Pathological manifestations of granulomatous lobular mastitis.

Granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM) is a rare inflammatory breast disease with unknown etiology, characterized by non-caseous granulomatous inflammation of the lobules, which infiltrate lymphocytes, neutrophils, plasma cells, monocytes, and eosinophils may accompany. GLM is often misdiagnosed as breast cancer due to the lack of specificity in clinical and imaging examinations, and therefore histopathology is the main basis for confirming the diagnosis. This review provides an overview of the pathological features of granulomatous lobular mastitis and cystic neutrophil granulomatous mastitis (CNGM, a pathologic subtype of GLM). As well as pathologic manifestations of other breast diseases that need to be differentiated from granulomatous lobular mastitis such as breast tuberculosis, lymphocytic mastopathy/diabetic mastopathy, IgG4-related sclerosing mastitis (IgG4-RSM), nodular disease, Wegener's granulomatosis, and plasma cell mastitis. Besides, discusses GLM and CNGM, GLM and breast cancer, emphasizing that their relationship deserves further in-depth exploration. The pathogenesis of GLM has not yet been clearly articulated and needs to be further explored, pathology enables direct observation of the microscopic manifestations of the disease and contributes to further investigation of the pathogenesis.

Granulomatous mastitis in a 50-year-old male: A case report and review of literature.

BACKGROUND: Granulomatous mastitis (GM) an inflammatory disease of the breast that usually affects women of childbearing age, occurs very rarely in males. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case study of a 50-year-old male patient with GM. The patient developed a breast lump following the cleaning of a previously embedded dirt-filled nipple. While an initial improvement was noted with antibiotic therapy, a recurrence occurred a year later, showing resistance to the previously effective antibiotics. Subsequently, the lesion was excised. The histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of GM. CONCLUSION: GM should be considered a possible diagnosis of male breast masses.

Extract of Platycodon grandiflorum Prevents Doxorubicin-induced Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer.

Doxorubicin (Dox) is a first-line chemotherapeutic agent applied in cancer treatment. Its long-term anticancer efficacy is restricted mainly due to its subsequent cardiotoxicity for patients. Platycodon grandiflorum (PG), an important traditional Chinese herb, has been reported to eliminate phlegm, relieve cough, and reduce inflammatory diseases. Previous clinical studies found that PG has cardioprotective effects for early breast cancer patients who received Dox-based chemotherapy. However, the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying PG-mediated cardiotoxic rescue remain elusive. This study aimed to explore the protective role and potential molecular mechanisms of PG on Dox-induced cardiac dysfunction in a mouse model of breast cancer. PG significantly alleviated myocardial damage and prevented cardiomyocyte apoptosis induced by Dox. The expression levels of cytochrome C and cleaved caspase-3 significantly decreased, and the levels of Bcl-XL and B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein increased following PG treatment. Furthermore, PG remarkably enhanced the antimetastatic efficacy (versus the Dox group) by regulating the balance of matrix metalloproteinases/tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases.

Tongue features of patients with granulomatous lobular mastitis.

Traditional Chinese tongue diagnosis plays an irreplaceable role in disease diagnosis. This study aimed to describe the tongue characteristics of patients with granulomatous lobular mastitis (GLM). Forty GLM patients and 40 non-GLM controls were evaluated using the Traditional Chinese Medicine subjective clinical interpretation and a TDA-1 Tongue Diagnostic and Analysis system. The associations between the image features of the tongue body and coating and the profiling of immune-inflammatory parameters were analyzed. GLM patients were prone to a reddish tongue bodies with thick, white, and greasy coatings. Thick and greasy tongue coating features are risk factors for GLM. GLM patients had higher levels of white blood cells (WBC), platelets, C-reactive protein, interleukin-2, and transforming growth factor-ß (TGF-ß) than non-GLM controls (P < .05). Also, tongue coating contrast and entropy values were significantly correlated with WBC or TGF-ß levels in GLM patients (r < -0.310 and P < .05). We demonstrated that the hot evil and phlegm-dampness constitutions are the main characteristics of GLM. This might provide a reference for GLM diagnosis.

Cardioprotective effect of Chinese herbal medicine for anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity in cancer patients: A meta-analysis of prospective studies.

BACKGROUND: To assess the benefits and harmful effects of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) formulations in preventing anthracyclines (ANT)-induced cardiotoxicity. METHOD: The Cochrane Library, Pubmed and EMBASE databases were electronically searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published till December 2021 in English or Chinese-language, in addition to manual searches through the reference lists of the selected papers, and the Chinese Conference Papers Database. Data was extracted by 2 investigators independently. RESULT: Seventeen RCTs reporting 11 different CHMs were included in this meta-analysis. The use of CHM reduced the occurrence of clinical heart failure (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.39 to 0.60, P < .01) compared to the control group. Data on subclinical heart failure in terms of LVEF values showed that CHM reduced the occurrence of subclinical heart failure (RR 0.47, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.62, P < .01) as well. CONCLUSION: CHM is an effective and safe cardioprotective intervention that can potentially prevent ANT-induced cardiotoxicity. However, due to the insufficient quality of the included trials, our results should be interpreted with cautious.

Effectiveness of the Sanyin Formula Plus Chemotherapy on Survival in Women With Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of the Sanyin formula (SYF) plus conventional standard chemotherapy in operable triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients, a randomized controlled trial was implemented at 5 hospitals and cancer centers in China between May 23, 2016, and October 31, 2019. Materials and Methods: Female patients aged 18 to 80 years with operable TNBC after definitive surgery were screened and enrolled. The exclusion criteria included metastatic disease, other tumors, or locally advanced disease. Patients were randomly divided into groups SYF plus conventional standard chemotherapy and placebo plus conventional standard chemotherapy at a ratio of 1:1. The primary endpoint of the investigation was disease-free survival (DFS), and secondary endpoints included overall survival (OS) and toxicity. Results: A total of 252 operable female TNBC patients were randomized to receive SYF plus conventional standard chemotherapy (N = 127) or a placebo plus conventional standard chemotherapy (N = 125). At a median follow-up of 51 months, 5-year DFS time was longer in those assigned to SYF plus conventional standard chemotherapy compared with placebo plus conventional standard chemotherapy (94.2%vs 85.5%, hazard ratio [HR] = 0.40; 95%CI, 0.17-0.97; P = 0.034). The absolute benefit for 5-year DFS was 8.7% in the SYF plus conventional standard chemotherapy group. No statistically significant difference was observed in OS between the two groups (P = 0.23). Patients with negative node status benefited more from SYF plus conventional standard chemotherapy treatment (HR = 0.21, P-interaction = 0.013) in accordance with the exploratory subgroup analyses of DFS. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that the traditional Chinese medicine SYF plus conventional chemotherapy regimens is an effective alternative adjuvant chemotherapy strategy for female operable TNBC patients. Clinical Trial Registration: https://www.chictr.org.cn/searchproj.aspx, identifier ChiCTR-IPR-16008590.

Investigating the mechanism of Xian-ling-lian-xia-fang for inhibiting vasculogenic mimicry in triple negative breast cancer via blocking VEGF/MMPs pathway.

BACKGROUND: Xian-ling-lian-xia-fang (XLLXF), a Chinese medicine decoction, is widely used in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). However, the underlying mechanism of XLLXF in TNBC treatment has not been totally elucidated. METHODS: Here, network pharmacology and molecular docking were used to explore the mechanism of Traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of TNBC. Then, biological experiments were integrated to verify the results of network pharmacology. RESULTS: Network pharmacology showed that the candidate active ingredients mainly included quercetin, kaempferol, stigmasterol, and ß-sitosterol through the "XLLXF-active ingredients-targets" network. Vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) 2 were the potential therapeutic targets obtained through the protein-protein interaction (PPI) network. Molecular docking confirmed that quercetin, kaempferol, stigmasterol, and ß-sitosterol could stably combine with VEGFA and MMP2. Experimental verification showed that XLLXF could inhibit proliferation, colony ability, and vasculogenic mimicry (VM) formation and promote cell apoptosis in TNBC. Laser confocal microscopy found that XLLXF impaired F-actin cytoskeleton organization and inhibited epithelial mesenchymal transition. Animal experiments also found that XLLXF could inhibit tumor growth and VM formation in TNBC xenograft model. Western blot analysis and immunohistochemical staining showed that XLLXF inhibited the protein expression of VEGFA, MMP2, MMP9, Vimentin, VE-cadherin, and Twist1 and increased that of E-cadherin, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinase (TIMP)-1, and TIMP-3 in vitro and in vivo. CONCLUSIONS: Integrating the analysis of network pharmacology and experimental validation revealed that XLLXF could inhibit VM formation via downregulating the VEGF/MMPs signaling pathway.

Identifying the anti-metastasis effect of Anhydroicaritin on breast cancer: Coupling network pharmacology with experimental validation.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Epimedium brevicornu Maxim. and Cullen corylifolium (L.) Medik. are part of a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) drug pair (ECDP) widely used in the clinical treatment of breast cancer (BC). Both drugs have been proven to have anti-tumor effect. However, the active ingredients and molecular mechanism of ECDP remain to be explored. AIM OF THE STUDY: To explore the efficacy and potential mechanisms of actions of herb pair through network pharmacology and in vitro and in vivo experiments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The active ingredients of ECDP were identified using high-performance liquid chromatography. The corresponding potential target genes for ECDP components and BC were extracted from established databases, and the protein-protein interaction network of shared genes was constructed using STRING database. The effective ingredients and targets of ECDP for BC were obtained through the TCMSP database and GeneCards database. The potential targets and pathways were selected through the protein interaction network and enrichment analysis. Proliferation and migration experiments in vitro and tumor growth in vivo were performed to evaluate the effects of Anhydroicaritin (AHI) on BC. RESULTS: AHI is the potential candidate active ingredient of ECDP through TCMSP. Molecular docking revealed that AHI has excellent binding ability with TP53, VEGFA, MMP2, and Met. In vitro experiment results showed that AHI inhibits the growth of MDA-MB-231, 4T1, MCF-7, and SK-BR-3 BC cells. The inhibitory effect of AHI on triple-negative BC cells is more obvious. With the increase of AHI concentration, the colony-forming, migration, and metastasis abilities of the MDA-MB-231 and 4T1 cells gradually decreases. In addition, Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses results indicated that AHI downregulates HIF-1α/VEGFA signaling in triple-negative BC cells. AHI inhibits tumor growth and lung metastasis while downregulating the expression of HIF-1α and VEGFA. CONCLUSION: AHI may play an anti-BC effect by inhibiting cancer cell proliferation, invasion, and metastasis. The results of this study may provide a theoretical basis for AHI research and the clinical application of ECDP in BC.

Sanyin Formula Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Paclitaxel in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Metastases through the JAK/STAT3 Pathway in Mice.

Sanyin formula (SYF) is used as a complementary treatment for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). The purpose of this study was to identify the potential functional components and clarify the underlying molecular mechanisms of SYF in TNBC. High-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) was used to identify the main components of SYF extracts. Network pharmacology and bioinformatic analyses were carried out to identify potential candidate targets of SYF in TNBC. Cell proliferation was determined with a Celigo imaging cytometer. Wound-healing and Transwell assays were adopted to evaluate cell migration. A Transwell cell-invasion assay was performed with Matrigel-coated membranes. In vivo bioluminescence imaging (BLI) and pathological analyses illustrated the effect of SYF on cancer cell metastasis in tumour-bearing mice. The inhibitory mechanism of SYF was investigated via quantitative PCR (qPCR) and Western blotting. We found that 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid, kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, and vanillic acid may be the active components of SYF. Molecular docking confirmed that kaempferol, p-coumaric acid, vanillic acid, and 3,4-dihydroxyphenyllactic acid bound stably to proteins such as AKR1C3, MMPs, and STAT3. SYF extract suppressed TNBC cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and metastasis by inhibiting JAK/STAT3 signalling and then regulating downstream genes, such as MMP-2/MMP-9. SYF regulates the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation, migration, and invasion by regulating the JAK/STAT3 signalling pathway and finally inhibits tumour cell metastasis in TNBC. The present study clarifies the mechanism by which SYF inhibits TNBC metastasis and lays an experimental foundation for the continued clinical development of SYF targeting the JAK/STAT3 pathway.

Clinical observation on the effect of Chinese medicine-"TCM formula" intervention on recurrence and metastasis of triple negative breast cancer.

OBJECTIVE: This study used a prospective cohort study to observe the effect of triple-negative breast cancer on the 2-year disease-free survival rate with or without "TCM formula". METHODS: From November 1 st, 2016, the first patient was enrolled in the cohort study. A total of 356 patients were enrolled on January 30, 2019. Among them, 154 cases were followed up for 2 years. During the follow-up, there were 6 cases of shedding, so 6 cases were affected. A total of 148 cases were included in the analysis, including 73 in the exposed group and 75 in the non-exposed group. The exposed group was given "TCM formula" on the basis of standardized treatment, and the non-exposed group was treated with simple triple-negative breast cancer. The two groups visited each of the three months. The interview included safety examination (hematology and imaging). The endpoint was the difference in 2-year invasive disease-free survival between the exposed and non-exposed groups and the safety of the "TCM formula". RESULTS: There were 6 cases of shedding during the experiment and the shedding rate was 3.9 %. The 2-year rate of invasive disease-free survival in the exposed team was 88.7 % and the non-exposed group was 82.5 %. Logistic multivariate regression analysis predicted that "TCM formula" could reduce the disease-related recurrence and metastasis rate by 11 % (OR = 0.89, 95 % CI 0.37-0.956, P＜0.05). Through K-M survival analysis, TNBC patients with age ≤35 years and regional lymph node stage N1 may be the benefit group of "TCM formula"(P＜0.05). During the study, the incidence of total adverse events was 8.2 % in the exposed group, mainly manifested as stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and hepatocyte damage. CONCLUSION: 1. In the exposed group, the two-year rate of invasive disease-free survival increased by 6.2 % compared with the non-exposed group(P＞0.05). 2. According to K-M survival analysis, TNBC patients with age ≤35 years and regional lymph node metastasis to N1 may be potential beneficiaries of "TCM formula". 3. "TCM Formula" is safe and tolerable to most patients.

Platycodon grandiflorum Protects Against Anthracycline-Induced Cardiotoxicity in Early Breast Cancer Patients.

Background: Anthracycline-based chemotherapy is an effective treatment used for early-stage breast cancer patients. However, anthracycline use is limited due to its cardiotoxic effects. Recent studies have shown that Platycodon grandiflorum (PG) protects the heart from anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. However, no randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial has been performed to investigate the clinical use of PG to prevent anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. This study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effects and safety of PG in early breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy. Methods: A total of 125 early breast cancer patients receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy were enrolled and randomized into a PG group or placebo group in a 1:1 ratio. Results: Only 2 (3.1%) participants in the placebo group and 1 (1.6%) participant in the PG group experienced NYHA (New York Heart Association) class III or IV heart failure. There were no significant differences observed between the 2 groups. However, compared with the placebo group, patients in the PG group showed a lower incidence of subclinical heart failure (21.9% vs 8.2%, respectively, P = .033), as well as lower cardiac troponin T levels (48.4% vs 31.1%, respectively, P = .002). Importantly, there were no differences observed in the antitumor effects of anthracycline between the 2 groups (disease-free survival: hazards ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval = 0.45-2.62, P = .84; overall survival: hazards ratio = 1.46, 95% confidence interval = 0.33-6.43, P = .62). Conclusion: PG prevents anthracycline-induced acute and chronic cardiac injury in early-stage breast cancer patients without compromising the antitumor effects of chemotherapy.

Effects of Platycodin D on S100A8/A9-induced inflammatory response in murine mammary carcinoma 4T1 cells.

Activation of the inflammatory signaling pathway is the most vital part of the pre-metastatic events of breast cancer. Platycodin D (PlaD) shows favorable pharmacological activities in anti-inflammatory and anti-tumor effect. The main purpose of this study was to survey the effects of PlaD on S100A8/A9-induced inflammation in mouse mammary carcinoma 4T1 cells. S100A8/A9 immunolocalization and expression in pre-metastatic lung tissue were assessed by immunofluorescence staining and ELISA. 4T1 cells were treated with 2.5 µg/mL recombinant S100A8/A9 heterodimer and 7.5, 10, or 12.5 µM of PlaD. After 24 h of incubation, cell viability, migration, and invasion were evaluated by CCK-8, wound-healing, and transwell assay, respectively. Nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 was determined by immunostaining and western blot. The levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines including IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α were detected by ELISA. The results showed that S100A8/A9 was actively increased and released into the extracellular space during the pre-metastatic phase of breast cancer. PlaD treatment attenuated S100A8/A9-induced growth, migration, and invasion of 4T1 cells. Furthermore, PlaD decreased the levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and TNF-α by inhibiting nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that PlaD inhibited S100A8/A9-induced inflammatory response in 4T1 cells by suppressing the expression of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α via inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathways.

Clinical study on postoperative triple-negative breast cancer with Chinese medicine: Study protocol for an observational cohort trial.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) poses a tremendous threat to the health of women worldwide, especially triple-negative breast cancers (TNBCs). Currently, the curative effect of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has been recognized in more and more people worldwide; however, the specific effect has not been systematically evaluated. The purpose of this cohort study is to evaluate the clinical effects of TCM syndrome differentiation on recurrence and metastasis rate, survival rate, and the quality of life in patients with TNBC. METHODS: This study is a multicenter observational cohort trial taking 2 years. A total of 620 patients will be allocated at a ratio of 1:1 to receive TCM or not. The primary outcomes are progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS), which are calculated at the end of the trial. Secondary outcomes include TCM symptoms, Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), ECOG score, European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Breast-Cancer-Specific Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-BR23), as well as clinical indicators including tumor markers, immune function evaluation, chest computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging, and abdominal B-ultrasound. Assessments will be performed at baseline and 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 weeks after observation. DISCUSSION: This will be the first clinical trial to evaluate the PFS and OS in TNBC patients receiving TCM, which may be used to assess the feasibility of a larger-scale clinical trial in the future, and formulate a standardized TCM treatment plan. STUDY REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03332368).

Cardioprotective effect of Platycodon grandiflorum in patients with early breast cancer receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Anthracyclines, alone or in combination with other drugs, are among the most effective chemotherapeutic agents to treat breast cancer both in the adjuvant and neoadjuvant setting. Unfortunately, anthracycline-associated dose-dependent cardiotoxicity is a limiting factor in clinical use. Extensive efforts have been devoted to identifying strategies to prevent anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. However, most cardioprotective agents have shown little effect in clinical trials. Herbal medicines are pure, natural substances that have been used for centuries in many countries, including China. This trial aims to evaluate the cardioprotective effects and safety of Platycodon grandiflorum granules compared to placebo granules in patients with early breast cancer receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy. METHOD/DESIGN: This study is a single-center, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial. A total of 120 patients will be randomly allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either P. grandiflorum granules or placebo granules twice daily for 12 weeks. The primary outcome is heart failure (either clinical or subclinical). The secondary outcomes include all-cause mortality, cardiac death, electrocardiogram (ECG) findings, left ventricular diastolic function, longitudinal systolic strain and velocities measured by tissue Doppler imaging, cardiac biomarkers, such as troponin I (TnI), brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), and creatine kinase isoenzymes (CK-MB). Assessments will be performed at baseline (before randomization) and 3, 6, 9, 12, 16, and 20 weeks after randomization. DISCUSSION: This will be the first clinical trial to evaluate the cardioprotective effects and safety of P. grandiflorum in patients with early breast cancer receiving anthracycline-based chemotherapy. We are also performing this trial to assess the feasibility of a larger-scale clinical trial in the future. TRAIL REGISTRATION: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IPR-16009256 . Registered on 23 September 2016.

[Ruyiping Inhibited Pulmonary Metastasis of Breast Cancer by Regulating the Formation of Pre-metastasis Microenvironment].

Objective To observe the effect of Ruyiping (RYP, a recipe for fighting against re- currence and metastasis of breast cancer) on pre-metastatic microenvironment, and to study its possi- ble mechanism. Methods The experiment was divided into two parts. The 1st part lies in setting the pre- cancerous transfer, and the 2nd part lies in the effect of RYP on pre-metastatic microenvironment. There were 24 BALB/c mice in the 1st part. Logarithmic phase 4T1 cells were dispensed into cell suspension. Blood cells were counted by blood cell counter. Then they were injected into the 4th mammary fat pad of the 24 BALB/c mice under aseptic condition (1 x 106 cells/mL, 0.1 mL for each mouse). There were 60 BALB/c mice in the 2nd part. They were divided into the blank group, the model group, low, middle, high dose RYP groups by random digit table, 12 in each group. The modeling method was the same as men- tioned above. Medication was started from the 2nd day of inoculation. Mice in low, middle, high dose RYP groups were administered with 5. 13, 10. 26, 20. 52 g/kg RYP crude drugs per day by gastrogavage, once per day for 14 successive days. Equal volume of normal saline was administered by gastrogavage to mice in the blank group and the model group. Six mice were sacrificed at day 10, 14, 18, and 22, respectively in the 1 st part of the experiment. The pulmonary metastasis was observed. The histology and mi- cromorphology of lung tissues were observed under light microscope and electron microscope/transmission electron microscopy (TEM) in the 2nd part of the experiment. The relative pulmonary vascular per- meability was determined by Evans blue. The effect of RYP on the formation of pre-metastatic microenvironment was observed. The levels of angiogenin2 (Angpt2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) , IL6 and IL1 ß were detected by Western blot and Real time PCR. Results The period from day 0 to day 14 was considered to be the pre-metastatic phase. Compared with the model group, significant inhibition on the tumor weight and tumor volume were shown in middle and high dose RYP groups (P <0. 05,P <0. 01). RYP dose-dependently inhibited the tumor weight and tumor volume (P <0. 05,P <0. 01). Infiltration of lymphocytes occurred in the model group and the low dose RYP group. But there was no statistical difference in the morphology of lung tissue in light microscopic results between middle/high dose RYP groups and the blank group. The pulmonary blood vessel net was consisted of continuously densely capillaries. The structure of pulmonary capillaries was normal in the blank group. The blood vessel walls were not regular and even in the model group, with obviously distended capillaries. After treated by RYP, the injury was improved, with normal basic morphology of blood vessels. Compared with the blank group, the exudate in Evans blue was obviously increased, protein and mRNA expressions of Angpt2, VEGF, IL6, and IL1ß were increased in the model group (P <0. 05,P <0. 01). Compared with the model group, the exu- date in Evans blue was obviously decreased in each YRP group. The reduction of the exudate was dose- dependently with the dose of YRP (P <0. 01). Protein and mRNA expressions of VEGF in the middle dose RYP group, protein and mRNA expressions of Angpt2, VEGF, IL6, and ILI1ß were decreased in middle and high dose RYP groups (P <0. 05,P <0. 01). Protein expressions of IL6 were decreased in the middle dose RYP group (P <0. 01). Conclusions RYP had favorable regulation in the tumor growth and the formation of pre-metastatic microenvironment. It could protect the integrity of vascular system, inhibit the formation of pre-metastatic microenvironment possibly through inhibiting the expressions of Angpt2, VEGF, IL6, and IL11ß, and finally inhibiting the occurrence of pulmonary metastasis of breast cancer.

Patients with clinical/radiological hyperplasia of mammary glands show pathological persistence of temperature of skin points.

BACKGROUND: Hyperplasia of mammary glands (HMG) is a frequent disease, with increased cancer risk for women aged 20-55 years. The aim of this study was to explore a non-invasive method to identify which patients with breast complaints need additional mammography for HMG diagnosis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Skin digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) in 74 patients with HMG and 63 controls was carried out. RESULTS: In the controls, the temperature of points close to the breasts and ovaries decreased with age. In women older than 39 years, HMG patients showed persistently high temperatures but in the lower extremities there were no differences. With a threshold for thoracic skin point KI21 of 33.2 degrees C, sensitivity and specificity in distinguishing controls from HMGs were 96% and 52% (p=0.0001) respectively, as validated in a test set, similar to recent DITI results for breast cancer detection. CONCLUSION: Infrared temperature imaging of specific skin points is a rapid, non-invasive method to identify patients requiring mammography to confirm HMG.