Nicotine Synergizes with High-Fat Diet to Induce an Anti-Inflammatory Microenvironment to Promote Breast Tumor Growth

Figure 3

Treatment of breast cancer cells, in vitro, with NIC and Pal increases MCSCs, anti-inflammatory cytokines, and tissue-resident macrophage populations. (a) HCC70 cells were plated under low attachment (LA) conditions as mammospheres and treated with either NIC or BSA-conjugated palmitate (Pal) alone or in combination for 48 h. A representative picture of the mammospheres after various treatments. (b) Quantitation of the mammosphere numbers after various treatments for 48 h. (c) Treatment of HCC70 cells with NIC ± PAL or vehicles was subjected to FACS analysis after performing Aldefluor assay for quantitation of ALDH1-positive population in various treatment groups. (d) Western blot analysis of macrophage (CD68 and CD163) and anti-inflammatory (IL13 and IL10) cytokine markers, MCSCs (ALDH1), and beige adipocyte (TMEM26) marker and stress kinase (p38MAPK). andcompared to saline orandcompared to the NIC group alone ().

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