Role of Mammary Prolactin in Carcinogenesis

Abstract

Prolactin (Prl) is a mitogenic hormone that shares characteristics with growth factors. Recent reports that rat mammary tissue expresses PRL mRNA led us to hypothesize that PRL acts as an autocrine/paracrine growth factor in the mammary gland, and may be a determinant in mammary carcinogenesis. To examine this, mammary tumors were induced in rats by injecting the carcinogen nitrosomethylurea (NMU). In vitro studies utilized an NMU-derived mammary tumor cell line. The mammary tumors and the cell line express niRNA for both PRL and PRL receptor, as assessed by reverse transcriptase (RT)-PCR. Immunoreactive PRL was detected in the NMU-induced tumors. NMU cells were cultured with PRL antiserum. The PRL antiserum inhibited cell proliferation 40-50% as compared to normal rabbit serum (NRS) or GM antiserum. In summary, we have shown that NMU-induced mammary tumors express rnRNA for PRL and PRL receptor. The addition of PRL antiserum to cultured NMU cells inhibited their growth. We propose that PRL may be acting as a local growth factor that stimulates proliferation of mammary tumors.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Oct 01, 1995
Accession Number
ADA301702

Entities

People

  • Nira Ben-jonathan

Organizations

  • University of Cincinnati

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acetic Acid
  • Biomedical And Dental Materials
  • Blood
  • Breast Cancer
  • Cancer
  • Cell Line
  • Cells
  • Chemistry
  • Gene Expression
  • Hormones
  • Mammary Glands
  • Mrna
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Polymeric Films
  • Ribonucleic Acids
  • Standards
  • Tumor Cell Line

Fields of Study

  • Biology
  • Medicine

Readers

  • Breast cancer cell signaling and growth regulation.
  • Cellular and Molecular Pathways of Apoptosis.
  • Immunology