Project description:Dysregulated choline metabolism is a well-known feature of breast cancer, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood. In this study, the metabolomic and transcriptomic characteristics of a large panel of human breast cancer xenograft models were mapped, with focus on choline metabolism. Methods: Tumor specimens from 34 patient-derived xenograft models were collected and divided in two. One part was examined using high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) MR spectroscopy while another part was analysed using gene expression microarrays. Expression data of genes encoding proteins in the choline metabolism pathway were analysed and correlated to the levels of choline (Cho), phosphocholine (PCho) and glycerophosphocholine (GPC) using Pearson’s correlation analysis. For comparison purposes, metabolic and gene expression data were collected from human breast tumors belonging to corresponding molecular subgroups. Results: Most of the xenograft models were classified as basal-like (N=19) or luminal B (N=7). These two subgroups showed significantly different choline metabolic and gene expression profiles. The luminal B xenografts were characterized by a high PCho/GPC ratio while the basal-like xenografts were characterized by highly variable PCho/GPC ratio. Also, Cho, PCho and GPC levels were correlated to expression of several genes encoding proteins in the choline metabolism pathway, including choline kinase alpha (CHKA) and glycerophosphodiester phosphodiesterase domain containing 5 (GDPD5). These characteristics were similar to those found in human tumor samples. Discussion: The higher PCho/GPC ratio found in luminal B compared with most basal-like breast cancer xenograft models and human tissue samples do not correspond to results observed from in vitro studies. It is likely that microenvironmental factors play a role in the in vivo regulation of choline metabolism. Cho, PCho and GPC were correlated to different choline pathway-encoding genes in luminal B compared with basal-like xenografts, suggesting that regulation of choline metabolism may vary between different breast cancer subgroups. The concordance between the metabolic and gene expression profiles from xenograft models with breast cancer tissue samples from patients indicates that these xenografts are representative models of human breast cancer and represent relevant models to study tumor metabolism in vivo. Gene expression was measured in 30 human breast cancer xenografts, one sample from each model
Project description:Hormonal contraception exposes women to different synthetic progesterone receptor (PR) agonists, progestins, and transiently increases breast cancer risk. How progestins affect the breast epithelium is poorly understood because we lack adequate models to study this. We hypothesized that individual progestins differentially affect cell proliferation in the normal breast epithelium and hence breast cancer risk. Using mouse mammary tissue ex vivo, we show that testosterone-related progestins strongly induce the PR target and mediator of PR signaling induced cell proliferation Receptor Activator of NF-κB Ligand (Rankl), previously implicated in breast carcinogenesis, whereas other progestins fail to do so. We developed xenografts of normal human breast epithelial cells (HBECSs) to the milk ducts of immunocompromised female mice and show that they remain hormone-responsive. Using HBECSs from 36 women, we show that testosterone-related progestins, desogestrel, gestodene, and levonorgestrel, induce PSA (KLK3) and promote their proliferation, whereas the anti-androgenic progestins, which have shown anti-androgenic properties in reporter assays, chlormadinone acetate and cyproterone acetate, do not. Pharmacological inhibition of the androgen receptor (AR) inhibits PR agonist and levonorgestrel-induced RANKL expression and both pharmacological and genetic AR inhibition reduce levonorgestrel-driven breast epithelial cell proliferation in vivo. Prolonged exposure to androgenic progestins elicits hyperproliferation with cytologic changes. Thus, different progestins have distinct biological activities in the breast epithelium that should be taken into account for more informed choices in hormonal contraception.