Open AccessMammary Fibroblast‐derived Hepatocyte Growth Factor Stimulates Growth and Morphogenesis of Mouse Mammary Tumor Cells in Primary Culture
Author(s) -
Sasaki Masato,
Nishio Masahiro,
Tsukada Yasukatsu,
Enami Jumpei
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
japanese journal of cancer research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.035
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1349-7006
pISSN - 0910-5050
DOI - 10.1111/j.1349-7006.1998.tb00508.x
Subject(s) - hepatocyte growth factor , mammary tumor , mammary gland , stromal cell , biology , epidermal growth factor , morphogenesis , growth factor , endocrinology , fibroblast growth factor , medicine , cell culture , microbiology and biotechnology , cancer research , receptor , cancer , biochemistry , genetics , breast cancer , gene
We have recently isolated a mammary growth factor from the conditioned medium of mouse mammary stromal fibroblasts and identified it as a mouse homologue of human HGF (hepatocyte growth factor). To elucidate the role of HGF in mouse mammary tumorigenesis, we produced recombinant mouse HGF and examined its effects on primary cultures of mouse mammary tumor cells in this study. HGF at concentrations above 20 ng/ml maximally stimulated the growth of mammary tumor cells in primary monolayer culture. HGF also stimulated the three‐dimensional growth and branching morphogenesis of mammary tumor cells cultured inside collagen gels. A comparison of the growth‐stimulating activity of HGF with that of EGF (epidermal growth factor) and KGF (keratinocyte growth factor) revealed that HGF is the most potent growth factor among the three. Immunological studies using an antibody against mouse HGF demonstrated that 74% of the growth‐stimulating activity present in the mammary fibroblast‐conditioned medium was abolished by the antibody, indicating that HGF is the major growth factor produced by the fibroblasts. These observations thus suggest a role for HGF as a mammary stromal fibroblast‐derived factor which stimulates growth and morphogenesis of adjacent mammary tumor cells in vivo .