Abstract B31: In utero exposure to bisphenol A induces reprogramming of mammary development and tumor risk in MMTV-erbB-2 transgenic mice
Authors: Ma Zhikun , Parris Amanda , Yang Xiaohe 
Published: May 2016

Increasing evidence indicates that environmental exposure plays a critical role in breast cancer etiology. Bisphenol A (BPA), the building block of polycarbonate plastics with estrogenic activity, is one of the most common chemicals exposed in daily life. Recent studies suggest a link between BPA exposure and increased breast cancer risk. However, specific conditions and the underlying mechanisms of BPA exposure associated breast cancer risk remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the effects of in utero exposure to BPA on mammary tumor development in MMTV-erbB-2 transgenic mice, which exemplifies a scenario of gene-environmental interaction. Since erbB-2 is amplified/overexpressed in approximately 30% of breast cancer, which has been associated with poor prognosis and therapeutic resistance, use of this clinically relevant mammary tumor model is of high translational value. In this study, pregnant MMTV-erbB-2 mice were subcutaneously injected with 0, 50 ng, 500 ng and 250 μg/Kg body weight BPA daily between day 13 and day 19 of gestation. We found that in utero exposed mice in the low dose (50 and 500 ng) groups, but not the high dose group (250 μg), displayed earlier vaginal opening and prolonged estrous phase, suggesting a dose dependent pro-estrogenic effect of in utero exposure to BPA. Whole mount analysis showed that mammary glands of mice with in utero exposure to low dose BPA had a longer ductal extension at 6 weeks and increased lateral branching/alveolar structures at 10 weeks, which was more significant in the 500 ng group but less evident in the high dose group. Molecular analysis of mammary tissues at 10 weeks indicated that in utero exposure to BPA increased phosphorylation/activation of erbB-2, EGFR, erbB-3, Erk1/2 and Akt, and expression of erbB-3 and EGFR. Signaling of estrogen receptor (ER) pathway was upregulated concomitantly, as reflected by increased expression and phosphorylation of ERα and upregulation of cyclin D1 and c-myc. More importantly, mice in the 500 ng group but not in the high dose group, developed tumor earlier than the mice in the control group, suggesting that dose is a critical factor affecting the outcomes. These data demonstrated that in utero exposure to BPA may promote mammary tumor development in erbB-2 transgenic mice in a dose dependent manner. Concomitant activation of the erbB-2 and ER pathways in the premalignant tissues suggests that induction of ER-erbB-2 crosstalk may play a critical role in mammary tumorigenesis promoted by in utero exposure to BPA, which underscores the significance of gene-environment interaction in early exposure to BPA associated breast cancer risk.

Citation Format: Zhikun Ma, Amanda Parris, Xiaohe Yang. In utero exposure to bisphenol A induces reprogramming of mammary development and tumor risk in MMTV-erbB-2 transgenic mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference: Developmental Biology and Cancer; Nov 30-Dec 3, 2015; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Mol Cancer Res 2016;14(4_Suppl):Abstract nr B31.