ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Breast Cancer
Volume 15 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fonc.2025.1553090
Therapeutic Potential of Grape Seed Proanthocyanidin Extract in Enhancing Lymphatic and Blood Flow in Secondary Lymphedema Models
Provisionally accepted
- 1Asan Institute for Life Sciences, Seoul, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
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Secondary lymphedema (SLE) is a debilitating complication of cancer treatment, especially for breast cancer, with rising global prevalence, yet no effective pharmacological treatment exists.Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE), known to improve venous insufficiency, is hypothesized to benefit lymphatic insufficiency and aid in SLE management. This study investigated the therapeutic potential of GSPE using lymphedema animal models. Fifteen nineweek-old Sprague-Dawley rats (250-300 g) were used with tail lymphedema models induced in 12 rats, and 3 rats were in normal condition. The treatment group received intraperitoneal GSPE powder mixed in saline, while the control group received saline. The follow-up of tail volume showed significant edema reduction in the treatment group compared to the control group. Near-infrared fluorescence indocyanine green lymphangiography (NIRF-ICGL) and laser Doppler flowmetry imager (LDFI) confirmed improved lymphatic and blood flow functions. Histopathological analysis using H&E staining revealed reduced matrix deposition and lymphatic abnormalities supporting the therapeutic effects of GSPE in SLE. These findings demonstrate the potential of GSPE as a novel treatment for lymphedema beyond its established 2 indications. Given the limited availability of safe and effective pharmacological options, GSPE shows promise as a future therapeutic strategy for SLE management.
Keywords: Lymphedema, Grape seed proanthocyanidin extract (GSPE), preclinical (in vivo) studies, lymphangiography, Doppler flowmetry, Pharmacological traetment
Received: 30 Dec 2024; Accepted: 20 May 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Cheon, Kim and Jeon. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Jae Yong Jeon, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, 05505, Republic of Korea
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