Selenium Modulation of Cell Proliferation and Cell Cycle Biomarkers in Normal and Premalignant Cells of the Rat Mammary Gland

The present study was designed to assess the effect of Se -methylselenocysteine or triphenylselenonium chloride treatment on cell proliferation [bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) labeling] and cell cycle biomarkers [proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), cyclin D 1 , and p27/Kip 1] in the intact mammary gland of rats. Immunohistochemical assays of the above end points were carried out in different morphological structures: ( a ) terminal end bud cells and alveolar cells of a maturing mammary gland undergoing active differentiation; and ( b ) premalignant mammary intraductal proliferations (IDPs) identified at 6 weeks after carcinogen dosing. Neither compound was found to affect BrdUrd labeling or the expression of cell cycle biomarkers in the normal terminal-end bud cells and alveolar cells. Se -methylselenocysteine reduced the total number of IDP lesions by ∼60%. Interestingly, this was not accompanied by decreases in BrdUrd labeling or the proportion of IDP cells expressing PCNA and cyclin D 1 . An enhancement in the fraction of p27/Kip 1-positive IDP cells, however, was detected as a result of Se -methylselenocysteine treatment. Although triphenylselenonium chloride did not reduce the total number of IDPs, there were more of the smaller-sized lesions and fewer of the larger-sized lesions compared with those found in the control group. Triphenylselenonium chloride also significantly decreased the proportion of IDP cells incorporating the BrdUrd label or expressing PCNA and cyclin D 1 . The above findings suggest that early transformed cells are sensitive to selenium intervention, whereas normal proliferating cells are not. It is possible that Se -methylselenocysteine blocks carcinogenesis by a pathway that may not involve cell growth inhibition as a primary response; in contrast, triphenylselenonium chloride is likely to act by a cytostatic mechanism. The data also imply that selenium efficacy testing in intervention trials is possible with the use of biomarkers, provided that the appropriate biomarkers are matched with the selenium compound of interest and that the pathological characteristics of the cell population to be evaluated are taken into consideration.