title: Selectivity of polyamine involvement in hormone action on normal and neoplastic target tissues of the rat.
abstract: The present experiments were designed to evaluate the polyamine involvement in hormonal actions on proliferation and receptor content of neoplastic tissue (hormone-responsive breast cancer) as well as on growth of normal endocrine target tissue (uterus) in the same animals. Administration of estradiol and perphenazine (to stimulate endogenous prolactin release) stimulated N-nitrosomethyl-urea (NMU)-induced rat mammary tumor growth following ovariectomy-induced tumor regression. Such hormonal activation of breast cancer growth was completely abolished by treatment with alpha-difluoromethyl-ornithine (DFMO), a specific irreversible inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, which lowered tumor content of polyamines. The growth inhibitory effect of DFMO was partially reversible by exogenous putrescine administration. In contrast, the rise in cytosolic content of progesterone receptors induced by hormonal treatment was not affected by suppression of tumor polyamine levels by DFMO. Similarly, DFMO administration failed to influence the hormone-induced increase in uterine weight in the same animals. Thus, our data suggest selectivity of polyamine involvement in hormone actions, which, in our experimental system, seems to be restricted to the endocrine control of neoplastic cell proliferation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, Pennsylvania State University, Hershey 17033.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manni
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Badger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lynch
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Demers
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015317:Biogenic Polyamines / Q000502:physiology*; D000518:Eflornithine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D009376:Neoplasms, Hormone-Dependent / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000473:pathology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D010053:Ovary / Q000502:physiology; D010546:Perphenazine / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012016:Reference Values; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D015317:Biogenic Polyamines; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D008770:Methylnitrosourea; D010546:Perphenazine; D000518:Eflornithine