Effect of estrogens and antiestrogens on growth of human breast cancer cells in athymic nude mice.

作者：C. Kent Osborne, Kim Hobbs, G M Clark · 发表于：PubMed · 年份：1985 · 被引用次数：401 · 研究领域：Estrogen and related hormone effects、bioluminescence and chemiluminescence research

Endocrine therapy with estrogen deprivation or with antiestrogens results in tumor regression in a subset of patients with advanced breast cancer. To better understand the mechanisms by which estrogens and antiestrogens modulate breast cancer growth in vivo, we have studied the effects of endocrine manipulation on the development and growth of tumors derived from cultured human breast cancer cells in the athymic nude mouse. MCF-7 breast cancer cells were inoculated into 6-week-old female BALB/c athymic nude mice. Tumor growth did not occur in ovariectomized mice. Cells remained viable, however, since estrogen supplementation more than 30 days later resulted in tumor formation. Minimal tumor growth was observed in intact female nude mice which have low circulating estrogen levels. Tumor development and growth in ovariectomized or intact mice supplemented with 17 beta-estradiol in the form of a s.c. pellet were dose dependent; growth rates increased with estrogen doses ranging from 0.01 to 0.5 mg. Antiestrogen treatment with either tamoxifen or LY156758 caused transient stimulation of tumor growth, followed by a prolonged stationary phase. Growth resumed with estrogen supplementation. Treatment of mice bearing established MCF-7 tumors with estrogen withdrawal (removal of estrogen pellet) resulted in cessation of tumor growth, but not in tumor regression. Growth inhibition was also observed with antiestrogens and was dose dependent. However, tumor regression did not occur, even ...