• Toxicological Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.275-284
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• 2000

The organ culture model of the whole mammary gland has many advantages for the study of branching morphogenesis and biological characteristics, including tumorigenesis. Prior to whole gland organ culture, rats were treated with 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) or N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) for one week. The tramdorming effect and the morphological changes were assessed by the whole mount preparations and histopathological examination in terminal end buds (TEB), terminal ducts (TD), alveolar buds (AB), alveolar lobules (AL) and hyperplastic alveolar nodules (HAN) of the mammary gland. Grossfindings of the mammary glands at dissection were higher branching morphogenesis and larger volume in carcinogen-treated groups than in carcinogen-non-treated groups. Results of the whole mount method were coincided with those of the histopathological observations. Circular TEB, normally maintained AB, AL, and high cellular density were more frequently observed in carcinogen-treated groups than in carcinogen-nan-treated groups. Histopathologically, as a preneoplastic marker, HAN was maintained only in mammary organ culture of the carcinogen-treated groups. These findings suggest that in vivo trans-formation effects by carcinogens persisted during the mammary organ culture. These results were more characteristic in DMBA than in MNU-treated group. Ducts and terminal ducts appeared to have lost morphology during their growths in case of without diethylstilbestrol (DES). The fact that in vitro organ culture without DES was resulted in abnormal ductular morphogenesis confirms that DES is a physiological regulator of ductular epithelial cell growth.

• Toxicological Research
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.465-474
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• 1998

This study was examined on the effect of ex-vivo immunotherapy in 7, 12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis. Sprague-Dawley female 40 rats were divided into Jour groups. As a positive control, Group I was intubated with DMBA, 5 mg /100 g body weight and single dose, at experimental onset. Group II was treated ex-vivo immunotherapy with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (Poly I : C) and Group III was treated with Interleukin-2 (IL-2). Group IV was negative control. All rats were sacrificed at 16 weeks after DMBA intubation. Mammary gland wet weight, dry fat free tissue weight, incidence of tumor, and the number of lobules, alveolar buds, terminal end buds, and terminal ducts were examined. Morphological changes of the mammary gland after treated with DMBA were analyzed by whole mount and histopathological method. As results, the induced mammary tumors of Group I, II and III were 60%, 33% and 0%, respectively. Histopathological types of induced-mammary tumors were adenoma, adenocarcinoma and carcinosarcoma. In analysis of the whole mount method, the number of the terminal end buds, terminal ducts and lobules were significantly lower in Group II (p<0.01) and III (p<0.01) than DMBA alone treated Group I. In microscopic observation, hyperplastic alveolar nodules were significantly lower in Group III than Group I (p<0.01). In conclusion, IL-2 had strong inhibitory effect on the mammary gland tumorigenesis induced by DMBA in rats. Whole mount method may be a useful technique to assess the mammary carcinogenesis. Moreover, hyperplastic alveolar nodules were very sensitive parameter to assess the mammary carcinogenesis.