[Effects of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney on proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture].
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effects of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney on proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture.


METHODS
The normal human mammary epithelial cells were dissociated by digestion with collagenase type I. The morphological identification of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture was determined under inverted phase contrast microscope and transmission electron microscope. The estradiol and progesterone were added to culture medium to induce the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture, and the different doses of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney and tamoxifen were also added into the culture medium. The MTT assay was used to evaluate the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture under the different conditions of interventions.


RESULTS
The normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture presented typically morphological features of normal human mammary epithelial cells in vitro. The proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture was significantly improved by intervention of estradiol and progesterone both with concentration of 1x10(-5) g/L. The high-dose Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney could obviously promote the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture, while the proliferation was obviously inhibited by low-dose Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney. The tamoxifen exerted no effects on the proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture.


CONCLUSIONS
The estradiol and progesterone can enhance the ability of proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture. The regulating effect of Chinese herbal medicine for warming kidney on proliferation of normal human mammary epithelial cells in primary culture is dose-dependent.
Ye
Mei-Na
MN
Department of Breast Surgery, Longhua Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 200032, China.
Chen
Hong-Feng
HF
D001940:Breast / Q000166:cytology*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D004958:Estradiol / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects*
D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D004958:Estradiol