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Updated: Jun 15, 2026
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Changes in Mammary Gland Morphology and Breast Cancer Risk in Rats
Published on: October 16, 2010
Mammary tumors induce select cognitive impairments
Leah M Pyter1, Sally F Cochrane, Rebecca L Ouwenga
1Department of Psychology, Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. pyter@uchicago.edu
Brain, Behavior, and Immunity
|March 2, 2010
Summary
Peripheral tumors alone can cause cognitive impairments, such as memory deficits, in rats. This is linked to increased hippocampal interleukin-1beta, a key inflammatory cytokine, suggesting a biological link between cancer and brain function.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Oncology
- Behavioral Science
Background:
- Cancer and chronic diseases are linked to behavioral symptoms, including cognitive impairments.
- Factors contributing to cancer-associated cognitive deficits include disease awareness, chemotherapy, and endogenous biological factors from tumor development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the causal role of endogenous biological factors from tumor development in cognitive deficits.
- To determine if peripheral tumors alone are sufficient to induce cognitive impairments and associated molecular changes in the brain.
Main Methods:
- Rats with mammary tumors were assessed using behavioral tests including the radial arm maze, object recognition memory test, Morris water maze, and fear conditioning.
- Hippocampal gene expression of interleukin-1beta (a cytokine) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was analyzed.
Main Results:
- Rats with mammary tumors showed impaired spatial reference memory and object recognition memory.
- Performance in the Morris water maze and fear conditioning tests was not affected.
- Elevated hippocampal interleukin-1beta mRNA expression was observed, but hippocampal BDNF gene expression remained unchanged.
Conclusions:
- Peripheral tumors are sufficient to induce increases in hippocampal cytokine expression.
- Tumor development alone can lead to select deficits in hippocampal-dependent memory tasks.
- These findings suggest a biological mechanism linking peripheral cancer to cognitive dysfunction.
