title: Identification of a protein factor secreted by 3T3-L1 preadipocytes inhibitory for the human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line.
abstract: The 3T3-L1 cell line is a preadipocyte cell line derived from the Swiss 3T3 mouse fibroblast cell line. We have compared the effect of 3T3-L1 conditioned medium (3T3-L1 CM) and Swiss 3T3 conditioned medium (3T3 CM) on the growth of normal mouse mammary cells (NMMG) and the human MCF-7 breast carcinoma cell line. 3T3 CM increased the growth of both NMMG and MCF-7 cells by 19 +/- 2% (SD) and 24 +/- 3%, respectively, and increased thymidine incorporation by 74 +/- 4% and 104 +/- 8%, respectively. Conditioned medium from 3T3-L1 cells stimulated the growth of NMMG cells by 64 +/- 2%; in contrast, 3T3-L1 CM inhibited the growth of MCF-7 cells by 36 +/- 1%. In parallel with these growth studies, thymidine incorporation increased by 20 +/- 4% in NMMG cells and decreased by 72 +/- 5% in the MCF-7 cells. Moreover, a similar effect was also noted in NCI H630 colon cancer cells, where 3T3-L1 CM produced a 58 +/- 4% decrease in growth and a 82 +/- 6% decrease in thymidine incorporation. Heating the 3T3-L1 CM at 100 degrees C for 30 min destroyed all inhibitory activity. Several known inhibitory growth factors (fibroblast growth factor, 20 ng/ml; interleukin 6, 1000 units/ml; tumor necrosis factor alpha, 15 ng/ml; transforming growth factor beta, 1 ng/ml) were tested for activity in the MCF-7 cells. Tumor necrosis factor alpha and transforming growth factor beta produced a 97% and 67% inhibition of thymidine uptake, respectively, whereas interleukin 6 and fibroblast growth factor had no effect. Neither transforming growth factor beta nor tumor necrosis factor alpha activity was detectable in 3T3-L1 CM using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. High-performance liquid chromatography fractionation of the 3T3-L1 CM revealed that the inhibitory activity eluted at a molecular weight of 67,000; moreover, silver staining of these eluates on a denaturing polyacrylamide gel revealed that M(r) 69,000 peptide was the predominant protein band in the inhibitory fractions. Thus 3T3-L1 CM stimulates the growth of normal breast epithelial cells and inhibits the growth of MCF-7 breast cancer cells. This inhibitory activity appears to be due to a protein secreted by 3T3-L1 preadipocytes.
authors.affiliation: National Cancer Institute-Navy Medical Oncology Branch, NIH, Bethesda 20889.
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Johnston
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Rondinone
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Voeller
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Allegra
mesh_terms: D016475:3T3 Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D005260:Female; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011506:Proteins / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D017077:Culture Media, Conditioned; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D011506:Proteins