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. 1994 Oct;120(10):605–609. doi: 10.1007/BF01212815

Combined effects of estradiol, leuprorelin, tamoxifen and medroxyprogesterone acetate on cell growth and steroid hormone receptors in breast cancer cells

Gigliola Sica 1,✉, Fortunata Iacopino 1, Gioacchino Robustelli della Cuna 2, Paolo Marchetti 3, Luca Marini 1
PMCID: PMC12201311  PMID: 7929532

Abstract

Both tamoxifen and medroxyprogesterone acetate have a direct antitumor effect and are widely used in breast cancer therapy. Luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone analogs inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells and could represent an alternative treatment for patients affected by breast cancer. Our study was carried out to investigate the effect of leuprorelin (TAP-144) alone or combined with tamoxifen or medroxyprogesterone acetate in human breast cancer cells. Ineffective when used in the absence of estrogens, TAP-144 inhibited the estrogen-stimulated growth of MCF-7, CG-5 and ZR-75-1 cells cultured in medium supplemented with charcoaltreated serum. The growth of estrogen-unresponsive MDA-MB-231 cells was not affected by TAP-144. The combination of TAP-144 with tamoxifen in CG-5 cells did not determine any enhancement of inhibition of cell growth, whereas in both CG-5 and MCF-7 cells, when 1 μM TAP-144 was associated with 0.1 μM medroxyprogesterone acetate, cell growth inhibition was increased, resulting in a subadditive effect. Progesterone receptor levels of CG-5 cells were significantly increased by TAP-144 in the presence of 17β-estradiol with respect to those present in control and 17β-estradiol-treated cells.

Key words: Breast neoplasms, Leuprorelin, Tamoxifen, Medroxyprogesterone acetate, Estrogen and progesterone receptors

Abbreviations

MPA

medroxyprogesterone acetate

LHRH

luteiniz ing-hormone-releasing hormone

TAP-144

leuprorelin

ER

estrogen receptor

PR

progesterone receptor

DMEM

Dulbecco's modified Fagle's medium

FCS

fetal calf serum

CH-FCS

charcoal-treated fetal calf serum

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