Journal
GYNECOLOGICAL ENDOCRINOLOGY
Volume 29, Issue 2, Pages 160-163Publisher
TAYLOR & FRANCIS LTD
DOI: 10.3109/09513590.2012.730572
Keywords
Breast cancer cells; progesterone; progesterone receptor membrane component 1; proliferation; synthetic progestogens
Funding
- Beijing Municipality Health Technology High-level Talent [2009-3-52]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [81172518]
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Objectives: Dienogest (DNG) is already used in hormone therapy, since recently being also the progestogenic component of the first estradiol based contraceptive pill. Data on breast cancer risk are currently not available. Progesterone receptor membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) is highly expressed in tissues of breast cancer patients and has already been proposed as a predictor for breast cancer risk. Methods: MCF-7 cells overexpressing PGRMC1 were stimulated with DNG, medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA), norethisterone (NET) and progesterone (P) as well as sequentially and continuously combined with estradiol (E2). Results: DNG and MPA alone elicited a significant proliferation at 10(-6) and 10(-5) M. NET increased cell proliferation at all concentrations tested whereas P showed no effect. E2 alone elicited a significant increase at 10(-10) M, no effect was seen at 10(-12) M. Addition of the progestins (10(-6) M) to E2 at 10(-10) M had, compared to E2 only, no additional proliferating effect. However, at the low E2 concentration, DNG, MPA and NET significantly increased the E2-stimulated cell proliferation. Conclusion: DNG increased proliferation alone and in combination with low E2 concentrations. Thus a progestogen-derived breast cancer risk in the presence of low E2 concentrations cannot be excluded at least in women overexpressing PGRMC1.
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