Fig. 1: CTC clusters are potential targets for hirudin to inhibit spontaneous lung metastasis of breast tumor cells. | Experimental & Molecular Medicine

Fig. 1: CTC clusters are potential targets for hirudin to inhibit spontaneous lung metastasis of breast tumor cells.

From: Hirudin suppresses hematogenous metastasis by targeting desmosome junction transition in circulating tumor cell clusters via HIF-1α–DSG2 signaling

Fig. 1: CTC clusters are potential targets for hirudin to inhibit spontaneous lung metastasis of breast tumor cells.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.Fig. 1: CTC clusters are potential targets for hirudin to inhibit spontaneous lung metastasis of breast tumor cells.The alternative text for this image may have been generated using AI.

a The flow chart of animal experiments. b,c Tumor size (b) and tumor weight (c) in an orthotopic tumor model mice established with 4T1-GFP-luc cells after hirudin or heparin administration. n = 7. d Representative lung tissue images and metastatic nodule counts after killing. n = 5. e–g H&E staining (e), quantification (f) and micro-CT (g) analysis of lung metastases in a 4T1-GFP-luc tumor model after hirudin or heparin treatment. h A volcano plot of differentially expressed genes in the primary tumor tissues from the model and the 5 mg/kg hirudin groups. i A heat map of metastasis-related genes in primary tumor tissues from model and 5 mg/kg hirudin groups. j KEGG enrichment analysis of differentially expressed genes in primary tumor tissues from model and 5 mg/kg hirudin groups. n = 4. k The migration of MCF-7 and 4T1 cells treated with hirudin for 24 h was determined by the transwell assay. n = 4. l A volcano plot of differentially expressed genes between para-cancer and tumor tissue in model mice. n = 4. m KEGG enrichment analysis showing CTC cluster formation-related pathways based on differentially expressed genes between para-cancer and tumor tissue. n The number of CTC clusters in 1 ml of peripheral blood was determined from orthotopic tumor models established using 4T1-GFP-luc cells. n = 3. o KEGG enrichment analysis conducted on differentially expressed genes in primary tumor tissues from the model group and 5 mg/kg hirudin group identified pathways related to the formation of CTC clusters. n = 4. Data are mean ± s.d., *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01 versus model group. i.p., intraperitoneal; ns, not significant.

Back to article page