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Tamoxifen induced apoptosis in ZR-75 breast cancer xenografts antedates tumour regression

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Abstract

The ZR-75-1 ER positive breast cancer cell line,xenografted in female nude mice, has been usedto determine the effect of tamoxifen on cellproliferation (as measured by mitosis) and cell death(as evidenced by apoptosis and necrosis). After 2days treatment, there was a significant rise inapoptosis (p < 0.05), whereas a fall inmitosis was not apparent until 7 days (p< 0.05). Furthermore there was an increase inthe apoptotic : mitotic ratio on day 7(p < 0.05). These changes antedated tumour regression,which did reach not significance until day 14.Tamoxifen did not increase necrosis (which significantly decreasedin treated tumours once they had regressed (p< 0.01)). In contrast tamoxifen treatment of xenograftedMDA-MB-231 ER-negative breast cancer cells produced no significanteffects on growth, apoptosis, or mitosis. This studypresents clear evidence for tamoxifen inducing apoptosis inZR-75-1 xenografts (but not MDA-MB-231 tumours). Since changesin apoptosis and mitosis antedate tumour regression, theirassessment may provide the potential by which topredict tumour response to tamoxifen therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. I.C.R.F. Medical Oncology Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, UK

    D.A. Cameron, A.A. Ritchie, S. Langdon & W.R. Miller

  2. Department of Pathology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK

    T.J. Anderson

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  1. D.A. Cameron
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  2. A.A. Ritchie
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  3. S. Langdon
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  4. T.J. Anderson
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Cameron, D., Ritchie, A., Langdon, S. et al. Tamoxifen induced apoptosis in ZR-75 breast cancer xenografts antedates tumour regression. Breast Cancer Res Treat 45, 99–107 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005850827825

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