title: Leptin enhances STAT-3 phosphorylation in HC11 cell line: effect on cell differentiation and cell viability.
abstract: Leptin is produced in the mammary gland by the fat tissue or by the mammary epithelium. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of leptin on mammary epithelial cell differentiation and cell viability. This study was conducted using the mouse mammary epithelial cell line HC11. We show that leptin, synergizes with prolactin to increase beta-casein gene expression during mammary epithelial cell differentiation. This was correlated with increased phosphorylation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT-3). Inactivating the function of STAT-3 by expression of a short hairpin RNA demonstrated that the effect of leptin on beta-casein expression is mediated by STAT-3. Secondly, cells in which STAT-3 had been inactivated showed increased cell viability compared to controls and were resistant to the negative effect mediated by leptin. Further, leptin triggers apoptosis in mammary epithelial cells cultivated in non-differentiating conditions. Taken together, these results suggest that leptin, by activating STAT-3, may act as a paracrine factor modulating mammary epithelial cell function.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Morphophysiology, University of Torino, Via Leonardo da Vinci 44, 10095 Grugliasco, TO, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Accornero
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taulli
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bernabei
authors.forename: Sylvane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Desrivières
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baratta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002364:Caseins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D010766:Phosphorylation; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D002364:Caseins; D020738:Leptin; D050796:STAT3 Transcription Factor; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; C494087:Stat3 protein, mouse; D053148:Caspase 3