Fig. 3.

Pathophysiological role of the TXA₂ pathway in CRC. (A) Immunohistochemical staining of TBXA2R, TBXAS1 or mPGES-1 in biopsy samples, which included normal colonic mucosa, polyps, adenomas, and adenocarcinomas. For antibody-negative controls, the primary antibodies were substituted with normal rabbit serum. Original magnification: 200 ×. (B) The TXA₂ pathway is associated with tumorigenic properties in human colorectal cancer cells. Knockdown of TBXA2R or TBXAS1 in HT29 or HCT116 colon cancer cells was analyzed by Western blot (upper panels). Mock and knockdown HT29 and HCT116 colon cancer cells were then subjected to anchorage-independent growth assays (lower bar graphs) as described in “Materials and Methods”. The asterisks (***) indicate a significant (p < 0.001) decrease in colony formation by knockdown HT29 or HCT116 colon cancer cells.