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Fig. 4 | Breast Cancer Research

Fig. 4

From: Local estrogen axis in the human bone microenvironment regulates estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer cells

Fig. 4

Bone tissue culture supernatants generated in the presence of aromatase inhibitors (AIs) have diminished capacity to promote estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancer cell proliferation. a Experimental design in which bone tissue fragments were cultured in the presence vs. absence of AIs for 48 h. b Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) signal displayed by breast cancer cells growing in the presence of conditioned media generated by bone fragments isolated from total hip replacement (THR) specimen 129 and cultured in DMEM-10%FBS plus 100 μM, 10 μM, 100 nM, and 10 nM, vs. 0 μM letrozole. c Averaged triplicate BLI signal detected for each cell line shown in (b). BLI signal was reduced for ER+ MCF-7, but not ER- SK-BR-3 or MDA-MB-231 cells cultured with bone tissue-conditioned media generated in the presence of 100 μM (**p = 0.003), 10 μM (*p = 0.016), 100 nM (*p = 0.035), and 10 nM (p = 0.056) vs. 0 μM letrozole, as determined by t test (n = 3, error bars represent standard deviation). d BLI signal displayed by breast cancer cells growing in the presence of conditioned media generated by bone fragments isolated from THR specimen 147 in the presence of 100 nM exemestane and 50 nM anastrozole vs. no agent. e Averaged triplicate BLI signal detected for cells shown in (d). BLI signal was specifically reduced for ER+ MCF-7 cells, but not ER- SK-BR-3 or MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells cultured with bone tissue-conditioned media generated in the presence of 100 nM exemestane (***p = 0.00003) and 50 nM anastrozole (**p = 0.002) vs. no agent, as determined by t test (n = 3, error bars represent standard deviation)

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