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Inter-Individual Variation in Response to Estrogen in Human Breast Explants

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Abstract

Exposure to estrogen is strongly associated with increased breast cancer risk. While all women are exposed to estrogen, only 12% are expected to develop breast cancer during their lifetime. These women may be more sensitive to estrogen, as rodent models have demonstrated variability in estrogen sensitivity. Our objective was to determine individual variation in expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and estrogen-induced responses in the normal human breast. Human breast tissue from female donors undergoing reduction mammoplasty surgery were collected for microarray analysis of ER expression. To examine estrogen-induced responses, breast tissue from 23 female donors were cultured ex- vivo in basal or 10 nM 17β-estradiol (E2) media for 4 days. Expression of ER genes (ESR1 and ESR2) increased significantly with age. E2 induced consistent increases in global gene transcription, but expression of target genes AREG, PGR, and TGFβ2 increased significantly only in explants from nulliparous women. E2-treatment did not induce consistent changes in proliferation or radiation induced apoptosis. Responses to estrogen are highly variable among women and not associated with levels of ER expression, suggesting differences in intracellular signaling among individuals. The differences in sensitivity to E2-stimulated responses may contribute to variation in risk of breast cancer.

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Abbreviations

AREG:

amphiregulin

E2:

17β-estradiol

EGF:

Epidermal Growth Factor

ERB041, an ERβ agonist:

7-Ethenyl-2-(3- fluoro-4-hydroxyphenyl)-5-benzoaxazolol

ESR1:

estrogen receptor 1 gene

ESR2:

estrogen receptor 2 gene

ER:

estrogen receptor protein

ERα:

estrogen receptor alpha

ERβ:

Estrogen receptor beta

H2AX:

H2A.X varient histone

H&E:

hematoxylin and eosin stain

KRT18:

keratin 18 gene

P4:

progesterone

PCNA:

proliferating cell nuclear antigen

PGR:

progesterone receptor protein

PPT, an ERα agonist:

4,4’4”-(4’Propuyl-[1H]-pyrazole-1,2,4-triyl)trisphenol

PR:

progesterone receptor gene

RR:

relative risk

TDLU:

terminal ductal lobular unit

TGFβ2:

transforming growth factor beta 2 gene

TUNEL:

terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling

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Acknowledgements

Research reported in this publication was supported, in part, by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number U01ES026140 (DJJ, SSS) and R01ES015739 (DJJ). Funding was also provided by the Department of Defense under contract #W81XWH-15-1-0217 (DJJ) and the Rays of Hope Center for Breast Cancer Research (KAD, GMJ, DJJ).

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  1. The Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    Karen A. Dunphy, Amye L. Black, Amy L. Roberts, Aman Sharma, Zida Li, Sneha Suresh, Eva P. Browne, Kathleen F. Arcaro, Sallie S. Schneider & D. Joseph Jerry

  2. Pioneer Valley Life Sciences, Springfield, MA, USA

    Jennifer Ser-Dolansky, Sallie S. Schneider & D. Joseph Jerry

  3. Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA

    Carol Bigelow

  4. Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA

    Melissa A. Troester

  5. Division of Hematology-Oncology, University of Massachusetts Medical School/Baystate, Springfield, MA, USA

    Grace Makari-Judson

  6. Department of Pathology, University of Massachusetts Medical School/Baystate, Springfield, MA, USA

    Giovanna M. Crisi

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Dunphy, K.A., Black, A.L., Roberts, A.L. et al. Inter-Individual Variation in Response to Estrogen in Human Breast Explants. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 25, 51–68 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10911-020-09446-3

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