Cholecystectomy promotes colon carcinogenesis by activating the Wnt signaling pathway by increasing the deoxycholic acid level

PURPOSE: Cholecystectomy (XGB) is widely recognized as a risk factor for colon cancer (CC). Continuous exposure of the colonic epithelium to deoxycholic acid (DCA) post-XGB may exert cytotoxic effects and be involved in the progression of CC. However, the functions of the XGB-induced DCA increase and the underlying mechanism remain unclear. METHODS: Colitis-associated CC (CAC) mouse models constructed by AOM-DSS inducement were used to confirm the effect of XGB on the CC progression. Hematoxylin & eosin staining was performed to assess the tumor morphology of CAC mouse models tissues. Various cell biological assays including EdU, live-cell imaging, wound-healing assays, and flow cytometry for cell cycle and apoptosis were used to evaluate the effect of DCA on CC progression. The correlation among XGB, DCA, and CC and their underlying mechanisms were detected with immunohistochemistry, mass spectrometry, transcriptome sequencing, qRT-PCR, and western blotting. RESULTS: Here we proved that XGB increased the plasma DCA level and promoted colon carcinogenesis in a colitis-associated CC mouse model. Additionally, we revealed that DCA promoted the proliferation and migration of CC cells. Further RNA sequencing showed that 120 mRNAs were upregulated, and 118 downregulated in DCA-treated CC cells versus control cells. The upregulated mRNAs were positively correlated with Wnt signaling and cell cycle-associated pathways. Moreover, DCA treatment could reduced the expression of the farnesoid X receptor (FXR) and subsequently increased the levels of β-Catenin and c-Myc in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, the FXR agonist GW4064 decreased the proliferation of CC cells by repressing the expression of β-catenin. CONCLUSION: We concluded that XGB-induced DCA exposure could promote the progression of CC by inhibiting FXR expression and enhancing the Wnt-β-catenin pathway. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12964-022-00890-8.