# Depletion of Fibroblast Growth Factor 12 Restrains the Viability, Stemness, and Motility of Colorectal Cancer

Authors: Xueyuan Gao; Zuowei Liao; Rukui Su; Dongni Zheng; Guoyuan Huang; Zhong Huang; Xueyuan Cheng
Journal: BioMed Research International
 (2022)

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## Abstract

Background. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-related death. CRC patients have a poor prognosis due to tumor metastasis and recurrence. Fibroblast growth factor 12 (FGF12), a member of the FGF family, is highly expressed in several cancers. However, little is known about the roles of FGF12 in CRC progression. Methods. The overall survival (OS) of CRC patients was detected via Kaplan–Meier analysis. The FGF12 expression in both CRC tissues and cells was analyzed by qRT-PCR, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and western blotting (WB). LoVo and SW480 cells were transfected with shFGF12 lentivirus to silence FGF12. In vivo and in vitro experiments were performed to explore the FGF12 functions in CRC, including CCK-8, Edu, flow cytometry, Transwell, EMT, cancer stemness, and tumor xenograft experiments. Results. FGF12 was upregulated in both CRC cells and tissues. High expression of FGF12 indicated a shorter OS in CRC patients. FGF12 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, invasion, stemness, and EMT of CRC cells. FGF12 knockdown promoted CRC cell apoptosis in vitro. 740 Y-P (a PI3K/AKT pathway activator) restored the proliferation, stemness, invasion, and EMT in FGF12-deficient cells and reversed LoVo cell apoptosis induced by FGF12 depletion. Depletion of FGF12 inhibited tumor growth, EMT, cancer stemness, and PI3K/AKT pathway in a xenograft mouse model. Conclusions. FGF12 predicts bad clinical outcome and modulates the viability, stemness, and motility of CRC cells. Our study may provide a new insight for the diagnosis and treatment of CRC.


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## Body

## 1. Introduction

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a common malignancy, including colon and rectal cancer [1]. CRC is the third most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality (9%) worldwide [2]. Despite great advances in therapeutic strategies, CRC remains a major life-threatening malignancy [3]. CRC patients still have a poor prognosis due to tumor metastasis and recurrence [4]. Therefore, it is imperative to investigate pathogenesis and effective markers for CRC treatment.Fibroblast growth factor 12 (FGF12), a member of the FGF family, is located on 3q29-qter.FGF12 is involved in the development of the central and peripheral nervous system, skeletal connective tissue, and myocardium [5, 6]. FGF12, initially designated as FGF homologous factor 1 (FHF1), was identified by its sequence homology to known FGFs [7]. Studies have reported that FGF12 is highly expressed in gastric cancer, esophageal cancer, and bladder cancer [2, 8], but FGF12 has not been reported in CRC. Therefore, the role of FGF12 in CRC still needs to be explored.Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a subset of cancer cells with self-renewal and differentiation capabilities, which are considered to be the root of tumorigenesis, progression, metastasis, and recurrence [9, 10]. CSCs have been found to bypass the therapeutic insults in different cancers, including CRC [11]. Epithelial/mesenchymal transition (EMT) refers to the phenotypic transition from epithelial to mesenchymal cells [12]. Previous studies have reported that EMT plays an important role in embryonic development, tissue repair, tumorigenesis, and development [13]. In addition, more and more studies have shown that EMT is involved in the proliferation of CSCs, which further promotes cancer progression [14]. In previous studies, the PI3K/AKT signaling axis was found to be indispensable for EMT induction and subsequent tumor progression [15]. The PI3K/Akt pathway is related with CRC progression, but the specific molecular mechanism is unclear [16, 17].This study is aimed at revealing the role and underlying mechanism ofFGF12 in the progression and metastasis of CRC. In the present study, we demonstrated that FGF12 was highly expressed in CRC and was associated with long-term prognosis. FGF12 could accelerate the occurrence of tumor biological behavior, which may stimulate the activation of EMT and stemness through the PI3K/AKT pathway to promote the progression of CRC.


## 2. Materials and Methods

### 2.1. Clinical Specimens

Tumor and adjacent normal tissues were obtained from 84 CRC patients in the Beihai People’s Hospital between September 2016 and October 2021. All patients did not receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy before surgery. These patients had no other major medical conditions at the time of surgery. All tissues were preserved and stored at −80°C. This study has been reviewed by the Ethics Committee of Beihai People’s Hospital. All patients were informed and signed the informed consent.


### 2.2. Cell Culture

Human colon epithelial cell cells (NCM460) and CRC cells (Caco-2, DLD-1, SW480, HCT-116, SW620, and LoVo cells) were provided by Chinese Academy of Science. The cryopreserved cells were recovered with DMEM or RPMI-1640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. The cells were placed in a cell incubator with 5% CO2 at 37°C. The transfection experiments were performed when cells have grown to a steady state.


### 2.3. FGF12 Knockdown

shFGF12s (shRNA#1, shRNA#2, and shRNA#3) were synthesized by Gene Chem Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). During transfection, the cells were resuspended (LoVo and SW480) and plated in a 6-well plate at a density of2×105 cells/well. Then, we placed the cells in an incubator for 24 h. Then, 3 mL medium containing 1×106 TU/mL virus and 5 μg/mL polybrene was added. The culture medium was poured out after culturing for 24 h. The expression of FGF12 was detected after culturing for 48 h.


### 2.4. Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR)

TRIzol reagent (Takara, Dalian, China) was used to isolate total RNA from CRC tissues and cells. NanoDrop 2000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) was used to measure RNA concentration. A reverse transcription kit (Bonyakhteh, Tehran, Iran) was used to reverse the RNA into cDNA according to the manufacturer’s protocols. The thermal cycling process was as follows: denaturation (95°C, 3 min), 40 cycles of denaturation (95°C, 3 s), and elongation (60°C, 30 s).β-Actin was used as an internal control, and 2-ΔΔCt method was applied to evaluate the expression levels of genes.


### 2.5. Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

The CRC and adjacent tissues were fixed with formalin. The paraffin-embedded tumor tissues and adjacent sections were stained with anti-FGF12 antibody (1 : 100, ab231956, Abcam), anti-Ki67 antibody (1 : 200, ab16667, Abcam), anti-Vimentin antibody (1 : 100, ab8978, Abcam), anti-E-cadherin antibody (1 : 200, ab231303, Abcam), anti-N-cadherin antibody (1 : 200, ab18203, Abcam), anti-Nanog antibody (1 : 100, ab109250, Abcam), anti-OCT4 antibody (1 : 1000, ab181557, Abcam), and anti-cleaved-caspase 3 antibody (1 : 200, #9664, Cell Signaling Technology), respectively. Stained cells are counted in each field with at least 400 cells. The 5 highest field-measured average positive cells were used to conduct subsequent data analysis. Expression of related proteins was evaluated via staining intensity and density.


### 2.6. Western Blot (WB) Assay

After washing with PBS, the cells were lysed with prechilled lysis buffer. The collected cell lysate was centrifuged at 14000 × g for 15 min at 4°C, and the protein content was measured with 5 × sample buffer (BSA; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., CA, USA). Then, these protein samples were tested by WB. The 4%-20% precast gel was used to transfer the protein to the nitrocellulose membrane, and the 5% skimmed milk was used to seal the membrane at ambient temperature (Bio-Rad Laboratories) 1 h. Subsequently, specific antibodies (diluted 1 : 10 00), including anti-FGF12 (ab231956, Abcam), anti-E-cadherin (ab231303, Abcam), anti-Vimentin (ab8978, Abcam), anti-p-PI3K(#17366, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-PI3K(#4249, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-p-AKT(S473)(#4060, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-N-cadherin(ab18203, Abcam), anti-p-AKT(T308)(#13038, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-AKT(#4685, Cell Signaling Technology), and anti-β-actin (#4970, Cell Signaling Technology), were used to block membranes. Subsequently, the secondary antibody was used to incubate the membranes (Santa Cruz) at ambient temperature for 1 h and visualized them using ECL solution (Bio-Rad Laboratories). Finally, a chemiluminescence imaging system (Mini HD9; UVitec, Cambridge, UK) was used to take images.


### 2.7. CCK-8 Assay

Twelve hours after infection,2×103 cells (LoVo and SW480) were seeded into 96-well plates, cultured at 37°C and 5% CO2 for 48 h. After 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h of incubation, 10 μL of CCK-8 reagent was added to each well. Finally, the optical density (OD) at 450 nm was measured with a microplate reader after incubation at 37°C for 4 h.


### 2.8. 5-Ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) Assay

SW480 and LoVo cells were seeded in 96-well plates at5×103 cells per well. The cells in the 96-well plate were treated with the corresponding treatment method for 48 h. The medium containing 50 μmol/L EdU was added to the well and incubated at 37°C in a 5% CO2 incubator for 2 h. Thereafter, cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde (pH 7.4) for 30 min and treated with 0.5% Triton X-100 for 20 min at room temperature. After washing with PBS, samples were stained with anti-EdU working solution for 30 min at room temperature. Subsequently, cells were incubated with DAPI for 30 min at room temperature and observed with a microscope (Nikon, Japan).


### 2.9. Cell Apoptosis

The transfected LoVo and SW480 cells in each group were adjusted to a concentration of2.5×104 cells/mL and was seeded in a 24-well plate. Three duplicate holes were set in each group. After culturing 48 h, the medium was aspirated and digested with trypsin. The PBS were added to the cells. The 10 μL Annexin V-FITC and 5 μL PI were added to cells. Then, the cells were incubated at room temperature for 10 min in the dark. Finally, 100 μL binding buffer was added, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry (FACSCalibur, BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA).


### 2.10. Tumor Sphere Formation

The cells (5×102) were placed in a 6-well ultralow clustering plate and incubated for 10-12 days. Tumor balls were incubated in serum-free DMEM/F12 (Invitrogen) with B27 (2%, Invitrogen), epidermal growth factor (EGF, 20 ng/mL), basic fibroblast growth factor (20 ng/mL, bFGF, PeproTech), insulin (5 μg/mL, PeproTech), and BSA (0.4%, Sigma-Aldrich). After 10-12 days, the tumor balls (spherical, dense, nonadhesive masses larger than 50 μm in diameter) were counted and imaged with a reverse microscope. The ball formation efficiency was calculated according to the formula: colonies/inputcells×100%.


### 2.11. Transwell Assays

The invasion ability of CRC cells was evaluated by Matrigel invasion test. 100μL of serum-free medium with Matrigel (BD Corning) (1 : 10) were plated in an 8.0 μm filter membrane and incubated overnight at room temperature. Mitomycin C (10 μg/mL) was added to the cell culture medium to inhibit cell replication [18]. Furthermore, 1×105 cells suspended in 150 μL serum-free medium were placed on the upper chamber. 500 μL of normal medium was added to the lower layer, cultured in a 37°C incubator for 48 h. Then, the cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and 1% crystal violet. After staining with crystal violet, a microscope was used to photograph and count the cells. There were 3 replicate results in each group, and ImageJ software was used to quantify the invaded cells.


### 2.12. Tumor Xenograft

Ten male BALB nude mice (4 weeks old, meanweight=14 g) were bought from Hangzhou Ziyuan Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Co. Ltd. Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Beihai People’s Hospital. LoVo cells (1×106, 100 μL) stably transfected with sh-FGF12 or negative control were injected into the axillary skin of nude mice for tumor growth experiments [19]. The tumor volume (length×width2/2) was measured with a caliper every week. After inoculating 36 days, mice were euthanized by rapid intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital 100 mg/kg, and the tumors were excised after sacrifice. The subcutaneous tumor tissues were detected by IHC and WB.


### 2.13. Statistical Analysis

All experiments were repeated in triplicate and expressed asmean±standarddeviation. The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS (V22.0) and GraphPad Prism (V8.2.1) software. Unpaired Student’s test was performed to compare the differences between two groups. The data of two groups were compared by t-test, and the measurement data of multiple groups were compared by one-way (Tukey) variance analysis. Survival analysis was analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Differences are statistically significant if P values < 0.05.


## 2.1. Clinical Specimens

Tumor and adjacent normal tissues were obtained from 84 CRC patients in the Beihai People’s Hospital between September 2016 and October 2021. All patients did not receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy before surgery. These patients had no other major medical conditions at the time of surgery. All tissues were preserved and stored at −80°C. This study has been reviewed by the Ethics Committee of Beihai People’s Hospital. All patients were informed and signed the informed consent.


## 2.2. Cell Culture

Human colon epithelial cell cells (NCM460) and CRC cells (Caco-2, DLD-1, SW480, HCT-116, SW620, and LoVo cells) were provided by Chinese Academy of Science. The cryopreserved cells were recovered with DMEM or RPMI-1640 medium containing 10% fetal bovine serum and 1% penicillin-streptomycin. The cells were placed in a cell incubator with 5% CO2 at 37°C. The transfection experiments were performed when cells have grown to a steady state.


## 2.3. FGF12 Knockdown

shFGF12s (shRNA#1, shRNA#2, and shRNA#3) were synthesized by Gene Chem Co., Ltd. (Shanghai, China). During transfection, the cells were resuspended (LoVo and SW480) and plated in a 6-well plate at a density of2×105 cells/well. Then, we placed the cells in an incubator for 24 h. Then, 3 mL medium containing 1×106 TU/mL virus and 5 μg/mL polybrene was added. The culture medium was poured out after culturing for 24 h. The expression of FGF12 was detected after culturing for 48 h.


## 2.4. Reverse Transcription-Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (qRT-PCR)

TRIzol reagent (Takara, Dalian, China) was used to isolate total RNA from CRC tissues and cells. NanoDrop 2000 (Thermo Fisher Scientific, USA) was used to measure RNA concentration. A reverse transcription kit (Bonyakhteh, Tehran, Iran) was used to reverse the RNA into cDNA according to the manufacturer’s protocols. The thermal cycling process was as follows: denaturation (95°C, 3 min), 40 cycles of denaturation (95°C, 3 s), and elongation (60°C, 30 s).β-Actin was used as an internal control, and 2-ΔΔCt method was applied to evaluate the expression levels of genes.


## 2.5. Immunohistochemistry (IHC)

The CRC and adjacent tissues were fixed with formalin. The paraffin-embedded tumor tissues and adjacent sections were stained with anti-FGF12 antibody (1 : 100, ab231956, Abcam), anti-Ki67 antibody (1 : 200, ab16667, Abcam), anti-Vimentin antibody (1 : 100, ab8978, Abcam), anti-E-cadherin antibody (1 : 200, ab231303, Abcam), anti-N-cadherin antibody (1 : 200, ab18203, Abcam), anti-Nanog antibody (1 : 100, ab109250, Abcam), anti-OCT4 antibody (1 : 1000, ab181557, Abcam), and anti-cleaved-caspase 3 antibody (1 : 200, #9664, Cell Signaling Technology), respectively. Stained cells are counted in each field with at least 400 cells. The 5 highest field-measured average positive cells were used to conduct subsequent data analysis. Expression of related proteins was evaluated via staining intensity and density.


## 2.6. Western Blot (WB) Assay

After washing with PBS, the cells were lysed with prechilled lysis buffer. The collected cell lysate was centrifuged at 14000 × g for 15 min at 4°C, and the protein content was measured with 5 × sample buffer (BSA; Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., CA, USA). Then, these protein samples were tested by WB. The 4%-20% precast gel was used to transfer the protein to the nitrocellulose membrane, and the 5% skimmed milk was used to seal the membrane at ambient temperature (Bio-Rad Laboratories) 1 h. Subsequently, specific antibodies (diluted 1 : 10 00), including anti-FGF12 (ab231956, Abcam), anti-E-cadherin (ab231303, Abcam), anti-Vimentin (ab8978, Abcam), anti-p-PI3K(#17366, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-PI3K(#4249, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-p-AKT(S473)(#4060, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-N-cadherin(ab18203, Abcam), anti-p-AKT(T308)(#13038, Cell Signaling Technology), anti-AKT(#4685, Cell Signaling Technology), and anti-β-actin (#4970, Cell Signaling Technology), were used to block membranes. Subsequently, the secondary antibody was used to incubate the membranes (Santa Cruz) at ambient temperature for 1 h and visualized them using ECL solution (Bio-Rad Laboratories). Finally, a chemiluminescence imaging system (Mini HD9; UVitec, Cambridge, UK) was used to take images.


## 2.7. CCK-8 Assay

Twelve hours after infection,2×103 cells (LoVo and SW480) were seeded into 96-well plates, cultured at 37°C and 5% CO2 for 48 h. After 0 h, 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h of incubation, 10 μL of CCK-8 reagent was added to each well. Finally, the optical density (OD) at 450 nm was measured with a microplate reader after incubation at 37°C for 4 h.


## 2.8. 5-Ethynyl-2-deoxyuridine (EdU) Assay

SW480 and LoVo cells were seeded in 96-well plates at5×103 cells per well. The cells in the 96-well plate were treated with the corresponding treatment method for 48 h. The medium containing 50 μmol/L EdU was added to the well and incubated at 37°C in a 5% CO2 incubator for 2 h. Thereafter, cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde (pH 7.4) for 30 min and treated with 0.5% Triton X-100 for 20 min at room temperature. After washing with PBS, samples were stained with anti-EdU working solution for 30 min at room temperature. Subsequently, cells were incubated with DAPI for 30 min at room temperature and observed with a microscope (Nikon, Japan).


## 2.9. Cell Apoptosis

The transfected LoVo and SW480 cells in each group were adjusted to a concentration of2.5×104 cells/mL and was seeded in a 24-well plate. Three duplicate holes were set in each group. After culturing 48 h, the medium was aspirated and digested with trypsin. The PBS were added to the cells. The 10 μL Annexin V-FITC and 5 μL PI were added to cells. Then, the cells were incubated at room temperature for 10 min in the dark. Finally, 100 μL binding buffer was added, and cell apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry (FACSCalibur, BD Biosciences, San Jose, CA, USA).


## 2.10. Tumor Sphere Formation

The cells (5×102) were placed in a 6-well ultralow clustering plate and incubated for 10-12 days. Tumor balls were incubated in serum-free DMEM/F12 (Invitrogen) with B27 (2%, Invitrogen), epidermal growth factor (EGF, 20 ng/mL), basic fibroblast growth factor (20 ng/mL, bFGF, PeproTech), insulin (5 μg/mL, PeproTech), and BSA (0.4%, Sigma-Aldrich). After 10-12 days, the tumor balls (spherical, dense, nonadhesive masses larger than 50 μm in diameter) were counted and imaged with a reverse microscope. The ball formation efficiency was calculated according to the formula: colonies/inputcells×100%.


## 2.11. Transwell Assays

The invasion ability of CRC cells was evaluated by Matrigel invasion test. 100μL of serum-free medium with Matrigel (BD Corning) (1 : 10) were plated in an 8.0 μm filter membrane and incubated overnight at room temperature. Mitomycin C (10 μg/mL) was added to the cell culture medium to inhibit cell replication [18]. Furthermore, 1×105 cells suspended in 150 μL serum-free medium were placed on the upper chamber. 500 μL of normal medium was added to the lower layer, cultured in a 37°C incubator for 48 h. Then, the cells were fixed with 4% paraformaldehyde and 1% crystal violet. After staining with crystal violet, a microscope was used to photograph and count the cells. There were 3 replicate results in each group, and ImageJ software was used to quantify the invaded cells.


## 2.12. Tumor Xenograft

Ten male BALB nude mice (4 weeks old, meanweight=14 g) were bought from Hangzhou Ziyuan Laboratory Animal Science and Technology Co. Ltd. Animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Beihai People’s Hospital. LoVo cells (1×106, 100 μL) stably transfected with sh-FGF12 or negative control were injected into the axillary skin of nude mice for tumor growth experiments [19]. The tumor volume (length×width2/2) was measured with a caliper every week. After inoculating 36 days, mice were euthanized by rapid intraperitoneal injection of sodium pentobarbital 100 mg/kg, and the tumors were excised after sacrifice. The subcutaneous tumor tissues were detected by IHC and WB.


## 2.13. Statistical Analysis

All experiments were repeated in triplicate and expressed asmean±standarddeviation. The results were statistically analyzed using SPSS (V22.0) and GraphPad Prism (V8.2.1) software. Unpaired Student’s test was performed to compare the differences between two groups. The data of two groups were compared by t-test, and the measurement data of multiple groups were compared by one-way (Tukey) variance analysis. Survival analysis was analyzed by the Kaplan–Meier method. Differences are statistically significant if P values < 0.05.


## 3. Results

### 3.1. FGF12 Was Highly Expressed in CRC Tissues and Cells

We investigated the expression ofFGF12 in CRC tissues and cells. The results of qRT-PCR showed that FGF12 was highly expressed in CRC tissues (Figure 1(a), P<0.001). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that CRC patients with elevated FGF12 expression had poor survival. Patients with high FGF12 expression had lower overall survival (OS) than those with low FGF12 expression (Figure 1(b), P<0.01). The results of IHC revealed that FGF12 protein was highly expressed in CRC tissues (Figure 1(c)). The results of WB further showed that the protein expression of FGF12 was higher in CRC tissues (P<0.01). The expression of FGF12 in CRC cells (Caco-2, LoVo, DLD-1, SW480, HCT116, and SW620) was higher than normal cells (NCM460) (Figure 1(e)). Besides, high FGF12 expression was significantly associated with tumor T stage (P<0.01) but not with tumor size, age, and sex (P>0.05, Table 1). These results suggested that FGF12 was highly expressed in CRC and might represent a poor prognosis.Figure 1
FGF12 was highly expressed in CRC tissues and cells. (a) qRT-PCR analysis showed the expression of FGF12 in CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues (n=84). (b) Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of FGF12 in CRC patients. (c) Immunohistochemical staining for FGF12 in CRC tissues and normal tissues. (d) WB analysis revealed that FGF12 was upregulated in CRC tissues. (e) WB analysis of FGF12 expression in CRC cell lines (LoVo, Caco-2, DLD-1, SW480, HCT-116, and SW620) and normal colon mucosal epithelial cell (NCM460). CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01, and ∗∗∗P<0.001.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)Table 1
Correlation betweenFGF12 expression and the clinical pathological features of 84 CRC patients.
CharacteristicAll casesFGF12 expressionP valueHigh (n=42)Low (n=42)Age (years)0.661<60381820≥60462422Gender0.381Male462521Female381721Tumor size (cm)0.374<5341519≥5502723TNM stage0.027∗I-II361323III-IV482919Differentiation0.004∗∗Well/moderate471730Poor372512Lymph node metastasis0.023∗Yes302010No542232Distant metastasis0.015∗Yes352312No491930CRC: colorectal cancer;∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.


### 3.2. FGF12 Knockdown Inhibits the Proliferation and Stemness of CRC Cells and Promotes Apoptosis of CRC Cells

To explore the function ofFGF12 in CRC cells, cell viability, stemness, and apoptosis were assessed in CRC cells transfected with FGF12 shRNA. WB and RT-PCR were utilized to detect the knockdown efficiency of shRNAs (sh-Control, sh-FGF12#1/2/3) in LoVo and SW48 cells (Figures 2(a) and 2(b)). Compared with sh-NC, sh-FGF12 #1, #2, and #3 could effectively knock down FGF12 in CRC cells (P<0.01). Among them, sh-FGF12 #2 (sh-FGF12) had the highest knockdown efficiency and was used for follow-up research. Then, CCK-8 assay demonstrated that FGF12 knockdown markedly suppressed the proliferation of CRC cells (Figure 2(c), P<0.01). The results of EDU indicated that FGF12 silencing reduced the positive stained cell ratio (Figure 2(a), P<0.01). Consistent with these results, the flow cytometric analysis indicated that FGF12 silencing enhanced the apoptotic ratio of CRC cells (Figure 2(e), P<0.01). In order to clarify whether FGF12 was related to the stemness of CRC cells, we conducted a sphere formation experiment. The results displayed that found that FGF12 silencing significantly reduced sphere formation (Figure 2(f), P<0.01). We also found that FGF12 silencing enhanced the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 and decreased the expression of Ki-67, NANOG, and OCT4 (Figures 2(g) and 2(h), P<0.01). These findings indicated that FGF12 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and stemness of CRC cells and promoted apoptosis.Figure 2
FGF12 knockdown inhibits the proliferation and stemness of CRC cells and induces apoptosis. (a, b) qRT-PCR and WB analysis. The transfection efficiency of sh-FGF12 and sh-Control (NC) in LoVo and SW480 cells were analyzed via qRT-PCR and WB analysis. (c, d) CCK-8 and EdU assays were performed to evaluate the proliferative ability of CRC cells. (e) The results of flow cytometry showed that FGF12 depletion promoted CRC cell apoptosis. (f) Tumorsphere assay of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 and sh-NC. (g, h) WB analysis showed protein expression of Ki-67, cleaved-caspase 3, NANOG, and OCT4 in sh-NC and sh-FGF12 in LoVo and SW480 cells. CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)


### 3.3.FGF12 Knockdown Restrains the Invasion and EMT of CRC Cells

To explore whetherFGF12 was associated with EMT and invasion of CRC cells, we conducted Transwell and WB experiments. Transwell analysis pinpointed that FGF12 knockdown markedly decreased the cell invasion of CRC cells (Figure 3(a)). The results of WB exhibited that the expression of E-cadherin was upregulated while the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin were downregulated in FGF12 knockdown group (Figure 3(b)). These results implied that FGF12 is related to EMT in CRC cells.Figure 3
FGF12 knockdown inhibits the invasion and EMT of CRC cells. (a) Transwell assays were conducted to evaluate the invasion ability of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 and sh-NC. (b) The expression of EMT-associated protein in CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 were detected by WB. CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)


### 3.4. FGF12 Regulates the Proliferation, Apoptosis, Invasion, and Stemness of CRC Cells by Activating the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

In order to study the molecular mechanism ofFGF12 in CRC progression, we detected the expression of core proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by WB. We found that FGF12 knockdown significantly decreased the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT (S473), and p-AKT (T308) (Figure 4(a)). Then, we assessed whether the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling can reverse the inhibitory effect of FGF12 knockdown on CRC progression. Therefore, FGF12-deficient cells were treated with or without 740 Y-P (a PI3K/AKT pathway agonist). The results showed that 740 Y-P activated PI3K/AKT signaling and upregulated the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT (S473), and p-AKT (T308) in FGF12-deficient cells (Figure 4(b)). Besides, we found that activation of PI3K/AKT signaling diminished the FGF12 deficiency-mediated inhibitory effects on EDU-positive cells percent (Figure 4(c)), cell stemness (Figure 4(e)), and cell invasion (Figure 4(f)). Knocking down FGF12 increased the cell apoptosis level, while adding 740 Y-P decreased cell apoptosis level (Figure 4(d)). Furthermore, the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin were upregulated while the expression of E-cadherin was downregulated after adding the 740 Y-P (Figure 4(g)). These results suggested that FGF12 may regulate the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and stemness of CRC cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Figure 4
FGF12 regulates the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and stemness of CRC cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. (a) WB was conducted to detect the expression of PI3K/AKT target genes (p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT (473 S), p-AKT (T308), and AKT) in FGF12-silenced cells. (b) WB was conducted to detect the expression levels of PI3K/AKT target genes in FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. (c) EdU assays was performed to evaluate the proliferative ability of FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. (d) Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the apoptosis of FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. (e) Tumorsphere assay of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 after adding 740 Y-P. (f) Transwell assays were used to evaluate the invasion of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 after adding 740 Y-P. (g) WB was performed to detect the expression levels of EMT markers in FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. CRC, colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)


### 3.5.FGF12 Knockdown Inhibits the Proliferation of CRC Cells In Vivo

To validate the role of endogenousFGF12 in vivo, we measured the tumor growth of transplanted tumor mouse every week. The results indicated that FGF12 knockdown markedly suppressed tumor growth in vivo without affecting the body weight of nude mice (Figures 5(a)–5(c)). Then, we detected the expression levels of proteins related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, EMT, and stem cell through IHC. The results demonstrated that the expression of Ki-67, FGF12, N-cadherin, vimentin, NANOG, and OCT4 in xenograft derived from FGF12 knockout cells were significantly reduced, while the expressions of cleaved-caspase 3 and E-cadherin were significantly increased (Figure 5(d)). Furthermore, we detected the core protein expression of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in xenograft by WB. FGF12 knockdown markedly decreased the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT (S473), and p-AKT (T308) in xenograft (Figure 5(e)). These results suggested that FGF12 may be involved in the occurrence and metastasis of tumors in vivo.Figure 5
FGF12 knockdown inhibits the CRC tumor growth in vivo. (a) In xenograft tumor models, FGF12 knockdown obviously slowed down growth of tumor (n=5). (b) FGF12 knockdown did not affect the body weight of nude mice. (c) FGF12 knockdown obviously inhibited tumor weight of nude mice. (d) Immunohistochemistry staining of Ki-67, FGF12, cleaved-caspase 3, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, NANOG, and OCT4 in xenograft tissues. (e) The expression of p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT (473 S), p-AKT (T308), and AKT in xenograft tissues were analyzed by WB. CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)


## 3.1. FGF12 Was Highly Expressed in CRC Tissues and Cells

We investigated the expression ofFGF12 in CRC tissues and cells. The results of qRT-PCR showed that FGF12 was highly expressed in CRC tissues (Figure 1(a), P<0.001). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed that CRC patients with elevated FGF12 expression had poor survival. Patients with high FGF12 expression had lower overall survival (OS) than those with low FGF12 expression (Figure 1(b), P<0.01). The results of IHC revealed that FGF12 protein was highly expressed in CRC tissues (Figure 1(c)). The results of WB further showed that the protein expression of FGF12 was higher in CRC tissues (P<0.01). The expression of FGF12 in CRC cells (Caco-2, LoVo, DLD-1, SW480, HCT116, and SW620) was higher than normal cells (NCM460) (Figure 1(e)). Besides, high FGF12 expression was significantly associated with tumor T stage (P<0.01) but not with tumor size, age, and sex (P>0.05, Table 1). These results suggested that FGF12 was highly expressed in CRC and might represent a poor prognosis.Figure 1
FGF12 was highly expressed in CRC tissues and cells. (a) qRT-PCR analysis showed the expression of FGF12 in CRC tissues and adjacent normal tissues (n=84). (b) Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of FGF12 in CRC patients. (c) Immunohistochemical staining for FGF12 in CRC tissues and normal tissues. (d) WB analysis revealed that FGF12 was upregulated in CRC tissues. (e) WB analysis of FGF12 expression in CRC cell lines (LoVo, Caco-2, DLD-1, SW480, HCT-116, and SW620) and normal colon mucosal epithelial cell (NCM460). CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01, and ∗∗∗P<0.001.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)Table 1
Correlation betweenFGF12 expression and the clinical pathological features of 84 CRC patients.
CharacteristicAll casesFGF12 expressionP valueHigh (n=42)Low (n=42)Age (years)0.661<60381820≥60462422Gender0.381Male462521Female381721Tumor size (cm)0.374<5341519≥5502723TNM stage0.027∗I-II361323III-IV482919Differentiation0.004∗∗Well/moderate471730Poor372512Lymph node metastasis0.023∗Yes302010No542232Distant metastasis0.015∗Yes352312No491930CRC: colorectal cancer;∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.


## 3.2. FGF12 Knockdown Inhibits the Proliferation and Stemness of CRC Cells and Promotes Apoptosis of CRC Cells

To explore the function ofFGF12 in CRC cells, cell viability, stemness, and apoptosis were assessed in CRC cells transfected with FGF12 shRNA. WB and RT-PCR were utilized to detect the knockdown efficiency of shRNAs (sh-Control, sh-FGF12#1/2/3) in LoVo and SW48 cells (Figures 2(a) and 2(b)). Compared with sh-NC, sh-FGF12 #1, #2, and #3 could effectively knock down FGF12 in CRC cells (P<0.01). Among them, sh-FGF12 #2 (sh-FGF12) had the highest knockdown efficiency and was used for follow-up research. Then, CCK-8 assay demonstrated that FGF12 knockdown markedly suppressed the proliferation of CRC cells (Figure 2(c), P<0.01). The results of EDU indicated that FGF12 silencing reduced the positive stained cell ratio (Figure 2(a), P<0.01). Consistent with these results, the flow cytometric analysis indicated that FGF12 silencing enhanced the apoptotic ratio of CRC cells (Figure 2(e), P<0.01). In order to clarify whether FGF12 was related to the stemness of CRC cells, we conducted a sphere formation experiment. The results displayed that found that FGF12 silencing significantly reduced sphere formation (Figure 2(f), P<0.01). We also found that FGF12 silencing enhanced the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 and decreased the expression of Ki-67, NANOG, and OCT4 (Figures 2(g) and 2(h), P<0.01). These findings indicated that FGF12 knockdown inhibited the proliferation and stemness of CRC cells and promoted apoptosis.Figure 2
FGF12 knockdown inhibits the proliferation and stemness of CRC cells and induces apoptosis. (a, b) qRT-PCR and WB analysis. The transfection efficiency of sh-FGF12 and sh-Control (NC) in LoVo and SW480 cells were analyzed via qRT-PCR and WB analysis. (c, d) CCK-8 and EdU assays were performed to evaluate the proliferative ability of CRC cells. (e) The results of flow cytometry showed that FGF12 depletion promoted CRC cell apoptosis. (f) Tumorsphere assay of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 and sh-NC. (g, h) WB analysis showed protein expression of Ki-67, cleaved-caspase 3, NANOG, and OCT4 in sh-NC and sh-FGF12 in LoVo and SW480 cells. CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)(h)


## 3.3.FGF12 Knockdown Restrains the Invasion and EMT of CRC Cells

To explore whetherFGF12 was associated with EMT and invasion of CRC cells, we conducted Transwell and WB experiments. Transwell analysis pinpointed that FGF12 knockdown markedly decreased the cell invasion of CRC cells (Figure 3(a)). The results of WB exhibited that the expression of E-cadherin was upregulated while the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin were downregulated in FGF12 knockdown group (Figure 3(b)). These results implied that FGF12 is related to EMT in CRC cells.Figure 3
FGF12 knockdown inhibits the invasion and EMT of CRC cells. (a) Transwell assays were conducted to evaluate the invasion ability of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 and sh-NC. (b) The expression of EMT-associated protein in CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 were detected by WB. CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)


## 3.4. FGF12 Regulates the Proliferation, Apoptosis, Invasion, and Stemness of CRC Cells by Activating the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway

In order to study the molecular mechanism ofFGF12 in CRC progression, we detected the expression of core proteins in the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by WB. We found that FGF12 knockdown significantly decreased the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT (S473), and p-AKT (T308) (Figure 4(a)). Then, we assessed whether the activation of PI3K/AKT signaling can reverse the inhibitory effect of FGF12 knockdown on CRC progression. Therefore, FGF12-deficient cells were treated with or without 740 Y-P (a PI3K/AKT pathway agonist). The results showed that 740 Y-P activated PI3K/AKT signaling and upregulated the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT (S473), and p-AKT (T308) in FGF12-deficient cells (Figure 4(b)). Besides, we found that activation of PI3K/AKT signaling diminished the FGF12 deficiency-mediated inhibitory effects on EDU-positive cells percent (Figure 4(c)), cell stemness (Figure 4(e)), and cell invasion (Figure 4(f)). Knocking down FGF12 increased the cell apoptosis level, while adding 740 Y-P decreased cell apoptosis level (Figure 4(d)). Furthermore, the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin were upregulated while the expression of E-cadherin was downregulated after adding the 740 Y-P (Figure 4(g)). These results suggested that FGF12 may regulate the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and stemness of CRC cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.Figure 4
FGF12 regulates the proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and stemness of CRC cells by activating the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. (a) WB was conducted to detect the expression of PI3K/AKT target genes (p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT (473 S), p-AKT (T308), and AKT) in FGF12-silenced cells. (b) WB was conducted to detect the expression levels of PI3K/AKT target genes in FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. (c) EdU assays was performed to evaluate the proliferative ability of FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. (d) Flow cytometry was performed to evaluate the apoptosis of FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. (e) Tumorsphere assay of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 after adding 740 Y-P. (f) Transwell assays were used to evaluate the invasion of CRC cells transfected with sh-FGF12 after adding 740 Y-P. (g) WB was performed to detect the expression levels of EMT markers in FGF12-deficient cells after adding 740 Y-P. CRC, colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)(f)(g)


## 3.5.FGF12 Knockdown Inhibits the Proliferation of CRC Cells In Vivo

To validate the role of endogenousFGF12 in vivo, we measured the tumor growth of transplanted tumor mouse every week. The results indicated that FGF12 knockdown markedly suppressed tumor growth in vivo without affecting the body weight of nude mice (Figures 5(a)–5(c)). Then, we detected the expression levels of proteins related to cell proliferation, apoptosis, EMT, and stem cell through IHC. The results demonstrated that the expression of Ki-67, FGF12, N-cadherin, vimentin, NANOG, and OCT4 in xenograft derived from FGF12 knockout cells were significantly reduced, while the expressions of cleaved-caspase 3 and E-cadherin were significantly increased (Figure 5(d)). Furthermore, we detected the core protein expression of the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway in xenograft by WB. FGF12 knockdown markedly decreased the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT (S473), and p-AKT (T308) in xenograft (Figure 5(e)). These results suggested that FGF12 may be involved in the occurrence and metastasis of tumors in vivo.Figure 5
FGF12 knockdown inhibits the CRC tumor growth in vivo. (a) In xenograft tumor models, FGF12 knockdown obviously slowed down growth of tumor (n=5). (b) FGF12 knockdown did not affect the body weight of nude mice. (c) FGF12 knockdown obviously inhibited tumor weight of nude mice. (d) Immunohistochemistry staining of Ki-67, FGF12, cleaved-caspase 3, E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, NANOG, and OCT4 in xenograft tissues. (e) The expression of p-PI3K, PI3K, p-AKT (473 S), p-AKT (T308), and AKT in xenograft tissues were analyzed by WB. CRC: colorectal cancer; ∗P<0.05, ∗∗P<0.01.
(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)


## 4. Discussion

Due to advances in early detection and intervention technology, the overall survival rate of CRC patients has been improved to a certain extent [20]. But the prognosis of patients with advanced CRC is still unsatisfactory. Therefore, it is very important to discover biomarkers related to CRC progression. FGF12, a kind of inflammatory cytokine, has been demonstrated to be a bladder cancer risk locus by genome-wide association study (GWAS) [21]. However, the mechanism of FGF12 in the occurrence and metastasis of CRC is unclear.A study found thatFGF12 knockdown significantly inhibited the tumor cell proliferation, colony formation, and cell migration, while upregulation of FGF12 markedly decreased survival in ESCC patients [8]. Consistent with the above studies, we found that FGF12 knockdown inhibited the proliferation of CRC cells in vivo and in vitro. Ki-67 nucleoprotein is an indicator of cell growth fraction and a marker-related to cell proliferation activity [22]. Previous studies have demonstrated that Ki-67 expression was related with proliferation and metastasis of CRC [23, 24]. In our study, FGF12 knockdown decreased the expression of Ki-67 in vivo and in vitro experiments. Cleaved-caspase 3, a proapoptotic protein a, is low expressed in CRC [25]. In our study, FGF12 knockdown increased the expression of cleaved-caspase 3 in vivo and in vitro experiments. In addition, the high expression of FGF12 is also related to the poor prognosis of CRC patients. Thus, FGF12 is associated with the proliferation, invasion, apoptosis, and prognosis of CRC.Studies have found that cancer stemness and EMT are related to the CRC progression [26, 27]. The effect of FGF12 on CRC stemness and EMT has not been elucidated. NANOG is a key transcription factor for maintaining pluripotency in embryonic stem cells and is a core regulator of EMT and stem cells in CRC cells [28]. OCT4 is a basic transcription factor for somatic cell reprogramming and stem cell pluripotency, and its overexpression is related to tumorigenesis and metastasis [29]. Higher expression of OCT4 and NANOG can confer malignant and aggressive behavior to CRC [30]. In our study, FGF12 knockdown decreased the expression of NANOG and OCT4 in vivo and in vitro experiments. The proteins, including N-cadherin, E-cadherin, and vimentin, are the EMT markers [31]. Our findings revealed that FGF12 knockdown inhibited the expression of N-cadherin and vimentin while enhanced the expression of E-cadherin and in vivo and in vitro. Therefore, FGF12 may regulate the stemness and EMT of CRC.PI3K/AKT signaling was related to stemness and EMT of CRC cells [32]. Many genes can affect CRC progression through PI3K/AKT signaling [33, 34]. Our study showed that FGF12 knockdown significantly reduced the stemness of CRC cells, and the inhibitory effect was diminished after activating the PI3K/AKT pathway. In addition, FGF12 knockout significantly reduced the expression of p-PI3K, p-AKT (S473), and p-AKT (T308). Therefore, FGF12 may regulate the stemness of CRC through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Besides, the activator 740 Y-P increased the phosphorylation of PI3K and reversed the inhibitory effect of FGF12 knockdown on EMT. Therefore, FGF12 may regulate the EMT of CRC cells through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. Our findings found that FGF12 may regulate the stemness and EMT of CRC through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway. However, we did not construct an FGF12 overexpression vector, so more studies are needed to explore its role in CRC progression.


## 5. Conclusion

In conclusion,FGF12 is upregulated in CRC tissues and cells, and its overexpression may predict a poor OS in CRC patients. FGF12 knockdown inhibited the proliferation, stemness, invasion, and EMT of CRC cells and promoted cell apoptosis in vitro. FGF12 may regulate the stemness and EMT of CRC through the PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, which may serve as an emerging therapeutic potential target for CRC therapy.



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*Source: 9948461-2022-07-11.xml*