Alpha2-Adrenergic Receptors and Breast Tumor Stroma: A Novel Pathway Driving Breast Cancer Growth and Metastasis

Abstract

Breast cancer metastasis is driven by sympathetic nervous system (SNS) and -adrenergic receptor (-AR) activation, but the role for 2-AR, a major class of SNS receptors, has not been elucidated. The goal of this proposal is to characterize the effects of dexmedetomidine (DEX), a highly selective 2-AR agonist, on tumor metastasis in preclinical models of breast cancer. Using EO771, a metastatic mammary adenocarcinoma in C57BL/6/c mice, 2-AR activation increased tumor growth, but not metastasis to the lungs. In C57BL/6 mice treated with a 2-AR-selective agonist, EO771 tumor growth was inhibited with no corresponding change in lung metastasis. In both models of AR activation, tumor collagen was not altered as measured by multiphoton SHG imaging or by standard immunostaining. In BALB/c mice with 4T1 tumors, 2-AR elicited a tumor inhibitory environment that was not detected in C57BL/6 mice with EO771 tumors. In both mouse strains, unlike 2-AR activation, -AR activation alters myeloid populations, especially the immunosuppressive myeloid derived suppressor cells. A breast cancer cell line derived from the MMTV-PyMT mice was shown to possess functional alpha2-AR and -AR. We also show progress made in developing a model of micrometastasis after primary tumor dissection.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 2015
Accession Number
AD1011673

Entities

People

  • Kelley S. Madden

Organizations

  • University of Rochester

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Biological Sciences
  • Biomedical Research
  • Breast Cancer
  • Cancer
  • Cell Line
  • Cells
  • Chemistry
  • Collagen
  • Lymphatic System
  • Lymphocytes
  • Medical Personnel
  • Myeloid Cells
  • Neoplasms
  • Nervous System
  • Standards
  • Sympathetic Nervous System
  • Tissues

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Medicine

Readers

  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Oncology (Cancer Research).
  • Prostate Cancer Biology.