Colon cancer cells treated with 5‑fluorouracil exhibit changes in polylactosamine‑type N‑glycans

5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) is the major chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of colorectal carcinoma, which were found to have N-glycans containing polylactosamine on the cancer cell surface. Alterations in the expression and structure of polylactosamine glycans are associated with cellular differentiation and oncogenesis. However, little is known with regard to the correlation between the levels of polylactosamine expressed in colon cancer cells and the anticancer effect of 5-FU. In the present study, SW620 cells were treated with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50; determined by MTT-assay) of 5-FU. Hoechst 33258 staining and flow cytometric analysis indicated that 5-FU administration resulted in apoptosis in SW620 cells. An increased percentage of cells in S phase was also observed among the SW620 cells treated with 5-FU. Under the same experimental conditions, a decrease in the 5-FU‑induced inhibition of polylactosamine glycans was recorded. However, an increase in the activity of alkaline phosphatase was also observed. Furthermore, pretreatment of the SW620 cells with 5-FU inhibited the expression of β1,3-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase-8 (β3Gn-T8) and cluster of differentiation (CD)147 in a time-dependent manner. Overall, changes in glycosylation were associated with the anticancer effect of 5-FU in the colon cancer cells. In conclusion, polylactosamine may be a useful target for the identification of substances with anticancer activity.