those taking black cohosh may want to read this!!!!

[Lani]

Abstract Number:
3926
Presentation Title:
Effects of black cohosh treatment on metastatic markers in the MMTV/neu model of breast cancer
Presentation Start/End Time:
Tuesday, Apr 04, 2006, 8:00 AM -12:00 PM
Location:
Exhibit Hall, Washington Convention Center
Poster Section:
23
Poster Board Number:
12
Author Block:
Mary P. Kotlarczyk, Vicki L. Davis, Manuel J. Jayo. Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, JayoPath, Advance, NC
Black cohosh is an herbal supplement used by many women to control the symptoms of menopause, mainly hot flashes. While many view black cohosh as a safe alternative to hormone replacement therapy, there is limited research regarding the effects of black cohosh on breast tumor development and progression. Previous work in our lab has shown that black cohosh treatment (adjusted to correlate with the recommended dose in women) did not alter primary mammary tumor incidence and latency in MMTV/neu transgenic mice. However, black cohosh treatment did significantly increase the incidence of metastatic cancer. We have recently confirmed that black cohosh does not alter expression of the neu transgene in the normal mammary gland, indicating that the changes in metastatic cancer incidence are not due to the effects of black cohosh on the MMTV promoter. Expression of the endogenous neu gene was also unchanged. We are currently investigating metastatic markers to determine how black cohosh is altering tumor progression. Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9) are enzymes involved in degradation of the basement membrane, an important step in the metastatic pathway. Tumor tissues from both control and black cohosh-treated mice that had detectable metastatic mammary tumors and those that had no metastases were analyzed by gelatin zymography to determine expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. Preliminary results suggest that black cohosh treatment may increase the levels of active MMP-2 and MMP-9 enzymes. Through ongoing analysis of matrix metalloproteinases and additional metastatic and angiogenic factors, we hope to identify specific markers that are altered by black cohosh treatment. This will enable us to better understand how black cohosh is promoting the progression of primary mammary tumors to metastatic cancer. Because the MMTV/neu model mimics a common form of human breast cancer (HER2), these markers can then be examined in human samples in order to determine if the effects of black cohosh on metastatic cancer are similar in breast cancer patients.


97th AACR Annual Meeting