Hk. Bhat et al., DIFFERENTIAL EXPRESSION OF NEU MESSENGER-RNA AND PROTEIN IN HAMSTER-KIDNEY AND ESTROGEN-INDUCED KIDNEY TUMORS, International journal of oncology, 7(3), 1995, pp. 535-538
An inverse relationship between the expression of the neu oncogene and
estrogen receptors has been observed in breast cancer patients. In th
is study, we examined neu expression in the estrogen-induced and -depe
ndent hamster kidney tumors, in kidney and in controls to evaluate the
usefulness of this animal model far studying the regulation of genes
important in hormonal cancer. The expression of neu mRNA was analyzed
by Northern analysis and Neu oncoprotein localization by immunocytoche
mistry. The Neu oncoprotein was detected in several segments of proxim
al and distal kidney tubules, the loops of Henle and the parietal epit
helial cells of Bowman's capsule but not in the tumor. neu mRNA was ex
pressed in renal tissue after estrogen treatment and in untreated cont
rols, but not in kidney tumors. The absence of Neu oncoprotein and mRN
A from those cell types that have previously been shown to overexpress
estrogen receptors in response to estrogen, suggests that the estroge
n receptor and neu genes are interdependent in this tumor system, whic
h may thus be a useful animal model for studying the regulation of neu
by estrogens.