Alterations in mast cell frequency and relationship to angiogenesis in the rat mammary gland during windows of physiologic tissue remodeling.

Background: The mammary epithelium undergoes proliferation and regression accompanied by remodeling of the fibrocellular and vascular stroma. Mast cells are abundant in these compartments and have been implicated in remodeling during wound healing and cancer progression. The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that mast cell abundance correlates with physiologic mammary tissue remodeling during estrous cycling, lactogenesis (pregnancy and lactation) and involution.

Conjugated linoleic acid induces mast cell recruitment during mouse mammary gland stromal remodeling.

Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a dietary chemopreventive agent that induces apoptosis in the mammary adipose vascular endothelium and decreases mammary brown adipose tissue (BAT) and white adipose tissue (WAT). To determine onset and extent of stromal remodeling, we fed CD2F1/Cr mice diets supplemented with 1 or 2 g/100 g mixed CLA isomers for 1-7 wk. BAT loss, collagen deposition, and leukocyte recruitment occurred in the mouse mammary fat pad, coincident with an increase in parenchymal-associated mast cells in mice fed both levels of CLA.