Estrogen therapy (ET) is most effective to reduce menopausal symptoms and prevent other disorders associated with estrogen deficiency. However, Women's Health Initiative studies found that hormone therapy (HT) containing estrogen plus progestogen, but not estrogen-alone increases breast cancer (BC) risk. To prevent the increase in BC risk and yet relieve menopausal symptoms, a novel HT with 17β-estradiol (E2) for symptom relief, progesterone (P4) for uterine protection and melatonin (Mel) for both BC and uterine protection was designed. Inclusion of Mel was postulated to offer uterine protection with lower P4 dose and protect against BC. The goal of this study was to assess the efficacy of E2, P4 and Mel Therapy (EPMT) on mammary cancer (MC) and uterine protection in MMTV-Neu mouse model that mimics HER2 BC. Starting at 2 months age, female mice received Mel in drinking water at night to supplement endogenous Mel surge; while E2 and P4 Therapy (EPT) was provided continuously in diet until 14 months with weekly MC onset and growth monitoring. Normal mammary, uterus and mammary tumors harvested by month 14 were analyzed for potential mechanisms. The results from this study revealed that EPMT delayed tumor onset leading to a decrease in MC incidence. In addition, mice in the EPMT group had no increase in relative uterine weight as opposite to an increase of this parameter in EPT group versus control. The percent tumor-bearing mice with gross metastatic lung lesions were reduced in Mel, EPT and EPMT groups. Mel receptor, estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression revealed that all tissues examined have Mel receptors. However, ER and PR expression varied. In normal mammary tissue, both ERα and PR were detected by immunohistochemistry. However, no ERα and PR were detected in mammary tumors of same mice. In uterus, mice given Mel or EPMT had significant decreases in PR expression but no change in ERα expression compared to control suggesting that Mel-mediated inhibition of ER binding to estrogen response elements may be involved in the down regulation of uterine PRs. Overall, this study reveal that EPMT prevents mammary cancer and may protect against uterotrophy. / Mylan School of Pharmacy and the Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences; / Pharmacology / PhD; / Dissertation;
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:DUQUESNE/oai:digital.library.duq.edu:etd/162298 |
| Date | 16 April 2015 |
| Creators | Dodda, Balasunder |
| Contributors | Paula Witt-Enderby, David Johnson, Wilson Meng, Jane Cavanaugh, Lauren O'Donnell |
| Source Sets | Duquesne University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Rights | Two year embargo: no access to PDF file until release date by author request.; |
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