Skip to main content
NCBI home page
British Journal of Cancer logoLink to British Journal of Cancer
. 1981 Jun;43(6):832–841. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1981.122

Hormone and drug effects on growth of DMBA mammary tumours and plasma prolactin levels in adreno-ovariectomized rats.

L C Minasian-Batmanian, A G Jabara
PMCID: PMC2010724  PMID: 6788061

Abstract

The effects of hormone and drug treatments on plasma prolactin (PRL) levels and mammary tumour growth were investigated in rats bearing continuously growing DMBA-induced mammary tumours that responded to bilateral adreno-ovariectomy (Ax + Ox), Oestrogen (E2) administration increased both plasma PRL and tumour growth, but was unable to sustain tumour growth when the PRL level was reduced by concurrent injection of ergocornine (Eg). Perphenazine (Pz) produced a dose-related increase in plasma PRL, but stimulation of tumour growth in the absence of E2 required a minimal level of plasma PRL induced by Pz (0.15 mg/100 g body wt/day or more). Progesterone (P) (3 mg/day) alone, although without effect on PRL levels, maintained static tumour growth (i.e. it had a slight stimulatory effect) irrespective of the duration of treatment. The increase in plasma PRL levels above the basal values in the Ax + Ox controls following injections of combined P + Pz (0.1 mg/100 g/day) was sufficient to sustain static tumour growth, but not to reactivate growth. Enhancement of both plasma PRL and tumour growth did not occur until P and higher doses of Pz (0.3 mg/100 g/day) were injected jointly; this treatment, however, while unable to stimulate continuous tumour growth, was able to maintain static growth when plasma PRL was reduced by concurrent injections of P + Pz + Eg. From these findings it is postulated that the mechanism of action whereby P maintains static tumour growth is different from that of PRL and independent of circulating PRL levels.

Full text

PDF
832

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Asselin J., Labrie F., Kelly P. A., Philibert D., Raynaud J. P. Specific progesterone receptors in dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA)-induced mammary tumors. Steroids. 1976 Mar;27(3):395–404. doi: 10.1016/0039-128x(76)90059-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. BAGGETT B., DORFMAN R. I., ENGEL L. L., SAVARD K. The conversion of testosterone-3-C14 to C14-estradiol-17beta by human ovarian tissue. J Biol Chem. 1956 Aug;221(2):931–941. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bogden A. E., Taylor D. J., Kuo E. Y., Mason M. M., Speropoulos A. The effect of perphenazine-induced serum prolactin response on estrogen-primed mammary tumor-host systems, 13762 and R-35 mammary adenocarcinomas. Cancer Res. 1974 Nov;34(11):3018–3025. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Djiane J., Durand P. Prolactin-progesterone antagonism in self regulation of prolactin receptors in the mammary gland. Nature. 1977 Apr 14;266(5603):641–643. doi: 10.1038/266641a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Frantz A. G. Prolactin. N Engl J Med. 1978 Jan 26;298(4):201–207. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197801262980408. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Griswold D. P., Jr, Green C. H. Observations on the hormone sensitivity of 7,12-dimethylbenz(alpha)anthracene-induced mammary tumors in the Sprague-Dawley rat. Cancer Res. 1970 Mar;30(3):819–826. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. HUGGINS C., YANG N. C. Induction and extinction of mammary cancer. A striking effect of hydrocarbons permits analysis of mechanisms of causes and cure of breast cancer. Science. 1962 Jul 27;137(3526):257–262. doi: 10.1126/science.137.3526.257. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Horwitz K. B., McGuire W. L. Progesterone and progesterone receptors in experimental breast cancer. Cancer Res. 1977 Jun;37(6):1733–1738. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Jabara A. G. Effects of progesterone on 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene-induced mammary tumours in Sprague-Dawley rats. Br J Cancer. 1967 Jun;21(2):418–429. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1967.48. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Jabara A. G., Toyne P. H., Fisher R. J. An autoradiographic study of the early effects of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene and progesterone on DNA synthesis in rat mammary epithelial cells and subsequent tumour development. Br J Cancer. 1972 Aug;26(4):265–273. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1972.36. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kim U. Pituitary function and hormonal therapy of experimental breast cancer. Cancer Res. 1965 Aug;25(7):1146–1161. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Klaiber M. S., Gruenstein M., Meranze D. R., Shimkin M. B. Influence of hypothalamic lesions on the induction and growth of mammary cancers in Sprague-Dawley rats receiving 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene. Cancer Res. 1969 May;29(5):999–1001. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Leung B. S., Sasaki G. H., Leung J. S. Estrogen-prolactin dependency in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced tumors. Cancer Res. 1975 Mar;35(3):621–627. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Linkie D. M., Niswender G. D. Serum levels of prolactin, luteinizing hormone, and follicle stimulating hormone during pregnancy in the rat. Endocrinology. 1972 Mar;90(3):632–637. doi: 10.1210/endo-90-3-632. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nagasawa H., Chen C. L., Meites J. Relation between growth of carcinogen-induced mammary cancers and serum prolactin values in rats. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med. 1973 Feb;142(2):625–627. doi: 10.3181/00379727-142-37080. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Nagasawa H., Yanai R. Effects of prolactin or growth hormone on growth of carcinogen-induced mammary tumors of adreno-ovariectomized rats. Int J Cancer. 1970 Nov 15;6(3):488–495. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910060320. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Pearson O. H., Llerena O., Llerena L., Molina A., Butler T. Prolactin-dependent rat mammary cancer: a model for man? Trans Assoc Am Physicians. 1969;82:225–238. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rees J. A., Westwood M. A method of comparing differences in tumour growth rates applied to a study of the increasing growth capacity of mouse carcinomata. Br J Cancer. 1974 Feb;29(2):151–157. doi: 10.1038/bjc.1974.51. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Shaar C. J., Clemens J. A. Inhibition of lactation and prolactin secretion in rats by ergot alkaloids. Endocrinology. 1972 Jan;90(1):285–288. doi: 10.1210/endo-90-1-285. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sinha D., Cooper D., Dao T. L. The nature of estrogen and prolactin effect on mammary tumorigenesis. Cancer Res. 1973 Feb;33(2):411–414. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Teller M. N., Stock C. C., Hellman L., Mountain I. M., Bowie M., Rosenberg B. J., Boyar R. M., Budinger J. M. Comparative effects of a series of prolactin inhibitors, 17beta-estradiol and 2alpha-methyldihydrotestosterone propionate, on growth of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary carcinomas. Cancer Res. 1977 Nov;37(11):3932–3938. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Cancer are provided here courtesy of Cancer Research UK

RESOURCES