Ovarian hormone receptors in human mammary stromal cells

• Published in: The Journal of steroid biochemistry and molecular biology 2001-09, Vol.78 (3), p.285-290
• Main Authors: Koerner, Frederick, Oyama, Tetsunari, Kurosumi, Masafumi, Maluf, Horacio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adipocyte; Adipocytes - metabolism; Adolescent; Adult; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Breast; Breast - cytology; Breast - metabolism; Child; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; estrogen receptor ^a; Estrogen Receptor alpha; Estrogen receptors; Female; Fibroblast; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hormone metabolism and regulation; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Ovary - metabolism; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; Progesterone receptors; Receptors, Estrogen - metabolism; Receptors, Progesterone - metabolism; Receptors, Steroid - metabolism; Species Specificity; Stromal Cells - metabolism; Vertebrates: reproduction
• ISSN: 0960-0760; 1879-1220
• DOI: 10.1016/S0960-0760(01)00095-4

Mesenchymal cells of the rodent breast express both estrogen and progesterone receptors. Searches for these molecules in the human breast have yielded conflicting results. Following immunohistochemical staining of samples of normal human breast tissue, the authors detected estrogen receptor α protein and progesterone receptor protein in extralobular (non-specialized) fibroblasts and estrogen receptor α protein in adipocytes. Tissues from young teenage girls and pregnant women contained the greatest number of receptor positive fibroblasts. These observations confirm prior reports of the presence of ovarian hormone receptors in mammary fibroblasts. The findings also illustrate similarities in the organization of the rodent and human breasts and thereby suggest that regulation of the gland by ovarian hormones involves similar mechanisms in both species.