title: Effects of growth factors and hormones on growth and morphological differentiation of human breast epithelial cells within collagen gel in serum-free medium.
abstract: When human epithelial cells that had grown out from either carcinoma or histologically non-malignant breast tissues were seeded within type I collagen gels in serum-free medium, they successively grew and protruded many radial duct-like extensions with lumina. Separate deletion of each of the supplements from the medium showed that growth as well as morphological differentiation of carcinoma-derived cells were prevented in the absence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) or hydrocortisone. Removal of insulin or ethanolamine plus phosphoethanolamine caused a significant inhibition of cell growth without interfering with the morphological differentiation. Contrary to the case with carcinoma-derived cells, both growth and morphological differentiation of epithelial cells derived from non-malignant breast tissues were prevented when EGF, hydrocortisone or insulin was absent. Removal of each of the other supplements (except for transferrin), including ethanolamine plus phosphoethanolamine, prolactin, or prostaglandin, caused a significant inhibition of cell growth with no apparent inhibition of morphological differentiation. The present results suggest that human epithelial cells derived from either carcinoma or histologically non-malignant breast tissues strongly depend on the presence of EGF and hydrocortisone and there is a decreased dependence on insulin in carcinoma-derived cells with respect to their growth and morphological differentiation during culture within collagen gels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Research Institute, Yokohama.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kawahara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
mesh_terms: D000527:Alprostadil / Q000494:pharmacology; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003094:Collagen; D003470:Culture Media; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D019856:Ethanolamine; D004983:Ethanolamines / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007328:Insulin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014168:Transferrin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D004983:Ethanolamines; D007328:Insulin; D014168:Transferrin; D019856:Ethanolamine; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; C005448:phosphorylethanolamine; D011388:Prolactin; D003094:Collagen; D000527:Alprostadil; D006854:Hydrocortisone