Hormonal regulation of plasminogen activator and peroxidase activities in 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced rat mammary tumors and the rat uterus.

Oophorectomy was found to decrease the plasminogen activator activity of rat mammary tumors induced by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) to less than 7 per cent, while in vivo estradiol treatment restored its activity in a dose dependent fashion. The peroxidase activity was not changed either by oophorectomy or by the administration of estrogen. In the rat uterus, plasminogen activator activity was not changed by oophorectomy or by the administration of estrogen, however, its peroxidase activity decreased to less than 2 per cent following oophorectomy, while estrogen administration restored its activity. Estrogen regulated plasminogen activator activity in the DMBA-induced rat mammary tumors but not in the uterus and thus, the specific hormonal regulation of this enzyme may be an important factor for the hormonal dependent growth of such tumors.