Insulin resistance associated with obesity has been suggested to contribute to an increased risk and poor prognosis for breast cancer. In this study, a HER2/Neu transgenic mouse model of breast cancer was used to assess how obesity-induced insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia can influence the development and progression of breast cancer. We investigated the effect of a high-fat diet and found a tumor-promoting effect in the absence of overt insulin resistance. In contrast, a high-fat combined with fructose diet induced significant hyperinsulinemia but no tumor promoting or growth effect was observed. Treatment with the anti-diabetic, insulin-lowering agent metformin led to a delay in tumor onset in mice on control diet, but this effect was abrogated by the high-fat fructose diet. These data indicate that the effects and potential interactions of insulin, nutrition and drugs on breast cancer development and progression are complex and require further study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/19312 |
| Date | 04 March 2010 |
| Creators | Khalid, Sarah |
| Contributors | Fantus, I. George |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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