title: Ectopic vasopressin expression in MMTV-v-Ha-ras transgenic mice delays the onset of mammary tumorigenesis.
abstract: Neuropeptides are often ectopically expressed by non-endocrine tumours. We used transgenic mice to assess the effect of ectopic expression of the neuropeptide, vasopressin, in mammary tumours induced by the transgenetic expression of an activated ras oncogene. Mice bearing a mouse mammary tumour virus-vasopressin (MMTV-VP) fusion transgene synthesise authentic VP in mammary ducts and alveoli. Bitransgenic mice bearing both MMTV-VP and MMTV-v-Ha-ras transgenes developed tumours that were histologically indistinguishable from those of single MMTV-v-Ha-ras animals. However, tumour onset was significantly delayed in the bitransgenic animals. These data provide evidence that an ectopic neuropeptide can slow the development of ras tumours in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Neuropeptide Laboratory, Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore, Republic of Singapore.
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Chooi
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Carter
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Murphy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D011905:Genes, ras; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008325:Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D013997:Time Factors; D014667:Vasopressins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014667:Vasopressins