title: Progestins induce down-regulation of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) receptors in human breast cancer cells: potential autocrine role of IGF-II.
abstract: Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) receptors are present in breast cancer cells and may play a role in breast cancer cell growth. We have studied the effect of progestins on IGF-I receptors in T47D human breast cancer cells. T47D cells constitutively express high levels of progesterone receptors and are a model for studying the regulation of cellular functions by progestins. Treatment of T47D cells with either progesterone or the synthetic progestin promegestone (R5020) decreased IGF-I receptor content by approximately 50%, as measured by Scatchard analysis and receptor biosynthesis studies. In contrast to progestins, estradiol, dexamethasone, and dihydrotestosterone did not influence IGF-I receptor content. No effect of R5020 was seen after 12 h of incubation, a near-maximal effect was seen after 24 h, and greatest effects were seen after 72 h. R5020 decreased IGF-I receptor mRNA abundance, indicating that progestins acted at the level of gene expression. However, progestins also increased the secretion of IGF-II, a ligand for the IGF-I receptor. In contrast to IGF-II, T47D cells did not express IGF-I. The addition of exogenous IGF-II to T47D cells down-regulated both IGF-I receptor binding and IGF-I receptor mRNA abundance. This study indicates, therefore, that progestins regulate IGF-I receptors in breast cancer cells and suggests that this regulation occurs via an autocrine pathway involving enhanced IGF-II secretion.
authors.affiliation: Division of Diabetes and Endocrine Research, Mount Zion Medical Center, San Francisco, California.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Papa
authors.forename: K K
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Rosenthal
authors.forename: B A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Maddux
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Siiteri
authors.forename: I D
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Goldfine
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D015536:Down-Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D011372:Progestins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011397:Promegestone / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D011372:Progestins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D017451:Receptors, Somatomedin; D007335:Insulin-Like Growth Factor II; D011397:Promegestone