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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

In vitro Organoid Culture of Primary Mouse Colon Tumors
Published on: May 17, 2013
GLUT1 and Bcl-xL in relation to erythropoietin in human colorectal adenocarcinomas
Andrzej Wincewicz1, Marek Baltaziak, Luiza Kanczuga-Koda
1Department of Pathology, Maria Sklodowska-Curie Memorial Bialystok Oncology Center, Medical University of Bialystok, Ogrodowa 12, 15-027 Bialystok, Poland. ruahpolin@yahoo.com
Background/Aims:
GLUT1 and EPO belong to so called hypoxia-associated markers, which exert cytoprotective actions in the hypoxia suffering cells. In oxygen deficiency Bcl-xL can also be upregulated.
Methodology:
Therefore, we detected with immunohistochemistry and compared EPO with expressions of GLUT-1 and antiapoptotic protein Bcl-xL in 125 colorectal cancers. EPO correlated with GLUT-1 in all colorectal cancers (p < 0.001, r = 0.369). EPO expressions also associated with Bcl-xL (p < 0.001, r = 0.591) in all colorectal cancers.
Results:
EPO correlated with GLUT-1 and Bcl-xL in subgroups of different nodal status, grading, staging, histopathological type, tumor site, patients' age and gender. However, the statistically significant relationship between EPO and GLUT-1 or Bcl-xL was lost in case of shallower neoplastic extent (pT1+pT2), but it was sustained in subgroup of deeper invading cancers (pT3+pT4) (p < 0.001, r = 0.355 and p < 0.001, r = 0.585, respectively).
Conclusions:
High expression of hypoxia dependent proteins (EPO, GLUT-1) indicates hypoxia of examined tissues of colorectal cancers. Cooperation may be reflected among the studied proteins by correlations between hypoxia dependent proteins (EPO vs. GLUT-1). Concerning functional significance of these investigated factors, subsequent promotion of cell survival could be maintained thanks to mutual impact of EPO and Bcl-xL on cellular viability in hypoxic environment of colorectal cancer.
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