Morphological and ultrastructural aspects of the cyclical changes of human mammary gland during the menstrual cycle

Abstract

Analyzing the morphological and ultrastructural features of the mammary gland during the menstrual cycle, the authors observed that in the proliferative phase, the mammary gland consisted of few developed lobules and presented a relative absence of mitotic figures. In this phase, the great majority of the epithelial cells contained small, dark, irregular, rich heterochromatinic nuclei. The mammary stroma showed similar findings, presenting dense connective tissue with few enhanced fibroblasts. During the secretory phase, the lobules were well developed and mitotic figures were usually observed. In this phase, the great majority of the epithelial cells presented clear voluminous, rich euchromatinic nuclei; the stroma consisted of fibroblasts with voluminous nuclei full of euchromatin. There are evident modifications of the mammary tissue according to the phase of the menstrual cycle. The morphological and ultrastructural modifications indicate higher metabolical and mitotic activities during the secretory phase.

Plasticity of Mammary Cell Boundaries Governed by EGF and Actin Remodeling

“…Early morphological studies of mammary epithelial cells isolated from human donor after weaning breast fluids described ''a well developed system of cytoplasmic interdigitation and numerous desmosomes'' (Russo et al, 1975). During early embryonic development and puberty, the elongated tips of mammary buds form multilayered epithelia, and cells within the interior layers show prominent interdigitation and high levels of desmosomes (Ewald et al, 2012;Nazario et al, 1994). Interdigitated structures are also prominent in intraductal carcinomas, suggesting that they may have acquired characteristics of the normal developmental program (Goldenberg et al, 1969).…”

Analysis of CD83 antigen expression in human breast fibroadenoma and adjacent tissue

“…The patients were placed under local anesthesia, and lumpectomy was performed with a safety margin going into the adjacent breast tissue by at least 1 cm from the lesion, and both types of materials obtained (breast lump and the breast parenchyma tissue adjacent to the lesion) were evaluated histopathologically. 10 , 12 …”

Estudo piloto dos efeitos da terapia hormonal sobre o tecido mamário normal de mulheres após a menopausa

“…atividade mitótica e metabólica durante a fase lútea, quando estrogênio e progesterona estão presentes 4 . Ainda marcadores de proliferação e apoptose variam durante o ciclo menstrual e o índice de proliferação no epitélio mamário é maior na fase lútea 5 .…”

“…Estudo piloto dos efeitos da terapia hormonal sobre o tecido mamário normal de mulheres após a menopausa A pilot study of the effects of hormone therapy on normal breast tissue of postmenopausal women Simone Elias 1 , Rita de Cássia Maio Dardes 2 , Cláudio Kemp 3 , Angela Flavia Logullo 4 , Thaís Heinke 5 , Edmund Chada Baracat 6 , Geraldo Rodrigues de Lima 6 Trabalho desenvolvido na Sessão de Diagnóstico da Disciplina de Mastologia do Departamento de Ginecologia da Universidade Federal de São Paulo -UNIFESP -São Paulo (SP) -Brasil.…”