Group items tagged

non-calcified (NCP), mixed (MP), or calcified (CP) plaque

statin use was each associated with a significantly higher prevalence of NCP, MP and CP

statin use was associated with increased presence of MP [odds ratio (OR) 1.46, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.27–1.68, p < 0.001] and CP (OR 1.54, 95% CI 1.36–1.74, p < 0.001], but not NCP

statin use was associated with increasing numbers of coronary segments possessing MP and CP but not associated with increasing numbers of coronary segments possessing NCP

North America, Europe and Asia

A total of 6673 individuals (2413 on statin therapy and 4260 not on statin therapy) comprised the study population

we identified a strong association of statin use to coronary artery plaque features

statin use was associated with a differentially increased prevalence and extent of MP and CP

one potential unifying hypothesis is that rather than regression of coronary plaque, statins may contribute to the conversion of coronary plaque constituents, perhaps by conversion of NCP to plaque possessing calcium

Coronary computed tomographic angiography (CCTA)

Statin use was associated with a higher frequency of severe coronary artery stenoses as well as numbers of coronary vessels with obstructive CAD

Non-recombinant urate oxidase (Uricozyme®)

recombinant urate oxidase (Rasburicase®)

urine alkalisation may induce calcium phosphate deposition

renal replacement therapy should be started on an emergency basis when hydration fails to produce a prompt metabolic improvement or when ARF develops

Up to 50% of patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma have renal failure and up to 10% require dialysis

renal ultrasonography remains the method of choice for investigating extra-renal obstruction

The relief of the obstruction, either by percutaneous nephrostomy or through a ureteral stent, is the cornerstone of treatment

TMA may be associated with the cancer itself, with cancer chemotherapy, or with allogeneic BMT

thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA)

it may be as high as 5%

Most of the cases occur in patients with solid tumours, the most common type being adenocarcinoma (stomach, breast and lung)

The pathophysiology of the TMA-malignancy association remains controversial, although many studies suggest an insult to the vascular endothelium

mitomycin C. Subsequently, TMA has been reported with many anti-cancer agents, including gemcita-bine, bleomycin, cisplatin, CCNU, cytosine arabinoside, daunorubicin, deoxycoformycin, 5-FU, azathioprine and interferon α

Plasma exchanges have been shown to improve prognosis in the general population of patients with TMA

Causative factors should be looked for and antihypertensive treatment given. Lastly, in the absence of guidelines, we believe that plasma exchange should be proposed in patients with severe cancer treatment-associated TMA

The most widely used protective measure is saline infusion to induce solute diuresis

During methotrexate infusion and elimination, fluids should be given to maintain a high urinary output and urinary alkalisation should be performed to keep the urinary pH above 7.5. Rescue with folinic acid (50 mg four times a day) should be started 24 hours after each high-dose metho-trexate infusion and serum methotrexate concentrations should be measured every day

cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide

The presence of symptoms was more closely linked to increasing age than to testosterone levels

Findings similar to type 2 diabetes were reported for men with the metabolic syndrome, which were associated with reductions in total testosterone of −2.2 nmol/l (95% CI −2.41 to 1.94) and in free testosterone

low testosterone is more predictive of the metabolic syndrome in lean men

Cross-sectional studies uniformly show that 30–50% of men with type 2 diabetes have lowered circulating testosterone levels, relative to references based on healthy young men

In a recent cross-sectional study of 240 middle-aged men (mean age 54 years) with either type 2 diabetes, type 1 diabetes or without diabetes (Ng Tang Fui et al. 2013b), increasing BMI and age were dominant drivers of low total and free testosterone respectively.

both diabetes and the metabolic syndrome are associated with a modest reduction in testosterone, in magnitude comparable with the effect of 10 years of ageing

In a cross-sectional study of 490 men with type 2 diabetes, there was a strong independent association of low testosterone with anaemia

In men, low testosterone is a marker of poor health, and may improve our ability to predict risk

low testosterone identifies men with an adverse metabolic phenotype

Diabetic men with low testosterone are significantly more likely to be obese or insulin resistant

increased inflammation, evidenced by higher CRP levels

Bioavailable but not free testosterone was independently predictive of mortality

It remains possible that low testosterone is a consequence of insulin resistance, or simply a biomarker, co-existing because of in-common risk factors.

In prospective studies, reviewed in detail elsewhere (Grossmann et al. 2010) the inverse association of low testosterone with metabolic syndrome or diabetes is less consistent for free testosterone compared with total testosterone

In a study from the Framingham cohort, SHBG but not testosterone was prospectively and independently associated with incident metabolic syndrome

low SHBG (Ding et al. 2009) but not testosterone (Haring et al. 2013) with an increased risk of future diabetes

In cross-sectional studies of men with (Grossmann et al. 2008) and without (Bonnet et al. 2013) diabetes, SHBG but not testosterone was inversely associated with worse glycaemic control

SHBG may have biological actions beyond serving as a carrier protein for and regulator of circulating sex steroids

In men with diabetes, free testosterone, if measured by gold standard equilibrium dialysis (Dhindsa et al. 2004), is reduced

Low free testosterone remains inversely associated with insulin resistance, independent of SHBG (Grossmann et al. 2008). This suggests that the low testosterone–dysglycaemia association is not solely a consequence of low SHBG.

Experimental evidence reviewed below suggests that visceral adipose tissue is an important intermediate (rather than a confounder) in the inverse association of testosterone with insulin resistance and metabolic disorders.

testosterone promotes the commitment of pluripotent stem cells into the myogenic lineage and inhibits their differentiation into adipocytes

testosterone regulates the metabolic functions of mature adipocytes (Xu et al. 1991, Marin et al. 1995) and myocytes (Pitteloud et al. 2005) in ways that reduce insulin resistance.

Pre-clinical evidence (reviewed in Rao et al. (2013)) suggests that at the cellular level, testosterone may improve glucose metabolism by modulating the expression of the glucose-transported Glut4 and the insulin receptor, as well as by regulating key enzymes involved in glycolysis.

More recently testosterone has been shown to protect murine pancreatic β cells against glucotoxicity-induced apoptosis

Interestingly, a reciprocal feedback also appears to exist, given that not only chronic (Cameron et al. 1990, Allan 2013) but also, as shown more recently (Iranmanesh et al. 2012, Caronia et al. 2013), acute hyperglycaemia can lower testosterone levels.

There is also evidence that testosterone regulates insulin sensitivity directly and acutely

In men with prostate cancer commencing androgen deprivation therapy, both total as well as, although not in all studies (Smith 2004), visceral fat mass increases (Hamilton et al. 2011) within 3 months

More prolonged (>12 months) androgen deprivation therapy has been associated with increased risk of diabetes in several large observational registry studies

Testosterone has also been shown to reduce the concentration of pro-inflammatory cytokines in some, but not all studies, reviewed recently in Kelly & Jones (2013). It is not know whether this effect is independent of testosterone-induced changes in body composition.

the observations discussed in this section suggest that it is the decrease in testosterone that causes insulin resistance and diabetes. One important caveat remains: the strongest evidence that low testosterone is the cause rather than consequence of insulin resistance comes from men with prostate cancer (Grossmann & Zajac 2011a) or biochemical castration, and from mice lacking the androgen receptor.

Several large prospective studies have shown that weight gain or development of type 2 diabetes is major drivers of the age-related decline in testosterone levels

there is increasing evidence that healthy ageing by itself is generally not associated with marked reductions in testosterone

Circulating testosterone, on an average 30%, is lower in obese compared with lean men

increased visceral fat is an important component in the association of low testosterone and insulin resistance

The vast majority of men with metabolic disorders have functional gonadal axis suppression with modest reductions in testosterone levels

obesity is a dominant risk factor

men with Klinefelter syndrome have an increased risk of metabolic disorders. Interestingly, greater body fat mass is already present before puberty

Only 5% of men with type 2 diabetes have elevated LH levels

inhibition of the gonadal axis predominantly takes place in the hypothalamus, especially with more severe obesity

Metabolic factors, such as leptin, insulin (via deficiency or resistance) and ghrelin are believed to act at the ventromedial and arcuate nuclei of the hypothalamus to inhibit gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GNRH) secretion from GNRH neurons situated in the preoptic area

kisspeptin has emerged as one of the most potent secretagogues of GNRH release

hypothesis that obesity-mediated inhibition of kisspeptin signalling contributes to the suppression of the HPT axis, infusion of a bioactive kisspeptin fragment has been recently shown to robustly increase LH pulsatility, LH levels and circulating testosterone in hypotestosteronaemic men with type 2 diabetes

A smaller study with a similar experimental design found that acute testosterone withdrawal reduced insulin sensitivity independent of body weight, whereas oestradiol withdrawal had no effects

suppression of the diabesity-associated HPT axis is functional, and may hence be reversible

Obesity and dysglycaemia and associated comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnoea (Hoyos et al. 2012b) are important contributors to the suppression of the HPT axis

weight gain and development of diabetes accelerate the age-related decline in testosterone

Modifiable risk factors such as obesity and co-morbidities are more strongly associated with a decline in circulating testosterone levels than age alone

55% of symptomatic androgen deficiency reverted to a normal testosterone or an asymptomatic state after 8-year follow-up, suggesting that androgen deficiency is not a stable state

Weight loss can reactivate the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis

Leptin treatment resolves hypogonadism in leptin-deficient men

The hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis remains responsive to treatment with aromatase inhibitors or selective oestrogen receptor modulators in obese men

Kisspeptin treatment increases LH secretion, pulse frequency and circulating testosterone levels in hypotestosteronaemic men with type 2 diabetes

change in BMI was associated with the change in testosterone (Corona et al. 2013a,b).

weight loss can lead to genuine reactivation of the gonadal axis by reversal of obesity-associated hypothalamic suppression

There is pre-clinical and observational evidence that chronic hyperglycaemia can inhibit the HPT axis

in men who improved their glycaemic control over time, testosterone levels increased. By contrast, in those men in whom glycaemic control worsened, testosterone decreased

testosterone levels should be measured after successful weight loss to identify men with an insufficient rise in their testosterone levels. Such men may have HPT axis pathology unrelated to their obesity, which will require appropriate evaluation and management.

kisspeptin has emerged as one of the most potent secretagogues of GNRH release

Consistent with the hypothesis that obesity-mediated inhibition of kisspeptin signalling contributes to the suppression of the HPT axis, infusion of a bioactive kisspeptin fragment has been recently shown to robustly increase LH pulsatility, LH levels and circulating testosterone in hypotestosteronaemic men with type 2 diabetes

Figure 4

Interestingly, a recent 16-week study of experimentally induced hypogonadism in healthy men with graded testosterone add-back either with or without concomitant aromatase inhibitor treatment has in fact suggested that low oestradiol (but not low testosterone) may be responsible for the hypogonadism-associated increase in total body and intra-abdominal fat mass

A smaller study with a similar experimental design found that acute testosterone withdrawal reduced insulin sensitivity independent of body weight, whereas oestradiol withdrawal had no effects

Obesity and dysglycaemia and associated comorbidities such as obstructive sleep apnoea (Hoyos et al. 2012b) are important contributors to the suppression of the HPT axis

This is supported by observational studies showing that weight gain and development of diabetes accelerate the age-related decline in testosterone

Weight loss can reactivate the hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis

The hypothalamic–pituitary–testicular axis remains responsive to treatment with aromatase inhibitors or selective oestrogen receptor modulators in obese men

Kisspeptin treatment increases LH secretion, pulse frequency and circulating testosterone levels in hypotestosteronaemic men with type 2 diabetes

Several observational and randomised studies reviewed in Grossmann (2011) have shown that weight loss, whether by diet or surgery, leads to substantial increases in testosterone, especially in morbidly obese men

This suggests that weight loss can lead to genuine reactivation of the gonadal axis by reversal of obesity-associated hypothalamic suppression

There is pre-clinical and observational evidence that chronic hyperglycaemia can inhibit the HPT axis

in those men in whom glycaemic control worsened, testosterone decreased

successful weight loss combined with optimisation of glycaemic control may be sufficient to normalise circulating testosterone levels in the majority of such men

weight loss, optimisation of diabetic control and assiduous care of comorbidities should remain the first-line approach.

In part, the discrepant results may be due to the fact men in the Vigen cohort (Vigen et al. 2013) had a higher burden of comorbidities. Given that one (Basaria et al. 2010), but not all (Srinivas-Shankar et al. 2010), RCTs in men with a similarly high burden of comorbidities reported an increase in cardiovascular events in men randomised to testosterone treatment (see section on Testosterone therapy: potential risks below) (Basaria et al. 2010), testosterone should be used with caution in frail men with multiple comorbidities

The retrospective, non-randomised and non-blinded design of these studies (Shores et al. 2012, Muraleedharan et al. 2013, Vigen et al. 2013) leaves open the possibility for residual confounding and multiple other sources of bias. These have been elegantly summarised by Wu (2012).

Effects of testosterone therapy on body composition were metabolically favourable with modest decreases in fat mass and increases in lean body mass

This suggests that testosterone has limited effects on glucose metabolism in relatively healthy men with only mildly reduced testosterone.

it is conceivable that testosterone treatment may have more significant effects on glucose metabolism in uncontrolled diabetes, akin to what has generally been shown for conventional anti-diabetic medications.

the evidence from controlled studies show that testosterone therapy consistently reduces fat mass and increases lean body mass, but inconsistently decreases insulin resistance.

Interestingly, testosterone therapy does not consistently improve glucose metabolism despite a reduction in fat mass and an increase in lean mass

the majority of RCTs (recently reviewed in Ng Tang Fui et al. (2013a)) showed that testosterone therapy does not reduce visceral fat

testosterone therapy decreases SHBG

testosterone is inversely associated with total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglyceride (Tg) levels, but positively associated with HDL cholesterol levels, even if adjusted for confounders

Although observational studies show a consistent association of low testosterone with adverse lipid profiles, whether testosterone therapy exerts beneficial effects on lipid profiles is less clear

Whereas testosterone-induced decreases in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and Lpa are expected to reduce cardiovascular risk, testosterone also decreases the levels of the cardio-protective HDL cholesterol. Therefore, the net effect of testosterone therapy on cardiovascular risk remains uncertain.

data have not shown evidence that testosterone causes prostate cancer, or that it makes subclinical prostate cancer grow

compared with otherwise healthy young men with organic androgen deficiency, there may be increased risks in older, obese men because of comorbidities and of decreased testosterone clearance

recent evidence that fat accumulation may be oestradiol-, rather than testosterone-dependent

testosterone therapy causes a shift in the skeletal muscle of CHF patients toward a higher concentration of type I muscle fibers

Testosterone replacement therapy has also been shown to improve the homeostatic model of insulin resistance and hemoglobin A1c in diabetics26,68–69 and to lower the BMI in obese patients.

Lower levels of endogenous testosterone have been associated with longer duration of the QTc interval

testosterone replacement has been shown to shorten the QTc interval

negative correlation has been demonstrated between endogenous testosterone levels and IMT of the carotid arteries, abdominal aorta, and thoracic aorta

These findings suggest that men with lower levels of endogenous testosterone may be at a higher risk of developing atherosclerosis.

Current guidelines from the Endocrine Society make no recommendations on whether patients with heart disease should be screened for hypogonadism and do not recommend supplementing patients with heart disease to improve survival.

The Massachusetts Male Aging Study also projects ≈481 000 new cases of hypogonadism annually in US men within the same age group

since 1993 prescriptions for testosterone, regardless of the formulation, have increased nearly 500%

Testosterone levels are lower in patients with chronic illnesses such as end‐stage renal disease, human immunodeficiency virus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity, and several genetic conditions such as Klinefelter syndrome

A growing body of evidence suggests that men with lower levels of endogenous testosterone are more prone to develop CAD during their lifetimes

There are 2 major potential confounding factors that the older studies generally failed to account for. These factors are the subfraction of testosterone used to perform the analysis and the method used to account for subclinical CAD.

The biologically inactive form of testosterone is tightly bound to SHBG and is therefore unable to bind to androgen receptors

The biologically inactive fraction of testosterone comprises nearly 68% of the total testosterone in human serum

The biologically active subfraction of testosterone, also referred to as bioavailable testosterone, is either loosely bound to albumin or circulates freely in the blood, the latter referred to as free testosterone

It is estimated that ≈30% of total serum testosterone is bound to albumin, whereas the remaining 1% to 3% circulates as free testosterone

it can be argued that using the biologically active form of testosterone to evaluate the association with CAD will produce the most reliable results

English et al14 found statistically significant lower levels of bioavailable testosterone, free testosterone, and free androgen index in patients with catheterization‐proven CAD compared with controls with normal coronary arteries

patients with catheterization‐proven CAD had statistically significant lower levels of bioavailable testosterone

In conclusion, existing evidence suggests that men with CAD have lower levels of endogenous testosterone,13–18 and more specifically lower levels of bioavailable testosterone

low testosterone levels are associated with risk factors for CAD such as T2DM25–26 and obesity

In a meta‐analysis of these 7 population‐based studies, Araujo et al41 showed a trend toward increased cardiovascular mortality associated with lower levels of total testosterone, but statistical significance was not achieved (RR, 1.25

the authors showed that a decrease of 2.1 standard deviations in levels of total testosterone was associated with a 25% increase in the risk of cardiovascular mortality

the relative risk of all‐cause mortality in men with lower levels of total testosterone was calculated to be 1.35

higher risk of cardiovascular mortality is associated with lower levels of bioavailable testosterone

Existing evidence seems to suggest that lower levels of endogenous testosterone are associated with higher rates of all‐cause mortality and cardiovascular mortality

studies have shown that lower levels of endogenous bioavailable testosterone are associated with higher rates of all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality

It may be possible that using bioavailable testosterone to perform mortality analysis will yield more accurate results because it prevents the biologically inactive subfraction of testosterone from playing a potential confounding role in the analysis

The earliest published material on this matter dates to the late 1930s

the concept that testosterone replacement therapy improves angina has yet to be proven wrong

In more recent studies, 3 randomized, placebo‐controlled trials demonstrated that administration of testosterone improves myocardial ischemia in men with CAD

The improvement in myocardial ischemia was shown to occur in response to both acute and chronic testosterone therapy and seemed to be independent of whether an intravenous or transdermal formulation of testosterone was used.

testosterone had no effect on endothelial nitric oxide activity

There is growing evidence from in vivo animal models and in vitro models that testosterone induces coronary vasodilation by modulating the activity of ion channels, such as potassium and calcium channels, on the surface of vascular smooth muscle cells

Experimental studies suggest that the most likely mechanism of action for testosterone on vascular smooth muscle cells is via modulation of action of non‐ATP‐sensitive potassium ion channels, calcium‐activated potassium ion channels, voltage‐sensitive potassium ion channels, and finally L‐type calcium ion channels

Corona et al confirmed those results by demonstrating that not only total testosterone levels are lower among diabetics, but also the levels of free testosterone and SHBG are lower in diabetic patients

Laaksonen et al65 followed 702 Finnish men for 11 years and demonstrated that men in the lowest quartile of total testosterone, free testosterone, and SHBG were more likely to develop T2DM and metabolic syndrome.

Vikan et al followed 1454 Swedish men for 11 years and discovered that men in the highest quartile of total testosterone were significantly less likely to develop T2DM

authors demonstrated a statistically significant increase in the incidence of T2DM in subjects receiving gonadotropin‐releasing hormone antagonist therapy. In addition, a significant increase in the rate of myocardial infarction, stroke, sudden cardiac death, and development of cardiovascular disease was noted in patients receiving antiandrogen therapy.67

Several authors have demonstrated that the administration of testosterone in diabetic men improves the homeostatic model of insulin resistance, hemoglobin A1c, and fasting plasma glucose

Existing evidence strongly suggests that the levels of total and free testosterone are lower among diabetic patients compared with those in nondiabetics

insulin seems to be acting as a stimulant for the hypothalamus to secret gonadotropin‐releasing hormone, which consequently results in increased testosterone production. It can be argued that decreased stimulation of the hypothalamus in diabetics secondary to insulin deficiency could result in hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

BMI has been shown to be inversely associated with testosterone levels

This interaction may be a result of the promotion of lipolysis in abdominal adipose tissue by testosterone, which may in turn cause reduced abdominal adiposity. On the other hand, given that adipose tissue has a higher concentration of the enzyme aromatase, it could be that increased adipose tissue results in more testosterone being converted to estrogen, thereby causing hypogonadism. Third, increased abdominal obesity may cause reduced testosterone secretion by negatively affecting the hypothalamus‐pituitary‐testicular axis. Finally, testosterone may be the key factor in activating the enzyme 11‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in adipose tissue, which transforms glucocorticoids into their inactive form.

increasing age may alter the association between testosterone and CRP. Another possible explanation for the association between testosterone level and CRP is central obesity and waist circumference

Bai et al have provided convincing evidence that testosterone might be able to shorten the QTc interval by augmenting the activity of slowly activating delayed rectifier potassium channels while simultaneously slowing the activity of L‐type calcium channels

consistent evidence that supplemental testosterone shortens the QTc interval.

Intima‐media thickness (IMT) of the carotid artery is considered a marker for preclinical atherosclerosis

Studies have shown that levels of endogenous testosterone are inversely associated with IMT of the carotid artery,126–128,32,129–130 as well as both the thoracic134 and the abdominal aorta

1 study has demonstrated that lower levels of free testosterone are associated with accelerated progression of carotid artery IMT

another study has reported that decreased levels of total and bioavailable testosterone are associated with progression of atherosclerosis in the abdominal aorta

These findings suggest that normal physiologic testosterone levels may help to protect men from the development of atherosclerosis

Czesla et al successfully demonstrated that the muscle specimens that were exposed to metenolone had a significant shift in their composition toward type I muscle fibers

Type I muscle fibers, also known as slow‐twitch or oxidative fibers, are associated with enhanced strength and physical capability

It has been shown that those with advanced CHF have a higher percentage of type II muscle fibers, based on muscle biopsy

Studies have shown that men with CHF suffer from reduced levels of total and free testosterone.137 It has also been shown that reduced testosterone levels in men with CHF portends a poor prognosis and is associated with increased CHF mortality.138 Reduced testosterone has also been shown to correlate negatively with exercise capacity in CHF patients.

Testosterone replacement therapy has been shown to significantly improve exercise capacity, without affecting LVEF

the results of the 3 meta‐analyses seem to indicate that testosterone replacement therapy does not cause an increase in the rate of adverse cardiovascular events

Data from 3 meta‐analyses seem to contradict the commonly held belief that testosterone administration may increase the risk of developing prostate cancer

One meta‐analysis reported an increase in all prostate‐related adverse events with testosterone administration.146 However, when each prostate‐related event, including prostate cancer and a rise in PSA, was analyzed separately, no differences were observed between the testosterone group and the placebo group

the existing data from the 3 meta‐analyses seem to indicate that testosterone replacement therapy does not increase the risk of adverse cardiovascular events

the authors correctly point out the weaknesses of their study which include retrospective study design and lack of randomization, small sample size at extremes of follow‐up, lack of outcome validation by chart review and poor generalizability of the results given that only male veterans with CAD were included in this study

the studies that failed to find an association between testosterone and CRP used an older population group

low testosterone may influence the severity of CAD by adversely affecting the mediators of the inflammatory response such as high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, and tumor necrosis factor–α

Comparing mitochondrial metabolic activity revealed a difference between stroma and epithelial cells

metalloproteinases (MMP) such as MMP-2, MMP-3, and MMP-9 increase extracellular matrix turnover and are themselves activated by oxidative stress

Overexpression of NOX4 in normal breast epithelial cells results in cellular senescence, resistance to apoptosis, and tumorigenic transformation, as well as increased aggressiveness of breast cancer cells

Lowered expression of Cav-1 not only leads to myofibroblast conversion and inflammation but also seems to impact aerobic glycolysis, leading to secretion of high energy metabolites such as pyruvate and lactate that drive mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation in cancer cells

Reverse Warburg Effect

secreted transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), fibroblast growth factor 2, and stromal-derived factor 1 (SDF1) are able to activate fibroblasts and increase cancer cell proliferation

oxidative stress has an important role in the initiation and preservation of breast cancer progression

cancer preventive role of healthy mitochondria

the cancer cells produce hydrogen peroxide and by driving the “Reverse Warburg Effect” initiate oxidative stress in fibroblasts. As a result of this process, fibroblasts exhibited reduced mitochondrial activity, increased glucose uptake, ROS, and metabolite production.

Oxidative stress results from an imbalance between unstable reactive species lacking one or more unpaired electrons (superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radical, reactive nitrogen species) and antioxidants

cancer cells are able to induce drivers of oxidative stress, autophagy and mitophagy: HIF-1α and NFκB in surrounding stroma fibro-blasts

Studies show that loss of Cav-1 in adjacent breast cancer stroma fibroblasts can be prevented by treatment with N-acetyl cysteine, quercetin, or metformin

However, diets rich in antioxidants have fallen short in sufficiently preventing cancer

obstructing oxidative stress in the tumor microenvironment can lead to mitophagy and promote breast cancer shutdown is a promising discovery for the development of future therapeutic interventions.

It is widely held that HIF-1α function is dependent upon its location within the tumor microenvironment. It acts as a tumor promoter in CAFs and as a tumor suppressor in cancer cells

It was reported that overexpression of recombinant (SOD2) (Trimmer et al., 2011) or injection of SOD, catalase, or their pegylated counterparts can block recurrence and metastasis in mice

hydrogen peroxide is one of the main factors that can push fibroblasts and cancer cells into senescence

Recent studies show that in the breast cancer microenvironment, oxidative stress causes mitochondrial dysfunction