colon cancer differ somewhat from the mechanisms involved in hereditary and sporadic colorectal cancer. Unlike sporadic or inherited tumors, some experimental models show that colitis-associated colon tumors do not require cyclooxygenase (COX) expression for progression, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) which prevent sporadic or inherited colon cancer do not prevent colitis-associated colon cancer. We report that myeloperoxidase (MPO), an ancestor of the COX isoenzymes, is a determinant of colitis-associated colon tumors in ApcMin/+ mice. During experimentally induced colitis, inhibition of MPO by resorcinol dampened colon tumor development. Conversely, in the bowels of ApcMin/+ mice without colitis, resorcinol administration or ‘knockout’ of MPO gene coincided with a slight, but discernible increase in colon tumor incidence. Acrolein, a by-product of MPO catalysis, formed a covalent adduct with the phosphatase tensin homolog (PTEN) tumor suppressor and enhanced the activity of the Akt kinase proto-oncogene in vitro and in vivo. Thus, MPO may be an important determinant of diet and inflammation on colon cancer risk via its effect on endogenous exposure to oxidants and acrolein. We propose a hypothetical model to explain an apparent dichotomy between colon tumor occurrence and MPO inhibition in inflamed versus non-inflamed colons.

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