title: The growth inhibitory action of melatonin on human breast cancer cells is linked to the estrogen response system.
abstract: The pineal hormone, melatonin, was examined for its capacity to modulate the proliferation of a panel of human breast cancer cell lines. Melatonin inhibited, to a varying extent, the proliferation of all three estrogen-responsive cell lines, but had no effect on estrogen-insensitive breast tumor cell lines. Melatonin was also able to specifically block estrogen-induced proliferation in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. However, this action was abolished in the presence of tamoxifen. Therefore, it appears that the antiproliferative effects of melatonin are mediated through the estrogen-response pathway.
authors.affiliation: Tulane University, School of Medicine, Department of Anatomy, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hill
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Spriggs
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Simon
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Muraoka
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Blask
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004347:Drug Interactions; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000502:physiology; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004965:Estrogen Antagonists; D004967:Estrogens; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013629:Tamoxifen; D008550:Melatonin