This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Aakvaag, A. Articles by Lahooti, H. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Aakvaag, A. Articles by Lahooti, H.

Growth Control of Human Mammary Cancer Cells (MCF-7 Cells) in Culture: Effect of Estradiol and Growth Factors in Serum-containing Medium¹

Laboratory of Biochemical Endocrinology, University of Bergen, Haukeland Hospital, N-5021 Bergen, Norway

The growth control of estrogen-dependent mammary cancer is very complex and only partly understood. The present study was undertaken in order to establish conditions for growth control of MCF-7 cells in monolayer culture with focus on the effect of estradiol-17ß, fetal calf serum, and growth factors. The effect of charcoal-stripped fetal calf serum (CSFCS) on cell growth was dependent upon the presence of hormones or growth factors in the medium. In the presence of insulin (or insulin-like growth factor 1) and in the absence of estradiol-17ß, increasing concentrations of CSFCS, 0.625–20%, produced a bell-shaped growth response curve. Serum concentrations >2.5% inhibited cell growth in the absence of estradiol-17ß, whereas CSFCS in a dose-dependent way up to 10% stimulated growth in the presence of estradiol-17ß (5 x 10^-10 mol/liter). The growth inhibitory effect of CSFCS could not be demonstrated in the absence of insulin (or insulin-like growth factor 1) and estradiol-17ß. CSFCS stimulated growth in a dose-dependent way in the presence of estradiol-17ß and also in the absence of insulin. Both the putative growth inhibitor and stimulator were found to be heat stable and not dialyzable. Epidermal growth factor stimulated growth but was unable to eliminate the growth inhibitory effect of 5–10% CSFCS. Interleukin-1 inhibited MCF-7 cell growth in a dose-dependent way and produced a 75% reduction in cell number at a concentration of 5 x 10^-10 mol/liter. This inhibition was almost totally overcome by estradiol-17ß. It is concluded that serum appears to contain factors with both stimulatory and inhibitory effects on the growth of MCF-7 cells. The inhibitory effect can be eliminated by estradiol (5 x 10^-10 mol/liter). In the presence of estradiol cell growth is stimulated by CSFCS in a dose-related way up to 5–10%. Taken together these data seem to indicate that estradiol stimulates cell growth in two principal ways: partly by eliminating the effect of an inhibitor, in support of a "negative hypothesis," and partly by an effect whereby estradiol permits a growth stimulator in CSFCS to be expressed, in support of the "indirect positive hypothesis."

¹ Supported by The Norwegian Cancer Society.

² To whom requests for reprints should be addressed.

Received 4/23/90. Accepted 9/17/90.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				C. F. Singer, N. Kronsteiner, G. Hudelist, E. Marton, I. Walter, M. Kubista, K. Czerwenka, M. Schreiber, M. Seifert, and E. Kubista Interleukin 1 System and Sex Steroid Receptor Expression in Human Breast Cancer: Interleukin 1{alpha} Protein Secretion Is Correlated with Malignant Phenotype Clin. Cancer Res., October 15, 2003; 9(13): 4877 - 4883. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Y.-W. Huang, I. Pineau, H.-J. Chang, A. Azzi, V. Bellemare, S. Laberge, and S.-X. Lin Critical Residues for the Specificity of Cofactors and Substrates in Human Estrogenic 17{beta}-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase 1: Variants Designed from the Three-Dimensional Structure of the Enzyme Mol. Endocrinol., November 1, 2001; 15(11): 2010 - 2020. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				A. Spyridonidis, W. Bernhardt, D. Behringer, G. Kohler, M. Azemar, A. Pflug, and R. Henschler Proliferation and Survival of Mammary Carcinoma Cells Are Influenced by Culture Conditions Used for Ex Vivo Expansion of CD34+ Blood Progenitor Cells Blood, January 15, 1999; 93(2): 746 - 755. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				J. Van heusden, P. de Jong, F. Ramaekers, H. Bruwiere, M. Borgers, and G. Smets Fluorescein-labeled Tyramide Strongly Enhances the Detection of Low Bromodeoxyuridine Incorporation Levels J. Histochem. Cytochem., February 1, 1997; 45(2): 315 - 320. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]