title: Presence of functional luteinizing hormone/chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) receptors in human breast cell lines: implications supporting the premise that hCG protects women against breast cancer.
abstract: We investigated MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell lines and immortalized mammary epithelial HBL-100 cells for the presence of functional LH/hCG receptors. The results revealed that all three breast cell lines contain LH/hCG receptor mRNA transcripts and receptor proteins that can bind 125I-hCG. The MCF-7 cells, however, contain higher levels than the others. Culturing MCF-7 cells with highly purified hCG resulted in a dose- and time-dependent significant decrease in steady-state estradiol receptor mRNA and protein levels as compared to controls, with the maximal decrease occurring after 4 h of culture with 10 ng/ml hCG. The studies on cell growth demonstrated that hCG treatment in the presence of minimal or no fetal bovine serum had a time-dependent significant inhibitory effect on MCF-7 and HBL-100, but not on MDA-MB-231 cells. In summary, our results demonstrate that human breast cell lines contain functional LH/hCG receptors. The hCG effects in MCF-7 cells are consistent with a premise that hCG protects women against breast cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Louisville, Health Sciences Center, Kentucky 40292, USA.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lojun
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Z M
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: C V
authors.initials: CV
authors.lastname: Rao
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000502:physiology*; D003720:Densitometry; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008024:Ligands; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011974:Receptors, LH / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D008024:Ligands; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011974:Receptors, LH