Hormone Replacement Therapy, Iron, and Breast Cancer
Abstract
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may increase breast cancer (BC) risk in post-menopausal women. We hypothesize that a high iron level is one of the pre-neoplastic changes in post-menopausal women, and HRT causes iron release to increase BC risk. This hypothesis will be tested using an iron loaded transgenic mouse model. Since iron slowly accumulates due to the mutation of the HFE gene (hemochromatosis Fe), iron elevated in the mouse body mimics the post-menopausal condition. In the present study, we will assess whether (1) HRT mobilizes iron from the liver to the mammary site in the mice, causing greater oxidative DNA and protein damages in the breast tissue; and (2) HRT and iron enhance mammary cancer cell growth. Female wild type and HFE homozygote mice will be fed a diet with or without Prempro(Trademark) or inoculated with breast cancer cells into the mammary fat pads and then fed with Prempro(Trademark). After treatment, mammary tumor nodules will be counted to determine the tumor incidence. Portions of mammary tissue will be used for assessing oxidative DNA damage and protein oxidation. We expect that HFE homozygote mice subject to HRT will be more susceptible to mammary tumorigenesis than wild type mice.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA433028
Entities
People
- Xi Huang
Organizations
- New York University