Fig. 4

XIAOPI formula inhibits breast cancer lung metastasis and reduces the proportions of MDSCs and TAMs in the tumor. a Schematic diagram of animal model establishment, drug administration and parameters tested. b Representative image of breast tumors under different treatments. c-d XIAOPI formula inhibited breast cancer growth and suppressed the growth promotion effects induced by TAMs coinjection. Meanwhile, CXCL1 knockdown in TAMs was found to restrain the growth-stimulating effects of TAMs on breast cancer, while CXCL1 overexpression in TAMs was found to relieve the inhibitory effects of XIAOPI formula. e XIAOPI formula inhibited breast cancer lung metastasis and suppressed the promotion effects induced by TAMs coinjection. Meanwhile, CXCL1 knockdown in TAMs was found to limit the metastasis-stimulating effects of TAMs on breast cancer, while CXCL1 overexpression in TAMs was found to block the inhibitory effects of XIAOPI formula. f XIAOPI formula could inhibit the M2 type macrophages in the primary breast tumors or TAMs-stimulated breast tumors, CXCL1 knockdown in TAMs could downregulate the population of M2 phenotype populations and CXCL1 overexpression in TAMs relieved the suppression effects of XIAOPI formula. g XIAOPI formula could inhibit the MDSCs induced by 4 T1 cells or TAMs stimulation, CXCL1 knockdown in TAMs could downregulate the population of MDSCs and CXCL1 overexpression in TAMs relieved the suppression effects of XIAOPI formula. (The results were represented as mean values ± SD, *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01)