Figure 1

Host iron deficiency promotes mouse mammary tumor and human BC growth and metastasis. (A) Balb/c mice were fed standard rodent diets containing 3.5 ppm Fe (iron deficient), 35 ppm Fe (normal low), and 350 ppm Fe (normal high), respectively. After 12 weeks, 5 × 10⁴ mouse 4T1 mammary cancer cells were subcutaneously (s.c.) injected into the flanks of the mice. (B) NOD/SCID mice were fed 3.5 ppm and 350 ppm Fe diets. After 12 weeks, 1 × 10⁶ human BC MDA-MB-231 cells were s.c. injected into mammary fat pad. (C) Average number of tumor nodules per lobe of the lung in each diet group from the 4T1/Balb/c mouse model. (D) Representative metastatic lungs from each diet group of the 4T1/Balb/c mouse model. Arrow indicates tumor nodules. *: Significantly different from the group of mice fed 350 ppm Fe diet.