Mammary Glands of Women, Female Dogs and Female Rats: Similarities and Differences to Be Considered in Breast Cancer Research

Abstract

Breast cancer is one of the most common and well-known types of cancer among women worldwide and is the most frequent neoplasm in intact female dogs. Female dogs are considered attractive models or studying spontaneous breast cancer, whereas female rats are currently the most widely used animal models for breast cancer research in the laboratory context. Both female dogs and female rats have contributed to the advancement of scientific knowledge in this field, and, in a “One Health” approach, they have allowed broad understanding of specific biopathological pathways, influence of environmental factors and screening/discovery of candidate therapies. This review aims to clearly showcase the similarities and differences among woman, female dog and female rat concerning to anatomical, physiological and histological features of the mammary gland and breast/mammary cancer epidemiology, in order to better portray breast tumorigenesis, and to ensure appropriate conclusions and extrapolation of results among species. We also discuss the major aspects that stand out in these species. The mammary glands of female dogs and women share structural similarities, especially with respect to the lactiferous ducts and lymphatic drainage. In contrast, female rats have only one lactiferous duct per nipple. A comprehensive comparison between humans and dogs is given a special focus, as these species share several aspects in terms of breast/mammary cancer epidemiology, such as age of onset, hormonal etiology, risk factors, and the clinical course of the disease. Holistically, it is clear that each species has advantages and limitations that researchers must consider during the development of experimental designs and data analysis.