Epithalon decelerates aging and suppresses development of breast adenocarcinomas in transgenic her-2/neu mice.

Abstract

Female transgenic FVB/N mice carrying the breast cancer gene HER-2/neu received epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly) in a dose of 1 mg subcutaneously 5 times a week to from the 2nd month of life to death. Epithalon prolonged the average and maximum lifetimes of mice by 13.5 (p<0.05) and 13.9%, respectively. The peptide prolonged the average lifetime of animals without neoplasms (by 34.2%, p<0.05). Epithalon decelerated the development of age-related disturbances in reproductive activity and suppressed the formation of neoplasms. The peptide decreased the incidence of breast adenocarcinomas, lungs metastases (by 1.6 times, p<0.05), and multiple tumors (by 2 times). Epithalon 3.7-fold increased the number of mice without breast tumors (p<0.05), while the number of animals with 6 or more breast tumors decreased by 3 times (p<0.05). Epithalon prolonged the lifetime of mice with breast tumors by 1.4 times (p<0.05). These results indicate that Epithalon possesses geroprotective activity and inhibits breast carcinogenesis in transgenic mice, which is probably related to suppression of HER-2/neu expression.

• Authors: V N Anisimov, V Kh Khavinson, I N Alimova, A V Semchenko, A I Yashin
• Journal: Bulletin of experimental biology and medicine (Bull Exp Biol Med) Vol. 134 Issue 2 Pg. 187-90 (Aug 2002) ISSN: 0007-4888 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12459848 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Oligopeptides
• Receptor, ErbB-2
• alanyl-glutamyl-aspartyl-glycine

Topics

• Adenocarcinoma (genetics, pathology)
• Aging (drug effects)
• Animals
• Breast Neoplasms (genetics, pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Transgenic
• Oligopeptides (pharmacology)
• Receptor, ErbB-2 (genetics)