Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 26, 2026
Isolation of Intact, Whole Mouse Mammary Glands for Analysis of Extracellular Matrix Expression and Gland Morphology
Published on: October 30, 2017
Expression of androgen receptor in mammary glands in ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys
H Kawaguchi1, Y Umekita, K Fukuzaki
1Department of Tumor Pathology, Field of Oncology, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, 890-8544, Japan. kawa@m3.kufm.kagoshima-u.ac.jp
Abstract:
This study investigated structural alterations and the immunohistochemical expression of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PgR) in the mammary glands from surgically postmenopausal cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis). Fourteen animals were divided into 2 groups. Seven animals underwent an ovariectomy (OVX), and the other 7 animals underwent a sham operation (sham). The in-life phase of study was 78 weeks. Atrophy in the mammary glands of OVX monkeys was similar to early postmenopausal atrophy of the human breast. The proportion of AR-positive cells in the OVX group was significantly higher than in the sham group, but the proportion of ER and PgR-positive cells was significantly lower. These results suggest that use of a primate model for hormone receptor expression has potential applications in basic human endocrinology, particularly in research in hormone receptor expression in mammary glands (both normal and neoplastic).
Insights
Ovariectomy in cynomolgus monkeys induced mammary gland atrophy and altered hormone receptor expression, increasing androgen receptor (AR) while decreasing estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PgR) positivity, offering insights into human menopause.
Area of Science:
- Comparative Endocrinology
- Primate Reproductive Biology
- Mammary Gland Physiology
Background:
- Hormone receptor expression in mammary glands is crucial for understanding breast development and disease.
- Surgically induced menopause in primates provides a model to study hormonal changes similar to human postmenopause.
- Cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) serve as a valuable non-human primate model for endocrine research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate structural changes in mammary glands following surgical menopause in cynomolgus monkeys.
- To examine the immunohistochemical expression of androgen receptor (AR), estrogen receptor (ER), and progesterone receptor (PgR) in primate mammary glands.
- To evaluate the potential of this primate model for human endocrinology and breast cancer research.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen cynomolgus monkeys were divided into ovariectomy (OVX) and sham operation groups.
- Mammary gland tissues were analyzed after a 78-week study period.
- Immunohistochemistry was used to quantify the proportion of AR, ER, and PgR positive cells.
Main Results:
- Ovariectomy induced mammary gland atrophy comparable to early human postmenopausal changes.
- The proportion of AR-positive cells was significantly higher in the OVX group compared to the sham group.
- The proportion of ER and PgR-positive cells was significantly lower in the OVX group versus the sham group.
Conclusions:
- Surgical menopause in cynomolgus monkeys alters mammary gland structure and hormone receptor expression profiles.
- The observed changes, particularly increased AR and decreased ER/PgR, highlight the role of these receptors in postmenopausal mammary tissue.
- This primate model is suitable for studying hormone receptor dynamics in mammary glands, with implications for human endocrinology and neoplastic research.
