title: Effects of the pineal hormone melatonin on the anchorage-independent growth of human breast cancer cells (MCF-7) in a clonogenic culture system.
abstract: Only physiological levels of melatonin exert an antiproliferative effect on MCF-7 breast cancer cells grown in an anchorage-dependent culture system. We investigated melatonin's effect on the anchorage-independent growth of MCF-7 cells as well as the dose-response characteristics of this indoleamine under clonogenic culture conditions. Melatonin's inhibitory effect, with respect to the number and size of colonies formed, exhibit a linear dose-response curve with pharmacological concentrations producing a maximal inhibition while subphysiological levels of melatonin induce minimal inhibition. These results indicate that cellular attachment may modify the sensitivity of MCF-7 cells towards melatonin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, University of Arizona, College of Medicine, Tucson 85724.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cos
authors.forename: D E
authors.initials: DE
authors.lastname: Blask
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003470:Culture Media; D003864:Depression, Chemical; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000378:metabolism*; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D014410:Tumor Stem Cell Assay
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D003470:Culture Media; D013629:Tamoxifen; D008550:Melatonin