• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.572-578
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• 1997

To gain further insight into how antiestrogens modulate cell function, the effects of antiestrogen on cell proliferation were studied in human breast cancer cells. We examined the effects of trans-tamoxifen on the proliferation of three human breast cancer cell lines that differed in their estrogen receptor contents. Trans-tamoxifen $(1{\mu}M)$ markedly inhibited the estrogen stimulated proliferation of MCF-7 human breast cancer cells that contained high levels of estrogen receptor $(1.15{\pm}0.03 pmole/mg protein)$ over that of control. In T47D cells that contained low levels of estrogen receptor $(0.23{\pm}0.05 pmole/mg protein)$, trans-tamoxifen $(1{\mu}M)$ showed minimal inhibition of estrogen stimulated cell proliferation over that of control. MDA-MB-231 cells, that contained no detectable levels of estrogen receptors, had their growth unaffected by trans-tamoxifen treatment. These results showed their sensitivity to growth inhibition by antiestrogen conrrelated well with their estrogen receptor content. Also we examined the effect of antiestrogen on cellular progestrone receptor level as well as plasminogen activator activity in MCF-7 cells. Trans-tamoxifen $(1{\mu}M)$ showed maximal inhibition of estrogen stimulated progestrone receptor level as well as plasminogen activator activity in MCF-7 cells that were stimulated by estrogen. It is not clear whether these inhibitions of progestrone receptor and plasminogen activator activity by estrogen are related to the antiestrogen inhibition of cell proliferation of MCF-7 cells. From the results of this study, it is clearly demonstrated that trans-tamoxifen is an antiestrogen in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells. Our data suggest that the biological effectiveness of trans-tamoxifen appear to result from its affinity of interaction with the estrogen receptor.

• Archives of Pharmacal Research
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.579-585
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• 1997

To gain further insight into the mechanism of action of antiestrogens, we examined the interaction of antiestrogen with the estrogen receptor system and with estrogen- noncompetable antiestrogen binding sites. In addition to binding directly to the estrogen receptor, antiestrogens can be found associated with binding sites that are distinct from the estrogen receptor. In contrast to the restriction of estrogen receptors to estrogen target cells, such as those of uterus and mammary glands, antiestrogen binding sites are present in equal amounts in estrogen receptor-positive and -negative human breast cancer cell lines, such as MCF-7, T47D, and MDA-MB-231 that differ markedly in their sensitivity to antiestrogens. In order to gain greater insight into the role of these antiestrogen binding sites in the action of antiestrogens, we have examined the biopotency of different antiestrogens for the antiestrogen binding sites and that is CI628 > tamoxifen > trans-hydroxy tamoxifen > CI628M > H1285 > LY117018. This order of affinities does not parallel the affinity of these compounds for the estrogen receptor nor the potency of these compounds as antiestrogens. Indeed, compounds with high affinity for the estrogen receptor and greatest antiestrogenic potency have low affinities for these antiestrogen binding sites. Antiestrogenic potency correlates best with estrogen receptor affinity and not with affinity for antiestrogen binding sites. In summary, our findings suggested that interaction with the estrogen receptor is most likely the mechanism through which antiestrogens evoke their growth inhibitory effects.