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Lempesis IG, Georgakopoulou VE, Papalexis P, Chrousos GP, Spandidos DA. Role of stress in the pathogenesis of cancer (Review). Int J Oncol 2023; 63:124. [PMID: 37711028 PMCID: PMC10552722 DOI: 10.3892/ijo.2023.5572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress is a state of disrupted homeostasis, triggered by intrinsic or extrinsic factors, the stressors, which are counteracted by various physiological and behavioural adaptive responses. Stress has been linked to cancer development and incidence for decades; however, epidemiological studies and clinical trials have yielded contradictory results. The present review discusses the effects of stress on cancer development and the various underlying mechanisms. Animal studies have revealed a clear link between stress and cancer progression, revealing molecular, cellular and endocrine processes that are implicated in these effects. Thus, stress hormones, their receptor systems and their intracellular molecular pathways mediate the effects of stress on cancer initiation, progression and the development of metastases. The mechanisms linking stress and cancer progression can either be indirect, mediated by changes in the cancer microenvironment or immune system dysregulation, or direct, through the binding of neuroendocrine stress‑related signalling molecules to cancer cell receptors. Stress affects numerous anti‑ and pro‑cancer immune system components, including host resistance to metastasis, tumour retention and/or immune suppression. Chronic psychological stress through the elevation of catecholamine levels may increase cancer cell death resistance. On the whole, stress is linked to cancer development and incidence, with psychological stressors playing a crucial role. Animal studies have revealed a better link than human ones, with stress‑related hormones influencing tumour development, migration, invasion and cell proliferation. Randomized controlled trials are required to further evaluate the long‑term cancer outcomes of stress and its management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioannis G. Lempesis
- Department of Infectious Diseases-COVID-19 Unit, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Department of Pathophysiology, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Vasiliki Epameinondas Georgakopoulou
- Department of Infectious Diseases-COVID-19 Unit, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Department of Pathophysiology, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Petros Papalexis
- Unit of Endocrinology, First Department of Internal Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
| | - Georgios P. Chrousos
- Clinical, Translational and Experimental Surgery Research Centre, Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- University Research Institute of Maternal and Child Health and Precision Medicine and UNESCO Chair on Adolescent Health Care, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Aghia Sophia Children's Hospital, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
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2
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Hilakivi-Clarke L, de Oliveira Andrade F. Social Isolation and Breast Cancer. Endocrinology 2023; 164:bqad126. [PMID: 37586098 DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqad126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2023] [Revised: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/11/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Although the role of life stressors in breast cancer remains unclear, social isolation is consistently associated with increased breast cancer risk and mortality. Social isolation can be defined as loneliness or an absence of perceived social connections. In female mice and rats, social isolation is mimicked by housing animals 1 per cage. Social isolation causes many biological changes, of which an increase in inflammatory markers and disruptions in mitochondrial and cellular metabolism are commonly reported. It is not clear how the 2 traditional stress-induced pathways, namely, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (HPA), resulting in a release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex, and autonomic nervous system (ANS), resulting in a release of catecholamines from the adrenal medulla and postganglionic neurons, could explain the increased breast cancer risk in socially isolated individuals. For instance, glucocorticoid receptor activation in estrogen receptor positive breast cancer cells inhibits their proliferation, and activation of β-adrenergic receptor in immature immune cells promotes their differentiation toward antitumorigenic T cells. However, activation of HPA and ANS pathways may cause a disruption in the brain-gut-microbiome axis, resulting in gut dysbiosis. Gut dysbiosis, in turn, leads to an alteration in the production of bacterial metabolites, such as short chain fatty acids, causing a systemic low-grade inflammation and inducing dysfunction in mitochondrial and cellular metabolism. A possible causal link between social isolation-induced increased breast cancer risk and mortality and gut dysbiosis should be investigated, as it offers new tools to prevent breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leena Hilakivi-Clarke
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
| | - Fabia de Oliveira Andrade
- Department of Food Science and Nutrition, The Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, MN 55912, USA
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3
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Silva D, Quintas C, Gonçalves J, Fresco P. Contribution of adrenergic mechanisms for the stress-induced breast cancer carcinogenesis. J Cell Physiol 2022; 237:2107-2127. [PMID: 35243626 DOI: 10.1002/jcp.30707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Breast cancer is the most common and deadliest type of cancer in women. Stress exposure has been associated with carcinogenesis and the stress released neurotransmitters, noradrenaline and adrenaline, and their cognate receptors, can participate in the carcinogenesis process, either by regulating tumor microenvironment or by promoting systemic changes. This work intends to provide an overview of the research done in this area and try to unravel the role of adrenergic ligands in the context of breast carcinogenesis. In the initiation phase, adrenergic signaling may favor neoplastic transformation of breast epithelial cells whereas, during cancer progression, may favor the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells. Additionally, adrenergic signaling can alter the function and activity of other cells present in the tumor microenvironment towards a protumor phenotype, namely macrophages, fibroblasts, and by altering adipocyte's function. Adrenergic signaling also promotes angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis and, systemically, may induce the formation of preneoplastic niches, cancer-associated cachexia and alterations in the immune system which contribute for the loss of quality of life of breast cancer patients and their capacity to fight cancer. Most studies points to a major contribution of β2 -adrenoceptor activated pathways on these effects. The current knowledge of the mechanistic pathways activated by β2 -adrenoceptors in physiology and pathophysiology, the availability of selective drugs approved for clinical use and a deeper knowledge of the basic cellular and molecular pathways by which adrenergic stimulation may influence cancer initiation and progression, opens the possibility to use new therapeutic alternatives to improve efficacy of breast cancer treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dany Silva
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Clara Quintas
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge Gonçalves
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Paula Fresco
- Laboratory of Pharmacology, Department of Drug Sciences, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
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4
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Gołyszny M, Obuchowicz E, Zieliński M. Neuropeptides as regulators of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis activity and their putative roles in stress-induced fertility disorders. Neuropeptides 2022; 91:102216. [PMID: 34974357 DOI: 10.1016/j.npep.2021.102216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Neuropeptides being regulators of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity, also affect the function of the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis by regulating gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) secretion from hypothalamic neurons. Here, we review the available data on how neuropeptides affect HPG axis activity directly or indirectly via their influence on the HPA axis. The putative role of neuropeptides in stress-induced infertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome, is also described. This review discusses both well-known neuropeptides (i.e., kisspeptin, Kp; oxytocin, OT; arginine-vasopressin, AVP) and more recently discovered peptides (i.e., relaxin-3, RLN-3; nesfatin-1, NEFA; phoenixin, PNX; spexin, SPX). For the first time, we present an up-to-date review of all published data regarding interactions between the aforementioned neuropeptide systems. The reviewed literature suggest new pathophysiological mechanisms leading to fertility disturbances that are induced by stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miłosz Gołyszny
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18 Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Ewa Obuchowicz
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18 Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland.
| | - Michał Zieliński
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medical Sciences in Katowice, Medical University of Silesia, Medyków 18 Street, 40-752 Katowice, Poland.
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5
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Eckerling A, Ricon-Becker I, Sorski L, Sandbank E, Ben-Eliyahu S. Stress and cancer: mechanisms, significance and future directions. Nat Rev Cancer 2021; 21:767-785. [PMID: 34508247 DOI: 10.1038/s41568-021-00395-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/23/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The notion that stress and cancer are interlinked has dominated lay discourse for decades. More recent animal studies indicate that stress can substantially facilitate cancer progression through modulating most hallmarks of cancer, and molecular and systemic mechanisms mediating these effects have been elucidated. However, available clinical evidence for such deleterious effects is inconsistent, as epidemiological and stress-reducing clinical interventions have yielded mixed effects on cancer mortality. In this Review, we describe and discuss specific mediating mechanisms identified by preclinical research, and parallel clinical findings. We explain the discrepancy between preclinical and clinical outcomes, through pointing to experimental strengths leveraged by animal studies and through discussing methodological and conceptual obstacles that prevent clinical studies from reflecting the impacts of stress. We suggest approaches to circumvent such obstacles, based on targeting critical phases of cancer progression that are more likely to be stress-sensitive; pharmacologically limiting adrenergic-inflammatory responses triggered by medical procedures; and focusing on more vulnerable populations, employing personalized pharmacological and psychosocial approaches. Recent clinical trials support our hypothesis that psychological and/or pharmacological inhibition of excess adrenergic and/or inflammatory stress signalling, especially alongside cancer treatments, could save lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anabel Eckerling
- Sagol School of Neuroscience and School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Itay Ricon-Becker
- Sagol School of Neuroscience and School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Liat Sorski
- Sagol School of Neuroscience and School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Elad Sandbank
- Sagol School of Neuroscience and School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shamgar Ben-Eliyahu
- Sagol School of Neuroscience and School of Psychological Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
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6
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Linnenbringer E, Gehlert S, Geronimus AT. Black-White Disparities in Breast Cancer Subtype: The Intersection of Socially Patterned Stress and Genetic Expression. AIMS Public Health 2017; 4:526-556. [PMID: 29333472 PMCID: PMC5764177 DOI: 10.3934/publichealth.2017.5.526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormone receptor negative (HR-) breast cancer subtypes are etiologically distinct from the more common, less aggressive, and more treatable form of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer. Numerous population-based studies have found that, in the United States, Black women are 2 to 3 times more likely to develop HR- breast cancer than White women. Much of the existing research on racial disparities in breast cancer subtype has focused on identifying predisposing genetic factors associated with African ancestry. This approach fails to acknowledge that racial stratification shapes a wide range of environmental and social exposures over the life course. Human stress genomics considers the role of individual stress perceptions on gene expression. Yet, the role of structurally rooted biopsychosocial processes that may be activated by the social patterning of stressors in an historically unequal society, whether perceived by individual black women or not, could also impact cellular physiology and gene expression patterns relevant to HR- breast cancer etiology. Using the weathering hypothesis as our conceptual framework, we develop a structural perspective for examining racial disparities in breast cancer subtypes, integrating important findings from the stress biology, breast cancer epidemiology, and health disparities literatures. After integrating key findings from these largely independent literatures, we develop a theoretically and empirically guided framework for assessing potential multilevel factors relevant to the development of HR- breast cancer disproportionately among Black women in the US. We hypothesize that a dynamic interplay among socially patterned psychosocial stressors, physiological & behavioral responses, and genomic pathways contribute to the increased risk of HR- breast cancer among Black women. This work provides a basis for exploring potential alternative pathways linking the lived experience of race to the risk of HR- breast cancer, and suggests new avenues for research and public health action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Linnenbringer
- Division of Public Health Sciences, Department of Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110-1093, USA
| | - Sarah Gehlert
- College of Social Work, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC 29208, USA
| | - Arline T Geronimus
- Population Studies Center, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1248, USA
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7
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Gargiulo L, May M, Rivero EM, Copsel S, Lamb C, Lydon J, Davio C, Lanari C, Lüthy IA, Bruzzone A. A Novel Effect of β-Adrenergic Receptor on Mammary Branching Morphogenesis and its Possible Implications in Breast Cancer. J Mammary Gland Biol Neoplasia 2017; 22:43-57. [PMID: 28074314 DOI: 10.1007/s10911-017-9371-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2016] [Accepted: 01/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the mechanisms that govern normal mammary gland development is crucial to the comprehension of breast cancer etiology. β-adrenergic receptors (β-AR) are targets of endogenous catecholamines such as epinephrine that have gained importance in the context of cancer biology. Differences in β2-AR expression levels may be responsible for the effects of epinephrine on tumor vs non-tumorigenic breast cell lines, the latter expressing higher levels of β2-AR. To study regulation of the breast cell phenotype by β2-AR, we over-expressed β2-AR in MCF-7 breast cancer cells and knocked-down the receptor in non-tumorigenic MCF-10A breast cells. In MCF-10A cells having knocked-down β2-AR, epinephrine increased cell proliferation and migration, similar to the response by tumor cells. In contrast, in MCF-7 cells overexpressing the β2-AR, epinephrine decreased cell proliferation and migration and increased adhesion, mimicking the response of the non-tumorigenic MCF-10A cells, thus underscoring that β2-AR expression level is a key player in cell behavior. β-adrenergic stimulation with isoproterenol induced differentiation of breast cells growing in 3-dimension cell culture, and also the branching of murine mammary epithelium in vivo. Branching induced by isoproterenol was abolished in fulvestrant or tamoxifen-treated mice, demonstrating that the effect of β-adrenergic stimulation on branching is dependent on the estrogen receptor (ER). An ER-independent effect of isoproterenol on lumen architecture was nonetheless found. Isoproterenol significantly increased the expression of ERα, Ephrine-B1 and fibroblast growth factors in the mammary glands of mice, and in MCF-10A cells. In a poorly differentiated murine ductal carcinoma, isoproterenol also decreased tumor growth and induced tumor differentiation. This study highlights that catecholamines, through β-AR activation, seem to be involved in mammary gland development, inducing mature duct formation. Additionally, this differentiating effect could be resourceful in a breast tumor context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Gargiulo
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - María May
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - Ezequiel M Rivero
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - Sabrina Copsel
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Farmacología de Receptores, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 1113, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - Caroline Lamb
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - John Lydon
- Department of Molecular & Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 77030, USA
| | - Carlos Davio
- Laboratorio de Farmacología de Receptores, Departamento de Farmacología, Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Junin 956, 1113, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - Claudia Lanari
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - Isabel A Lüthy
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-CONICET, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, C1428ADN, Buenos Aires, CABA, Argentina
| | - Ariana Bruzzone
- Instituto de Investigaciones Bioquímicas de Bahía Blanca (INIBIBB), CONICET-Universidad Nacional del Sur, Camino La Carrindanga km 7, 8000, Bahía Blanca, Argentina.
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8
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Sumis A, Cook KL, Andrade FO, Hu R, Kidney E, Zhang X, Kim D, Carney E, Nguyen N, Yu W, Bouker KB, Cruz I, Clarke R, Hilakivi-Clarke L. Social isolation induces autophagy in the mouse mammary gland: link to increased mammary cancer risk. Endocr Relat Cancer 2016; 23:839-56. [PMID: 27550962 PMCID: PMC5894876 DOI: 10.1530/erc-16-0359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Accepted: 08/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Social isolation is a strong predictor of early all-cause mortality and consistently increases breast cancer risk in both women and animal models. Because social isolation increases body weight, we compared its effects to those caused by a consumption of obesity-inducing diet (OID) in C57BL/6 mice. Social isolation and OID impaired insulin and glucose sensitivity. In socially isolated, OID-fed mice (I-OID), insulin resistance was linked to reduced Pparg expression and increased neuropeptide Y levels, but in group-housed OID fed mice (G-OID), it was linked to increased leptin and reduced adiponectin levels, indicating that the pathways leading to insulin resistance are different. Carcinogen-induced mammary tumorigenesis was significantly higher in I-OID mice than in the other groups, but cancer risk was also increased in socially isolated, control diet-fed mice (I-C) and G-OID mice compared with that in controls. Unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling (GRP78; IRE1) was upregulated in the mammary glands of OID-fed mice, but not in control diet-fed, socially isolated I-C mice. In contrast, expression of BECLIN1, ATG7 and LC3II were increased, and p62 was downregulated by social isolation, indicating increased autophagy. In the mammary glands of socially isolated mice, but not in G-OID mice, mRNA expressions of p53 and the p53-regulated autophagy inducer Dram1 were upregulated, and nuclear p53 staining was strong. Our findings further indicated that autophagy and tumorigenesis were not increased in Atg7(+/-) mice kept in social isolation and fed OID. Thus, social isolation may increase breast cancer risk by inducing autophagy, independent of changes in body weight.
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MESH Headings
- Animals
- Autophagy/genetics
- Autophagy/physiology
- Autophagy-Related Protein 7/genetics
- Carcinogenesis/genetics
- Carcinogenesis/pathology
- Diet
- Endoplasmic Reticulum Chaperone BiP
- Female
- Mammary Glands, Animal/pathology
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/genetics
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/pathology
- Mammary Neoplasms, Experimental/psychology
- Mice
- Mice, Inbred C57BL
- Mice, Inbred CBA
- Mice, Obese
- Mice, Transgenic
- Obesity/complications
- Obesity/pathology
- Risk Factors
- Social Isolation
- Stress, Psychological/complications
- Stress, Psychological/genetics
- Stress, Psychological/pathology
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison Sumis
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Katherine L Cook
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA Department of SurgeryWake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, USA
| | - Fabia O Andrade
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA Faculty of Pharmaceutical SciencesDepartment of Food and Experimental Nutrition, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Rong Hu
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Emma Kidney
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Xiyuan Zhang
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Dominic Kim
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Elissa Carney
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Nguyen Nguyen
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Wei Yu
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Kerrie B Bouker
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Idalia Cruz
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Robert Clarke
- Department of OncologyGeorgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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9
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Abstract
Theory and empirical evidence suggest that psychological stress and other adverse psychosocial experiences can contribute to cancer progression. Research has begun to explore the potential role of epigenetic changes in these pathways. In basic, animal and human models, exposure to stressors or to the products of the physiological stress response (e.g., cortisol) has been associated with epigenetic changes, such as DNA methylation and microRNA (miR) expression, which may influence tumor growth, progression, metastasis, or chemoresistance. However, the specific biological pathways linking stress, epigenetic changes, and cancer outcomes remain unclear. Numerous opportunities exist to extend the preliminary evidence for the role of epigenetic mechanisms in the biopsychosocial pathways contributing to cancer progression. Such work will improve our understanding of how the psychosocial environment influences cancer risk and survival, potentially leading to improved prevention and treatment strategies.
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10
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Pyter LM, Yang L, McKenzie C, da Rocha JM, Carter CS, Cheng B, Engeland CG. Contrasting mechanisms by which social isolation and restraint impair healing in male mice. Stress 2014; 17:256-65. [PMID: 24689778 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2014.910761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Stress modulates vital aspects of immune functioning in both human and non-human animals, including tissue repair. For example, dermal wounds heal more slowly and are associated with prolonged inflammation and increased bacterial load in mice that experience chronic physical restraint. Social stressors also negatively affect healing; however, previous studies suggest that the affected healing mechanisms may be stress model-specific. Here, the effects of either social isolation or physical restraint on dermal wound healing (3.5 mm wounds on the dorsum) were compared in hairless male mice. Social isolation beginning 3 weeks prior to wounding delayed healing comparably to physical restraint (12 h/day for eight days), in spite of marked differences in metabolic and hormonal consequences (i.e. body mass) between the two stress models. Additionally, isolated mice exhibited reductions in wound bacterial load and inflammatory gene expression (interleukin-1beta [IL-1β], monocyte chemoattractant protein [MCP]), whereas restraint significantly increased both of these parameters relative to controls. Experimentally augmenting bacterial concentrations in wounds of isolated mice did not ameliorate healing, whereas this treatment accelerated healing in controls. This work indicates that social isolation and restraint stressors comparably impair healing, but do so through disparate mechanisms and at different phases of healing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leah M Pyter
- Department of Periodontics, College of Dentistry, University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) , Chicago, IL , USA
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11
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Tung J, Gilad Y. Social environmental effects on gene regulation. Cell Mol Life Sci 2013; 70:4323-39. [PMID: 23685902 PMCID: PMC3809334 DOI: 10.1007/s00018-013-1357-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2013] [Revised: 04/09/2013] [Accepted: 04/29/2013] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
Social environmental conditions, particularly the experience of social adversity, have long been connected with health and mortality in humans and other social mammals. Efforts to identify the physiological basis for these effects have historically focused on their neurological, endocrinological, and immunological consequences. Recently, this search has been extended to understanding the role of gene regulation in sensing, mediating, and determining susceptibility to social environmental variation. Studies in laboratory rodents, captive primates, and human populations have revealed correlations between social conditions and the regulation of a large number of genes, some of which are likely causal. Gene expression responses to the social environment are, in turn, mediated by a set of underlying regulatory mechanisms, of which epigenetic marks are the best studied to date. Importantly, a number of genes involved in the response to the social environment are also associated with susceptibility to other external stressors, as well as certain diseases. Hence, gene regulatory studies are a promising avenue for understanding, and potentially developing strategies to address, the effects of social adversity on health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Tung
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Box 90383, Durham, NC, 27708, USA,
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12
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O'Leary KA, Rugowski DE, Sullivan R, Schuler LA. Prolactin cooperates with loss of p53 to promote claudin-low mammary carcinomas. Oncogene 2013; 33:3075-82. [PMID: 23873024 DOI: 10.1038/onc.2013.278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2013] [Revised: 04/13/2013] [Accepted: 05/16/2013] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
TP53 is one of the most commonly mutated genes in cancer. In breast cancer, it is mutated in about 40% of primary clinical tumors and is associated with poor survival. The mammotrophic hormone, prolactin (PRL), and/or its receptor are also expressed in many breast cancers, and accumulating epidemiologic data link PRL to breast cancer development and progression. Like TP53 mutations, evidence for PRL activity is evident across several molecular cancer subtypes, and elevated PRL expression and loss of p53 have been observed in some of the same clinical tumors. In order to examine the interaction of these factors, we used genetically modified mouse models of mammary-specific p53 loss and local overexpression of PRL. We demonstrated that mammary PRL decreased the latency of tumors in the absence of p53, and increased the proportion of triple-negative claudin-low carcinomas, which display similarities to human clinical metaplastic carcinomas. Moreover, PRL/p53(-/-) carcinomas displayed higher rates of proliferation and more aggressive behavior. Transcripts associated with cell cycle progression, invasion and stromal reactivity were differentially expressed in carcinomas that developed in the presence of elevated PRL. PRL/p53(-/-) carcinomas also exhibited selectively altered expression of activating protein-1 components, including higher levels of c-Jun and FosL1, which can drive transcription of many of these genes and the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. The ability of PRL to promote claudin-low carcinomas demonstrates that PRL can influence this subset of triple-negative breast cancers, which may have been obscured by the relative infrequency of this cancer subtype. Our findings suggest novel therapeutic approaches, and provide a preclinical model to develop possible agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- K A O'Leary
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - D E Rugowski
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - R Sullivan
- University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - L A Schuler
- 1] Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA [2] University of Wisconsin Paul P. Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
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Volden PA, Wonder EL, Skor MN, Carmean CM, Patel FN, Ye H, Kocherginsky M, McClintock MK, Brady MJ, Conzen SD. Chronic social isolation is associated with metabolic gene expression changes specific to mammary adipose tissue. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2013; 6:634-45. [PMID: 23780289 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-12-0458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Chronic social isolation is linked to increased mammary tumor growth in rodent models of breast cancer. In the C3(1)/SV40 T-antigen FVB/N (TAg) mouse model of "triple-negative" breast cancer, the heightened stress response elicited by social isolation has been associated with increased expression of metabolic genes in the mammary gland before invasive tumors develop (i.e., during the in situ carcinoma stage). To further understand the mechanisms underlying how accelerated mammary tumor growth is associated with social isolation, we separated the mammary gland adipose tissue from adjacent ductal epithelial cells and analyzed individual cell types for changes in metabolic gene expression. Specifically, increased expression of the key metabolic genes Acaca, Hk2, and Acly was found in the adipocyte, rather than the epithelial fraction. Surprisingly, metabolic gene expression was not significantly increased in visceral adipose depots of socially isolated female mice. As expected, increased metabolic gene expression in the mammary adipocytes of socially isolated mice coincided with increased glucose metabolism, lipid synthesis, and leptin secretion from this adipose depot. Furthermore, application of media that had been cultured with isolated mouse mammary adipose tissue (conditioned media) resulted in increased proliferation of mammary cancer cells relative to group-housed-conditioned media. These results suggest that exposure to a chronic stressor (social isolation) results in specific metabolic reprogramming in mammary gland adipocytes that in turn contributes to increased proliferation of adjacent preinvasive malignant epithelial cells. Metabolites and/or tumor growth-promoting proteins secreted from adipose tissue could identify biomarkers and/or targets for preventive intervention in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Volden
- Department of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
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Madden KS, Szpunar MJ, Brown EB. Early impact of social isolation and breast tumor progression in mice. Brain Behav Immun 2013; 30 Suppl:S135-41. [PMID: 22610067 PMCID: PMC3431437 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2012.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2012] [Revised: 04/15/2012] [Accepted: 05/04/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence from cancer patients and animal models of cancer indicates that exposure to psychosocial stress can promote tumor growth and metastasis, but the pathways underlying stress-induced cancer pathogenesis are not fully understood. Social isolation has been shown to promote tumor progression. We examined the impact of social isolation on breast cancer pathogenesis in adult female severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice using the human breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231, a high β-adrenergic receptor (AR) expressing line. When group-adapted mice were transferred into single housing (social isolation) one week prior to MB-231 tumor cell injection into a mammary fat pad (orthotopic), no alterations in tumor growth or metastasis were detected compared to group-housed mice. When social isolation was delayed until tumors were palpable, tumor growth was transiently increased in singly-housed mice. To determine if sympathetic nervous system activation was associated with increased tumor growth, spleen and tumor norepinephrine (NE) was measured after social isolation, in conjunction with tumor-promoting macrophage populations. Three days after transfer to single housing, spleen weight was transiently increased in tumor-bearing and non-tumor-bearing mice in conjunction with reduced splenic NE concentration and elevated CD11b+Gr-1+ macrophages. At day 10 after social isolation, no changes in spleen CD11b+ populations or NE were detected in singly-housed mice. In the tumors, social isolation increased CD11b+Gr-1+, CD11b+Gr-1-, and F4/80+ macrophage populations, with no change in tumor NE. The results indicate that a psychological stressor, social isolation, elicits dynamic but transient effects on macrophage populations that may facilitate tumor growth. The transiency of the changes in peripheral NE suggest that homeostatic mechanisms may mitigate the impact of social isolation over time. Studies are underway to define the neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying the tumor-promoting effects of social isolation, and to determine the contributions of increased tumor macrophages to tumor pathogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelley S Madden
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
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Stress regulation of kisspeptin in the modulation of reproductive function. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2013; 784:431-54. [PMID: 23550018 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-6199-9_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Stressful stimuli abound in modern society and have shaped evolution through altering reproductive development, behavior, and physiology. The recent identification of kisspeptin as an important component of the hypothalamic regulatory circuits involved in reproductive homeostasis sparked a great deal of research interest that subsequently implicated kisspeptin signaling in the relay of metabolic, environmental, and physiological cues to the hypothalamo-pituitary-gonadal axis. However, although it is widely recognized that exposure to stress profoundly impacts on reproductive function, the roles of kisspeptin within the complex mechanisms underlying stress regulation of reproduction remain poorly understood. We and others have recently demonstrated that a variety of experimental stress paradigms downregulate the expression of kisspeptin ligand and receptor within the reproductive brain. Coincidently, these stressors also inhibit gonadotropin secretion and delay pubertal onset-processes that rely on kisspeptin signaling. However, a modest literature is inconsistent with an exclusively suppressive influence of stress on the reproductive axis and suggests that complicated neural interactions and signaling mechanisms translate the stress response into reproductive perturbations. The purpose of this chapter is to review the evidence for a novel role of kisspeptin signaling in the modulation of reproductive function by stress and to broaden the understanding of this timely phenomenon.
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Nachat-Kappes R, Pinel A, Combe K, Lamas B, Farges MC, Rossary A, Goncalves-Mendes N, Caldefie-Chezet F, Vasson MP, Basu S. Effects of enriched environment on COX-2, leptin and eicosanoids in a mouse model of breast cancer. PLoS One 2012; 7:e51525. [PMID: 23272114 PMCID: PMC3521763 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0051525] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2012] [Accepted: 11/05/2012] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and adipokines have been implicated in breast cancer. This study investigated a possible link between COX-2 and adipokines in the development of mammary tumors. A model of environmental enrichment (EE), known to reduce tumor growth was used for a syngeneic murine model of mammary carcinoma. 3-week-old, female C57BL/6 mice were housed in standard environment (SE) or EE cages for 9 weeks and transplanted orthotopically with syngeneic EO771 adenocarcinoma cells into the right inguinal mammary fat pad. EE housing influenced mammary gland development with a decrease in COX-2 expressing cells and enhanced side-branching and advanced development of alveolar structures of the mammary gland. Tumor volume and weight were decreased in EE housed mice and were associated with a reduction in COX-2 and Ki67 levels, and an increase in caspase-3 levels. In tumors of SE mice, high COX-2 expression correlated with enhanced leptin detection. Non-tumor-bearing EE mice showed a significant increase in adiponectin levels but no change in those of leptin, F(2)-isoprostanes, PGF(2α), IL-6, TNF-α, PAI-1, and MCP-1 levels. Both tumor-bearing groups (SE and EE housing) had increased resistin, IL-6, TNF-α, PAI-1 and MCP-1 levels irrespective of the different housing environment demonstrating higher inflammatory response due to the presence of the tumor. This study demonstrates that EE housing influenced normal mammary gland development and inhibited mammary tumor growth resulting in a marked decrease in intratumoral COX-2 activity and an increase in the plasma ratio of adiponectin/leptin levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachida Nachat-Kappes
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Alexandre Pinel
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Kristell Combe
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bruno Lamas
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marie-Chantal Farges
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Adrien Rossary
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Nicolas Goncalves-Mendes
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Florence Caldefie-Chezet
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marie-Paule Vasson
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Centre de Lutte Contre le Cancer Jean Perrin, Unité de Nutrition, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Service Nutrition, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Samar Basu
- Chaire d’Excellence Program, Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Nutrition, Université d'Auvergne, Unité de Nutrition Humaine, Equipe ECRIN, CLARA, CRNH Auvergne; INRA, UMR, UNH, CRNH Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
- Oxidative Stress and Inflammation, Department of Public Health and Caring Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
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Biegler KA, Anderson AKL, Wenzel LB, Osann K, Nelson EL. Longitudinal change in telomere length and the chronic stress response in a randomized pilot biobehavioral clinical study: implications for cancer prevention. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2012; 5:1173-82. [PMID: 22827974 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-12-0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Shortened telomere length is associated with increased cancer incidence and mortality. Populations experiencing chronic stress have accelerated telomere shortening. In this exploratory study, we examined associations between longitudinal changes in patient reported outcomes (PRO) of psychologic distress and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) telomere length to test the hypothesis that modulation of the chronic stress response would also modulate telomere dynamics. Archived PBMC specimens (N = 22) were analyzed from a completed and reported randomized, longitudinal trial that showed a psychosocial telephone counseling intervention improved quality of life (QOL) and modulated stress-associated biomarkers in cervical cancer survivors. PROs and biospecimens were collected at baseline and 4 months postenrollment. Telomere length of archived PBMCs was evaluated using the flow-FISH assay. Longitudinal changes in psychologic distress, measured by the Brief Symptom Inventory-18, were significantly associated with increased telomere length within the CD14(+) (monocyte) population (r = -0.46, P = 0.043); a similar trend was observed for the CD14(-) population. Longitudinal changes in telomere length of the CD14(-) subset, primarily T lymphocytes, were associated with longitudinal increases in the naive T-cell population (r = 0.49, P = 0.052). Alterations in the chronic stress response were associated with modulation of telomere length in PBMCs, with evidence for mobilization of "younger" cells from progenitor populations. These data provide preliminary support for the (i) capacity to modulate the chronic stress response and the associated accelerated telomere shortening, (ii) inclusion of telomere length in the biobehavioral paradigm, and (iii) potential link between the chronic stress response and biologic mechanisms responsible for genomic integrity and carcinogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly A Biegler
- Division of Hematology/Oncology, Center for Immunology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
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Stress-induced depressive behaviors are correlated with Par-4 and DRD2 expression in rat striatum. Behav Brain Res 2011; 223:329-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2011.04.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2011] [Revised: 04/24/2011] [Accepted: 04/29/2011] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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Benaroya-Milshtein N, Hollander N, Apter A, Yaniv I, Pick CG. Stress conditioning in mice: alterations in immunity and tumor growth. Stress 2011; 14:301-11. [PMID: 21294662 DOI: 10.3109/10253890.2010.545845] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The neuroendocrine and autonomic nervous systems are known regulators of brain-immune interaction. However, the functional significance of this interaction under stress is not fully understood. We investigated the effect of a stress paradigm by applying electric foot shock followed by three reminders, on behavior, immune parameters, and lymphoma tumor growth. Male C3H mice were divided into two groups: Group 1-exposed to electric foot shock followed by three reminders, and Group 2-untreated (controls). Sets of mice underwent the elevated plus maze, staircase, and hot plate tests. After foot shock, natural killer (NK) cell activity, and lymphocyte proliferation were measured. In addition, sets of mice were either vaccinated twice with B-cell lymphoma 38C-13 immunoglobulin for determination of anti-idiotype (Id) antibodies in sera, or inoculated with tumor cells and monitored for tumor development and survival time. Mice exposed to electric foot shock followed by the three reminders had higher NK cell activity, levels of anti-Id antibodies, and a higher proliferation rate of splenocytes in response to mitogens, than the control mice. The exposed mice also showed attenuated tumor growth. Thus, the stress paradigm inhibited tumor development and lead to some immune changes that were not accompanied by behavioral changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noa Benaroya-Milshtein
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Antonova L, Aronson K, Mueller CR. Stress and breast cancer: from epidemiology to molecular biology. Breast Cancer Res 2011; 13:208. [PMID: 21575279 PMCID: PMC3219182 DOI: 10.1186/bcr2836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Stress exposure has been proposed to contribute to the etiology of breast cancer. However, the validity of this assertion and the possible mechanisms involved are not well established. Epidemiologic studies differ in their assessment of the relative contribution of stress to breast cancer risk, while physiological studies propose a clear connection but lack the knowledge of intracellular pathways involved. The present review aims to consolidate the findings from different fields of research (including epidemiology, physiology, and molecular biology) in order to present a comprehensive picture of what we know to date about the role of stress in breast cancer development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia Antonova
- Center for Cancer Therapeutics, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, 501 Smyth Rd, TOHCC 3rd floor, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8L6, Canada.
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Arendt LM, Rugowski DE, Grafwallner-Huseth TA, Garcia-Barchino MJ, Rui H, Schuler LA. Prolactin-induced mouse mammary carcinomas model estrogen resistant luminal breast cancer. Breast Cancer Res 2011; 13:R11. [PMID: 21276249 PMCID: PMC3109579 DOI: 10.1186/bcr2819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2010] [Revised: 11/30/2010] [Accepted: 01/28/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Tumors that express estrogen receptor alpha (ERα+) comprise 75% of breast cancers in women. While treatments directed against this receptor have successfully lowered mortality rates, many primary tumors initially or later exhibit resistance. The paucity of murine models of this "luminal" tumor subtype has hindered studies of factors that promote their pathogenesis and modulate responsiveness to estrogen-directed therapeutics. Since epidemiologic studies closely link prolactin and the development of ERα+ tumors in women, we examined characteristics of the aggressive ERα+ and ERα- carcinomas which develop in response to mammary prolactin in a murine transgenic model (neu-related lipocalin- prolactin (NRL-PRL)). To evaluate their relationship to clinical tumors, we determined phenotypic relationships among these carcinomas, other murine models of breast cancer, and features of luminal tumors in women. Methods We examined a panel of prolactin-induced tumors for characteristics relevant to clinical tumors: histotype, ERα/progesterone receptor (PR) expression and estrogen responsiveness, Activating Protein 1 (AP-1) components, and phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 5 (Stat5), extracellular signal regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2 and AKT. We compared levels of transcripts in the ERα-associated "luminal" signature that defines this subtype of tumors in women and transcripts enriched in various mammary epithelial lineages to other well-studied genetically modified murine models of breast cancer. Finally, we used microarray analyses to compare prolactin-induced ERα+ and ERα- tumors, and examined responsiveness to estrogen and the anti-estrogen, Faslodex, in vivo. Results Prolactin-induced carcinomas were markedly diverse with respect to histotype, ERα/PR expression, and activated signaling cascades. They constituted a heterogeneous, but distinct group of murine mammary tumors, with molecular features of the luminal subtype of human breast cancer. In contrast to morphologically normal and hyperplastic structures in NRL-PRL females, carcinomas were insensitive to ERα-mediated signals. These tumors were distinct from mouse mammary tumor virus (MMTV)-neu tumors, and contained elevated transcripts for factors associated with luminal/alveolar expansion and differentiation, suggesting that they arose from physiologic targets of prolactin. These features were shared by ERα+ and ERα- tumors, suggesting a common origin, although the former exhibited transcript profiles reflecting greater differentiation. Conclusions Our studies demonstrate that prolactin can promote diverse carcinomas in mice, many of which resemble luminal breast cancers, providing a novel experimental model to examine the pathogenesis, progression and treatment responsiveness of this tumor subtype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M Arendt
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2015 Linden Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Schuler LA, Auger AP. Psychosocially influenced cancer: diverse early-life stress experiences and links to breast cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2010; 3:1365-70. [PMID: 21084258 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-10-0238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
This perspective on Boyd et al. (beginning on page 1398 in this issue of the journal) discusses recent published research examining the interplay between social stress and breast cancer. Cross-disciplinary studies using genetically defined mouse models and established neonatal and peripubertal paradigms of social stress are illuminating biological programming by diverse early-life experiences for the risk of breast cancer. Understanding the mechanisms underlying this programming can lead to the identification of risk factors and sensitive developmental windows, enabling improved prevention and treatment strategies for this devastating disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda A Schuler
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, 2015 Linden Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA.
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Boyd AL, Salleh A, Humber B, Yee J, Tomes L, Kerr LR. Neonatal experiences differentially influence mammary gland morphology, estrogen receptor {α} protein levels, and carcinogenesis in BALB/c mice. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 2010; 3:1398-408. [PMID: 21084260 DOI: 10.1158/1940-6207.capr-10-0111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Prevention of breast cancer can be achieved with a better understanding of the factors contributing to normal breast development. Because the breast develops postnatally, alterations in the development and lifetime activity of the neuroendocrine system may set up an environment that increases cancer risk. The present study examined how two neonatal experiences over the first 3 weeks of life influence normal and malignant mammary gland development in female BALB/c mice. Following puberty, both brief (15 minutes) and prolonged (4 hours) daily maternal separations of newborn mice accelerated mammary gland development relative to nonseparated mice. Despite similar mammary gland morphologies between mice exposed to these two neonatal separation experiences, only mice exposed to prolonged maternal separation bouts showed a higher incidence and faster onset of mammary tumorigenesis following adulthood carcinogen [7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene] administration. Molecular analysis of estrogen receptor α (ERα) and p53, two proteins that have been implicated in breast cancer, revealed that for mice exposed to prolonged neonatal maternal separation bouts, mammary gland ERα protein levels were upregulated in a transcription-independent manner. On the other hand, p53 expression in mammary glands of adult mice was not differentially influenced by neonatal experiences. Our findings show that chronic, moderate psychosocial stress during the neonatal period increases the expression of ERα protein and promotes mammary tumorigenesis in adulthood.
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The Relationship Between Psychosocial Stressors and Breast Cancer Biology. CURRENT BREAST CANCER REPORTS 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s12609-010-0021-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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