Vitamin D and Exercise and their Effects on Tumor Progession in Rat Models

Lifestyle and the environment are factors in the epidemiological progression of many diseases. Obesity is a factor that plays a role in Metabolic Syndrome, Type 2 diabetes, and breast cancer. It is therefore prudent to understand the relationship between mammary development and mammary carcinogenesis. During pregnancy, hormones, growth factors, and cytokines are up-regulated for breast development and these factors are also central to mammary tumorigenesis. Hormonal dysregulation occurs in obesity that can affect stromal-epithelial interactions and those hormones derived from fat cells are of interest. Adiponectin and leptin are two fat derived hormones that are inversely proportional in healthy and compromised individuals. In healthy people, adiponectin is high in circulating concentrations in the body and leptin is low. The opposite occurs during Metabolic Syndrome and becomes more pronounced as obesity develops. What has been shown is that when adiponectin is re-introduced in obese rat and mouse models, they tend to become leaner and healthier ameliorating obesity. Herein, the role of adiponectin and leptin will be investigated in epithelial cells in normal mammary development and mammary carcinogenesis to better understand these adipocyte derived hormones.