Faculty Bibliography

In maternal potentiation, the rate of vocalization by a young organism during isolation is greatly enhanced if that isolation has been immediately preceded by an interaction with the mother (or other adult female in the case of rats). The enhancement in isolation-induced vocalization rate does not occur if the young animal had an interaction with other social companions like littermates or with familiar inanimate stimuli like home cage shavings. The present study demonstrates that pups whose vagus nerve is cut below the diaphragm do not potentiate vocalization after an interaction with their dam. The vocalization rates of denervated pups in a first isolation, in the presence of the dam, and during cold exposure do not differ from control pups. Their non-vocal behaviors also appear unaffected by the surgery. Similar to what has been shown in studies of fever-induced behavioral changes, an intact vagus nerve from the gut is necessary for young rat pups to show normal social mediation of their isolation-induced vocal responses. (c) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol

Estrogen alone cannot explain the differences in breast cancer (BC) recurrence and incidence rates in pre- and postmenopausal women. In this study, we have tested a hypothesis that, in addition to estrogen, both iron deficiency due to menstruation and iron accumulation as a result of menstrual stop play important roles in menopause-related BC outcomes. We first tested this hypothesis in cell culture models mimicking the high-estrogen and low-iron premenopausal condition or the low-estrogen and high-iron postmenopausal condition. Subsequently, we examined this hypothesis in mice that were fed iron-deficient and iron-overloaded diets. We show that estrogen only slightly up-regulates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), an angiogenic factor known to be important in BC recurrence. It is, rather, iron deficiency that significantly promotes VEGF by stabilizing hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha. Conversely, high iron levels increase oxidative stress and sustain mitogen-activated protein kinase activation, which are mechanisms of known significance in BC development. Taken together, our results suggest, for the first time, that an iron-deficiency-mediated proangiogenic environment could contribute to the high recurrence of BC in young patients, and iron-accumulation-associated pro-oxidant conditions could lead to the high incidence of BC in older women

Measures to prevent breast cancer are receiving particular attention by women at high risk from either clinico-pathologic findings or genetic susceptibility. Life-style and nutritional interventions have been difficult to quantify, but merit further study. Chemoprevention with tamoxifen and subsequently with the related raloxifene demonstrates some efficacy, but may be not be applicable to premenopausal women (with regard to raloxifene), or have low acceptance (with regard to tamoxifen). Based on the importance of the insulin-like growth factor-1 pathway in mammary gland development, and the availability of a potent inhibitor, pilot studies are ongoing to evaluate such an inhibitor in women with demonstrable high risk to develop breast cancer. Short-term interventions with the inhibitor have been completed, and subsequent interventions are planned

INTRODUCTION: We describe a screening and prevention programme primarily targeting under-served minority women at high risk of breast and/or ovarian cancer. Women attending this Bellevue Hospital Center (BHC) Clinic were either self-referred from a variety of special outreach programmes or referred internally by medical professionals caring for relatives or friends. Our objective was to delineate referral sources and preliminary risk-assessment findings in relation to demographic features in this population. METHODS: Following a detailed family and personal history intake and physical examination, each woman on her initial visit is categorized into a low (standard) risk, high-risk or indeterminate-risk group. Women found to be at high risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancers are referred for further testing, additional screening measures, or participation in chemoprevention trials. All other women are counselled concerning follow-up and lifestyle issues. RESULT: Between 2003 and 2007, 171 women for whom complete information was obtained were analysed. Thirty-four of the women were Caucasians (19.8%) and 137 (80.2%) were ethnically diverse minority women. Sixty-two (36.2%) were found to be at high risk with a median age of 42 years. The majority of the high-risk women were referred to the clinic by medical professionals (58%), most of whom were from within the BHC health care system. In fact, one-fourth of the referrals were women who carried a diagnosis of cancer, mostly arising in the breast, and who were concerned with risks to other family members. Trends in genetic testing results indicate fewer mutations among high-risk Asians than among other ethnicities. CONCLUSION: Accurate risk assessments and implementation of screening and prevention measures have been challenging during the first few years of operation. Nevertheless, the need for providing consultation from internal referrals and the potential for genetic and psychosocial research in an ethnically diverse population are powerful incentives for continuing to evolve these services.