Galectin-3 Regulates the Expression of Tumor Glycosaminoglycans and Increases the Metastatic Potential of Breast Cancer

Figure 3

Interplay between tumor and microenvironmental Galectin-3 regulates breast cancer tumor growth and metastasis. (a) Macroscopy of tumors developed by 4T1-scramble cells and 4T1-shRNA-Gal-3 cells in Lgals3^+/+ and Lgals3^−/− mice. Morphometric analysis of tumors developed by 4T1-scramble cells and 4T1-shRNA-Gal-3 cells over 28 days in Lgals3^+/+ (b) and Lgals3^−/− (c) mice. (d) Immunostaining for Galectin-3 in primary tumors developed by 4T1-scramble cells and shRNA-Gal-3 4T1 cells in Lgals3^+/+ and Lgals3^−/− mice. (e) Quantification of Galectin-3 immunostaining in primary tumors. (f) Double staining for cytokeratin-19 (cytoplasm in blue) and PCNA (nuclei in brown) in the bone marrow of Lgals3^+/+ and Lgals3^−/− mice with tumors developed by 4T1-scramble cells and shRNA-Gal-3 4T1 cells. (g) Quantification of total cytokeratin-19 immunostaining in the bone marrow of Lgals3^+/+ and Lgals3^−/− mice with tumors developed by 4T1-scramble cells and 4T1-shRNA-Gal-3 cells. (h) Quantification of total PCNA immunostaining in the bone marrow of Lgals3^+/+ and Lgals3^−/− mice with tumors developed by 4T1-scramble cells and 4T1-shRNA-Gal-3 cells. (i) Double positive staining for cytokeratin-19 and PCNA in the bone marrow of Lgals3^+/+ and Lgals3^−/− mice with tumors developed by 4T1-scramble cells and 4T1-shRNA-Gal-3 cells. Data are representative of two independent experiments using 3–5 animals per experiment (d, e). Data are representative of two independent experiments using 3 animals per experiment (f, h). Five fields per section were quantified. Results are shown as means ± s.d. ; ; .

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