Increasing evidence suggests that cancer stem cells (CSCs) are responsible for tumor initiation and maintenance. Additionally, it is becoming apparent that cyclooxygenase (COX) signaling is associated with canine mammary tumor development. The goals of the present study were to investigate COX-2 expression patterns and their effect on CSC-mediated tumor initiation in primary canine mammary tissues and tumorsphere models using immunohistochemistry. Patterns of COX-2, CD44, octamer-binding transcription factor (Oct)-3/4, and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression were examined in malignant mammary tumor (MMT) samples and analyzed in terms of clinicopathological characteristics. COX-2 and Oct-3/4 expression was higher in MMTs compared to other histological samples with heterogeneous patterns. In MMTs, COX-2 expression correlated with tumor malignancy features. Significant associations between COX-2, CD44, and EGFR were observed in low-differentiated MMTs. Comparative analysis showed that the levels of COX-2, CD44, and Oct-3/4 expression varied significantly among TSs of three histological grades. Enhanced COX-2 staining was consistently observed in TSs. Similar levels of staining intensity were found for CD44 and Oct-3/4, but EGFR expression was weak. Our findings indicate the potential role of COX-2 in CSC-mediated tumor initiation, and suggest that COX-2 inhibition may help treat canine mammary tumors by targeting CSCs.
Animals ; Antigens, CD44/genetics/metabolism ; Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics/metabolism ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic/*genetics/metabolism ; Cyclooxygenase 2/*genetics/metabolism ; Dog Diseases/*genetics/metabolism ; Dogs ; Female ; Immunohistochemistry/veterinary ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal/*genetics/metabolism ; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/*genetics/metabolism ; Neoplastic Stem Cells/*metabolism ; Octamer Transcription Factor-3/genetics/metabolism ; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor/genetics/metabolism ; Retrospective Studies

During normal postnatal mammary gland development and adult remodeling related to the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, and lactation, ovarian hormones and peptide growth factors contribute to the delineation of a definite epithelial cell identity. This identity is maintained during cell replication in a heritable but DNA-independent manner. The preservation of cell identity is fundamental, especially when cells must undergo changes in response to intrinsic and extrinsic signals. The maintenance proteins, which are required for cell identity preservation, act epigenetically by regulating gene expression through DNA methylation, histone modification, and chromatin remodeling. Among the maintenance proteins, the Trithorax (TrxG) and Polycomb (PcG) group proteins are the best characterized. In this review, we summarize the structures and activities of the TrxG and PcG complexes and describe their pivotal roles in nuclear estrogen receptor activity. In addition, we provide evidence that perturbations in these epigenetic regulators are involved in disrupting epithelial cell identity, mammary gland remodeling, and breast cancer initiation.
Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Cell Transformation, Neoplastic ; Chromatin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Epigenesis, Genetic ; physiology ; Epithelial Cells ; cytology ; Female ; Gene Expression Profiling ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Histone-Lysine N-Methyltransferase ; Humans ; Mammary Glands, Animal ; cytology ; growth & development ; Mammary Glands, Human ; cytology ; growth & development ; Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein ; genetics ; physiology ; Polycomb-Group Proteins ; genetics ; physiology ; Receptors, Estrogen ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo establish a whole-body visualization model of breast cancer with high hepatic metastatic potential in nude mice and observe the development and metastasis of breast cancer by real-time imaging.

METHODSpEGFP-N1 plasmid was transfected into human breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 to obtain pEGFP-MDA-MB-231 cells that emitted fluorescence. pEGFP-MDA-MB-231 cells were inoculated orthotopically in BALB/C nude mice and cultured in vivo through serial passage, thereby establishing the mouse model bearing tumors with high hepatic metastasis potential. The fluorescence emitted from the tumors was quantitatively detected and imaged with a fluorescence stereo microscope for real-time visualization of the tumor growth and metastasis.

RESULTSThe transfected breast cancer cells stably and efficiently expressed EGFP. After inoculation of the transfected cells in nude mice, 20% of the first-generation cells showed hepatic metastasis, and the rate increased to 80% among the second-generation and up to 100% among the third-generation cells. The reliability of this visualization model was validated with conventional pathological methods.

CONCLUSIONThe whole-body visualization model bearing breast cancer with high hepatic metastasis potential provides a reliable means for studying the mechanisms of hepatic tumor metastasis, and can be instrumental in the exploration of novel means for breast cancer treatment.

Animals ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Cell Line, Tumor ; Disease Models, Animal ; Female ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; secondary ; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Microscopy, Fluorescence ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Transplantation, Heterologous

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility of oral cytokine gene therapy against tumor using live attenuated Salmonella as a vector.

METHODSA live attenuated AraA- autotrophic mutant of Salmonella typhimurium (SL3261) was used as carrier for eukaryotic expression vectors EGFPN1 and pCMVmIL-12 administered orally in BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice. After 6 weeks, the mice were challenged with 4T1 or Lewis tumor cells, respectively, and flow cytometry and confocal microscopy were used to detect the expression of green fluorescence protein (GFP) in the tissues. PCR and ELISA were performed to detect the integration and expression of mIL-12 gene, and the survival time of the mice was also recorded.

RESULTSGFP expression and mIL-12 gene integration could be detected in the liver, spleen, intestinal, kidney and tumor tissues of the mice. The serum level of mIFN-gamma, mIL-12 increased significantly in mice with oral mIL-12 administration (P<0.05), which resulted in the survival prolongation of the mice as compared with the control mice (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONOral gene therapy using live attenuated Salmonella can be potentially a simple, effective and above all, safe means for tumor treatment.

Administration, Oral ; Animals ; Carcinoma, Lewis Lung ; therapy ; Flow Cytometry ; Genetic Therapy ; methods ; Genetic Vectors ; administration & dosage ; genetics ; metabolism ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Interleukin-12 ; genetics ; metabolism ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal ; therapy ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Inbred C57BL ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Neoplasms, Experimental ; therapy ; Salmonella typhimurium ; genetics ; immunology ; metabolism ; Vaccines, Attenuated ; immunology

We concentrated ourselves to evaluate the prognostic significance of the p53 gene mutations, its protein expression and MIB-1 index as a proliferative marker in canine mammary tumors. In the present study, a total of 20 cases were examined, among which there were 5 malignant mixed tumors, 4 mammary gland adenocarcinomas, 1 papillary adenocarcinoma, 8 benign mixed tumors and 2 mammary gland adenomas. Positive immunostaining for p53 with PAb240 antibody was found in 2 benign (20%) and 3 malignant (30%) tumors. However, PAb421 antibody did not give positive result at all. In Western blot analysis, the p53 expression in benign and malignant tumors was detected in 4 and 3 cases, respectively. p53 mutations were found in 6 cases out of the cases with detected p53 protein expression. The MIB-1 index in benign and malignant tumors were 17.6+/-20.8% and 29.0+/-27.2%, respectively and there was no significant difference between tumor types. There was a significant correlation between p53 mutations and p53 overexpression (correlation coefficient = 0.5, p < 0.05). In Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the p53 index was associated with significantly shortened survival time (p < 0.01). In multivariate analysis, p53 overexpression was only an independent factor for indicator of worse prognosis in canine mammary tumors (p = 0.01). These results demonstrated that p53 gene mutations and protein overexpression using the PAb240 anti-p53 antibody were useful predictors of increased malignant potential and poor prognosis in canine mammary tumors.
Animals ; Antibodies, Antinuclear/metabolism ; Antibodies, Monoclonal/metabolism ; Blotting, Western/veterinary ; Dog Diseases/genetics/*metabolism ; Dogs ; Female ; Genes, p53/*genetics ; Immunohistochemistry/veterinary ; Ki-67 Antigen/metabolism ; Mammary Neoplasms, Animal/genetics/*metabolism ; *Mutation ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Proportional Hazards Models ; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/*biosynthesis/genetics

The aim of this study was to construct a mammary gland-specific expressional vector pBC1-hLF-Neo for Human Lactoferrin (hLF) gene and then investigate its expression in the mammary gland epithelium cells. The constructed vector contained the 6.2 kb long 5' flank regulation region including promoter, other elements and the 7.1 kb long 3' flank regulation region including transcriptional ending signal of a goat's beta-casein gene. A cassette of Neo gene was also inserted into the vector which gave a total length of 26.736 kb identified by restriction fragment analysis and partial DNA sequencing. The results revealed that the structure of the final constructed vector accords with the designed plasmid map. In order to analyze the bioactivity of the vector, we transfected the lined vector DNA into the dairy goat's mammary gland epithelium cells and C127 cells of a mouse's mammary epithelium by Lipofectamine. After selection with G418 for 8-10 days, G418-risistant clones were obtained. PCR analysis demonstrated that hLF gene cassette had been integrated into the genomic DNA of G418-risistant clones. After proliferation culture, the two kinds of transgenic cells were cultured in serum-free DMEM-F12 medium with prolactin, insulin and hydrocortisone- a medium capable of inducing recombinant hLF expression. RT-PCR, Western blotting and anti-bacteria bioactivity experiments demonstrated that the constructed mammary gland specific vector pBC1-hLF-Neo possessed the desirable bioactivity to efficiently express and could secrete hLF in both mammary gland cells and have the effect of E. coli proliferation inhibition. Paramount to everything, this study laid a firm foundation for preparing the hLF gene transgenic goat fetal-derived fibroblast cells.
Animals ; Base Sequence ; Breast Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Caseins ; genetics ; Cell Line, Tumor ; DNA, Complementary ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Epithelial Cells ; metabolism ; Female ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Goats ; Humans ; Lactoferrin ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Mammary Glands, Animal ; cytology ; metabolism ; Mice ; Molecular Sequence Data ; Mutagenesis, Insertional ; Promoter Regions, Genetic ; genetics

OBJECTIVEThe chemopreventive activity and mechanism of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were studied.

METHODSModel of 7, 12-dimethylbenz (alpha) anthracene (DMBA) induced breast carcinoma in Sprague-Dawley rats, uitra-violet (UV)-induced DNA damage and Salmonella mutation assay were used.

RESULTSIn DMBA-induced rat mammary tumor model, the rats were orally given daily DHEA for 2 weeks before DMBA and continued for 10 weeks after DMBA administration. The results showed significant inhibition of tumor development by DHEA. The incidence of mammary carcinoma also decreased significantly on daily dose of oral 25 mg/kg DHEA with the mean tumor volume per rat also remarkably reduced by 92%. Moreover, 25 mg/kg DHEA treatment could significantly increase the carcinoma latency for about 3.5 weeks as compared with the control. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, in vitro 10(-9) mol/L DHEA showed significant inhibitory effect on UV-induced DNA damage by 90%. In Ames test, DHEA was found to decrease DMBA and benzo (alpha) pyrene-induced TA98 and TA100 His(+) revertants markedly and the number of Salmonella clones were significantly reduced by 53.2% and 73.0% on dose of 5 microgram DHEA/plate. It was also shown that in vitro 10(-7) mol/L DHEA could also effectively inhibit the G-6-PDH activity, which might play an important role in its chemoprophylaxis activities.

CONCLUSIONThe results strongly prove that DHEA is a potent cancer chemoprophylaxis agent, which exhibits inhibitory potential on mutation and chemical carcinogen in vivo and in vitro.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene ; administration & dosage ; Adjuvants, Immunologic ; pharmacology ; Animals ; Antimutagenic Agents ; pharmacology ; DNA Damage ; drug effects ; Dehydroepiandrosterone ; pharmacology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug ; Glucosephosphate Dehydrogenase ; antagonists & inhibitors ; metabolism ; Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental ; chemically induced ; prevention & control ; Mutagenicity Tests ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Salmonella ; drug effects ; genetics ; Time Factors ; Tumor Cells, Cultured