Overall survival in 492 breast cancer patients.

<p>Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrate overall survival in 492 study patients. Green line denotes TRAM flap group (n = 213) while blue line represents patients with no reconstruction (n = 279). Abbreviation: TRAM: transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous.</p

Disease free survival in 492 breast cancer patients.

<p>Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrate disease free survival in 492 study patients. Green line denotes TRAM flap group (n = 213) while blue line represents patients with no reconstruction (n = 279). Abbreviation: TRAM: transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous.</p

Fat grafting inhibited the expressions of inflammatory proteins, COX-2, iNOS and nNOS, in the spinal cord dorsal horn, and reduced the secreted levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and TNF-α.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Western blot analyses of COX-2, iNOS and nNOS in the spinal cord dorsal horn at 8 weeks after the burn injury. β<b>-</b>actin was used as the internal control. The presentation format is similar to <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0137563#pone.0137563.g002" target="_blank">Fig 2</a>. Protein expressions of COX-2, iNOS and nNOS were decreased significantly in the burn with fat graft group compared with the burn with saline injection group (Group D vs. Group C). (<b>B</b>) Fat grafts appreciably reduced the secretions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and TNF-α, in the spinal cord dorsal horn. IL-1β and TNF-α assessment was conducted at least in triplicate, n > 3, *<i>P</i> < 0.05.</p

Fat grafts increased p-IκB, reduced the p-NFκB protein, and through the inhibition of p-JNK, attenuated apoptosis in the spinal cord dorsal horn.

<p>(<b>A</b>) Double immunofluorescent staining was performed to measure p-IκB and p-NFκB. Few p-IκB proteins were expressed in Group C, but p-IκB were increased in Group D. The expression of p-NFκB was abolished and reduced by fat grafts in Group D versus Group C. (<b>B</b>) Double immunofluorescence images in p-JNK and TUNEL expression were elevated following an increase in the TUNEL-positive cells. In Group D, we found that the inhibition from fat graft of p-JNK attenuated apoptosis in the spinal cord dorsal horn.</p

Fat graft regulated p-AKT/AKT and Bax/Bcl-2 ratios in the spinal cord dorsal horn.

<p>(<b>A</b> and <b>B</b>) Both expression ratios of p-AKT/AKT and Bax/Bcl-2 increased significantly in Group C versus Group D. These results indicated that fat grafting reduced cell death of neuron in the spinal cord (Data were presented with mean ± SEM, **<i>P</i> < 0.01; *<i>P</i> < 0.05).</p

The flowchart of this study and the behavior tests from various groups.

<p>(<b>A</b>) A flowchart of the study D (day) and W (week). (<b>B</b>) The response thresholds to the mechanical stimuli decreased strongly on the burn injury side hind paws in Group C and Group D, 1–4 weeks post burn injury. After the fat grafting, Group D thresholds significantly increased in the following weeks versus Group C. (<b>C</b>) The response thresholds to the radiant heat stimuli did not show significant differences between the groups. The sample size was n = 6 for each group. (Data are plotted as mean ± SEM; ***<i>P</i> < 0.001; **<i>P</i> < 0.01; *<i>P</i> < 0.05).</p