title: Autocrine proliferative effects of hGH are maintained in primary cultures of human mammary carcinoma cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Empirical evidence suggests that autocrine human GH (hGH) may possess a proliferative and oncogenic role in human mammary carcinoma. However, this concept is largely derived from studies using cultured human mammary carcinoma cell (HMCC) lines.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the expression and functionality of hGH and the hGH receptor in isolated cultures of primary HMCC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Epithelial cell adhesion molecule-positive primary HMCC were isolated from surgical biopsies of patients with mammary carcinoma and cultured in vitro. Expression of hGH and hGH receptor was determined by RT-PCR, immunofluorescence microscopy, and ELISA. The proliferative response of the cultured primary HMCC to hGH stimulation or hGH inhibition with a hGH antagonist was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One hundred percent of cultured primary HMCC expressed the hGH receptor, and 52% expressed hGH at the mRNA level. hGH-positive primary HMCC produced hGH protein within the cell and secreted hGH to the media. Both hGH-negative and hGH-positive HMCC responded to hGH stimulation with large increases in cell number. hGH-positive HMCC responded to inhibition of hGH by a hGH antagonist with a decrease in cell number, whereas hGH-negative HMCC did not.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary HMCC proliferate in response to hGH, and the proliferation of hGH-positive HMCC is inhibited by hGH antagonism. Inhibition of hGH in patients with mammary carcinoma may therefore limit tumor growth.
authors: Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nîmes, Laboratoire de Cytogénétique, Hôpital Caremeau, 30029 Nîmes, France.
authors: Jean
authors: J
authors: Chiesa
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Ferrer
authors: Cécile
authors: C
authors: Arnould
authors: Cécile M
authors: CM
authors: Vouyovitch
authors: Jean-Jacques
authors: JJ
authors: Diaz
authors: Samia
authors: S
authors: Gonzalez
authors: Pierre
authors: P
authors: Mares
authors: Gérard
authors: G
authors: Morel
authors: Zheng-Sheng
authors: ZS
authors: Wu
authors: Tao
authors: T
authors: Zhu
authors: Peter E
authors: PE
authors: Lobie
authors: Hichem C
authors: HC
authors: Mertani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000502:physiology*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D005260:Female; D019382:Human Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; C405010:delta-hGHR; D019382:Human Growth Hormone