Promoting Effects of Chinese Pangolin and Wild Pink Medicines on the Mammary Gland Development in Immature Mice

Abstract

The effects of the mixture of crude aqueous extracts from Chinese pangolin and wild pink (C+P), traditional Chinese medicine, on the proliferation and differentiation of mammary gland epithelium in intact and ovariectomized immature mice were investigated by light and electron microscopy and BrdU immunohistochemistry. Although there were no significant differences in mammary gland fat pad and parenchyma areas between the intact experimental groups, the numbers of duct branchings and buds were significantly larger in the C+W treated mice than in the control mice. The ratio of BrdU immunopositive cells to total epithelial cells was higher in C+W treated intact mice. Ultrastructurally, epithelial cells of the mammary buds and ducts possessed an oval and lucent nucleus, and ribosomes increased in number or developed to a greater degree in C+W treated intact mice than in the control mice. Conversely, there were no significant differences in any measurements of mammary gland between the experimental groups of ovariectomized mice. BrdU immunoreactive cells were never seen and the ultrastructure of mammary epihelial cells indicated the inactive cell phase in both ovariectomied mice. In comparison between the intact and overiectomized mice, the mammary fat pad area was larger in the ovariectomized mice than in the intact mice, although another four measurements were larger in the intact groups. These observations suggest that administration with C+W could promote the development of mammary glands via ovary in immature mice.