Progesterone receptors in feline mammary adenocarcinomas

Estradiol and progesterone receptors were measured in tumor cytosols from 3 intact and 4 neutered female cats with spontaneously occurring mammary adenocarcinomas. Serum from 2 of the intact cats which had been in estrus 4 and 4 to 6 weeks before tumor excision contained progesterone concentrations of 16.2 and 2.2 ng/ml, respectively; serum progesterone in the other cats was less than 2 ng/ml. Estradiol receptors were not detected in any cytosols. Progesterone receptors were detected in all of the cytosols, in concentrations ranging from 4.0 to 11.7 (mean = 7.2) fmol/mg of protein. Scatchard plot analysis of tumor cytosol from an 8th cat with mammary adenocarcinoma revealed presence of high affinity progesterone binding with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 3.47 nM. Tumor receptor content could not be correlated with stage of the estrous cycle nor with whether the cat was intact or neutered.