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Updated: Jul 15, 2026
Evaluation of Mammary Gland Development and Function in Mouse Models
Published on: July 21, 2011
Diet-induced obesity and mammary tumor development in relation to estrogen receptor status
Amitabha Ray1, Katai J Nkhata, Joseph P Grande
1Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, 801 16th Avenue NE, Austin, MN 55912, USA.
Abstract:
Leptin enhances proliferation of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells in vitro. Here, we compared mammary tumor (MT) formation from ER-positive (MCF-7) and ER-negative (MDA-MB-231) breast cancer cells in athymic mice fed a High-Fat diet to elevate serum leptin. Neither body weight, diet or serum leptin levels impacted MT latency, burden or tumor grade. However, protein expression in mammary fat pads exhibited elevated PCNA and Cyclin D1 while in MTs, Ob-Rb, IGF-IR, Bcl-2, and Bax were lower in Low-Fat versus High-Fat mice. In conclusion, diet rather than serum leptin impacted breast cancer cell tumor metabolism.
