Leptin mediates a proliferative response in human MCF7 breast cancer cells.
Obesity is a risk factor of breast cancers. As leptin, a hormone mainly secreted by white adipocytes, elicits proliferative effects in some cell types, we tested the hypothesis that leptin could influence human breast cancer MCF-7 cell growth. Here we show that MCF-7 cells express leptin receptors and respond to human recombinant leptin by STAT3 and p42/p44 MAPkinase activations and by increased proliferation. These findings suggest that leptin could act in vivo as a paracrine/endocrine growth factor towards mammary epithelial cells thus contributing to explain why obesity is a risk factor of developing breast cancers.
Dieudonne
Marie-Noelle
MN
Service de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire, Faculté de Médecine Paris-Ouest, Centre Hospitalier de Poissy, Université Descartes Paris V, 78303 Poissy Cedex, France.
Machinal-Quelin
Florence
F
Serazin-Leroy
Valérie
V
Leneveu
Marie-Christine
MC
Pecquery
René
R
Giudicelli
Yves
Y
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D017667:Adipocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020738:Leptin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012307:Risk Factors; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D000209:Acute-Phase Proteins; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D020738:Leptin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; C494086:STAT3 protein, human; D015534:Trans-Activators; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D013936:Thymidine