Dowsett M, Detre S, Rowlands M, Grimshaw R
Royal Marsden Hospital, London, UK.
J Endocrinol. 1996 Sep;150 Suppl:S59-63.
It has been known for many years that many breast carcinomas can synthesize oestrogens from androgens via the action of the enzyme aromatase. There has been widespread speculation on the possibility that this acts as an important intracrine source of growth stimulation. For example, there are data which indicate that clinical response to aromatase inhibitors is far more common in tumours which possess measurable amounts of aromatase. In addition, aromatase activity in the quadrant of the normal breast surrounding breast carcinomas is generally higher than in the other quadrants. However, these data are only suggestive and the case for a significant role for intratumoural aromatase in breast cancer growth remains unproven. We have recently explored this possibility by the transfection of human breast cancer cells with aromatase. By a series of experiments in athymic mice we have demonstrated that growth is supported by this intracrine source in the absence of endocrine oestrogen stimulation.
多年来人们已经知道，许多乳腺癌能够通过芳香化酶的作用将雄激素合成雌激素。关于这是否作为生长刺激的重要内分泌源，一直存在广泛的猜测。例如，有数据表明，在具有可测量芳香化酶量的肿瘤中，对芳香化酶抑制剂的临床反应更为常见。此外，乳腺癌周围正常乳腺象限中的芳香化酶活性通常高于其他象限。然而，这些数据仅具有提示性，肿瘤内芳香化酶在乳腺癌生长中起重要作用的观点仍未得到证实。我们最近通过用芳香化酶转染人乳腺癌细胞来探索这种可能性。通过在无胸腺小鼠中进行的一系列实验，我们证明了在没有内分泌雌激素刺激的情况下，这种内分泌源支持肿瘤生长。
