title: Alcohol intake stimulates epithelial proliferation in an authentic model of the human breast.
abstract: The voluntary consumption of alcohol by humans is a modifiable lifestyle factor that has been consistently linked to a woman's risk of developing breast cancer. We have used an animal model that closely recapitulates breast development in humans to study the effect of alcohol intake on breast growth and morphology. Pubertal female pigs were fed alcohol for 4-5 weeks at 19-21% of total caloric intake, which led to average blood alcohol concentrations of 115-130mg/dL. Alongside increased liver mass, alcohol intake promoted the formation of distended ductules within lobular units in association with increased epithelial proliferation. Alcohol consumption also increased phosphorylation of the transcription factor STAT5 in the mammary epithelium, but did not lead to any evidence of precocious lactogenesis. In conclusion, feeding alcohol to female pigs having a similar physiology and mammary gland morphology to humans during a reproductive state equivalent to human adolescence leads to increased mammary gland proliferation and development of atypical lobular structures. These changes may phenocopy how alcohol intake increases the risk for developing breast cancer in humans.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schennink
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Josephine F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Trott
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Grace E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Berryhill
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Caitlin E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Donovan
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Rodrigo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manjarin
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Monica K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: VanKlompenberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Ashley R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Rowson-Hodel
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Michelle-Yvette Osorio
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Luis
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA, USA. Electronic address: rchovey@ucdavis.edu.
authors.forename: Russell C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Hovey
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D023421:Models, Animal; D010766:Phosphorylation; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D046468:Sexual Development; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D050799:STAT5 Transcription Factor; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Alcohol; Mammary gland; Terminal ductal lobular unit