Cuscuta campestris induces apoptosis by increasing reactive oxygen species generation in human leukemic cells

Objective: Cuscuta campestris or common dodder is a holoparasitic  plant  that  has  been valorized for treatment of liver injury and cancer prevention in traditional medicine. Recently, extract of C. campestris had shown moderate antimicrobial properties and cytotoxic effects. In this study, we examined the level of cellular oxidants, cytotoxicity, apoptosis and differentiation induced by hydroalcoholic extract of C. campestris(CCE)(12.5-200 µg/ml), as well as arsenic trioxide (As2O3, 50 µM), in human leukemic (HL60 and NB4) and normal polymorph nuclear cells after 72 hr treatment. Materials and Methods: Resazurin assay was used to determine cell viability following treatment with C. campestris. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic cells were measured by fluorimetry using carboxy 2′, 7′-dichlorofluorescein diacetate and propidium iodide (PI), as staining reagents, respectively. The differentiation of leukemic cells was evaluated by Giemsa staining and nitro blue tetrazolium (NBT) reduction. Results: C. campestris inhibited cell viability with IC50 values of 23.9 µg/ml for HL60 and 60.3 µg/ml for NB4 cells after 72 hr treatment. ROS formation was also concentration-dependently increased following treatment with C. campestris. In addition, the number of apoptotic cells significantly increased to 88.4% and 62.3% in CCE (200 µg/ml)-treated HL60 and NB4 cells, respectively, which was higher than that of As2O3 (50 µM)-treated leukemic cells (

A comparison between the effects of Portulaca oleracea seeds extract and valsartan on echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters in rats with levothyroxine-induced thyrotoxicosis

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the effects of Portulaca oleracea (Po) seeds extract and those of valsartan on cardiac function in levothyroxine (T4)-treated rats. Materials and Methods: Forty Wistar rats were divided into four groups (n=10): control, levothyroxine (T4), T4 plus valsartan (T4-Val) and T4 plus hydro-alcoholic extract of the P. oleracea seeds (T4-Po). Control group received normal saline. Levothyroxine (100µg/kg/day, i.p.) was administered to three other groups for 4 weeks. Valsartan (8 mg/kg/day, orally) and Po seeds extract (400 mg/kg/day, orally) were administered during the last two weeks of treatment period. At the end of the experiment, echocardiographic and hemodynamic parameters were measured and serum free T4, T3, and T4 were measured. Results: Administration of T4 for 4 weeks significantly increased serum free T4 levels in T4 group but elevations of free T4 levels in T4–Val group were not significant. Free T4 level decreased in T4–Po (

The effects of Nigella sativa ethanolic extract on proliferation and apoptosis of renal cell carcinoma ACHN cell line

زمینه و هدف: سیاه دانه (Nigella sativa) گیاهی ازتیره آلاله٬ علفی، یک ساله یا پایا است. ترکیبات این گیاه دارای خواص ضد سرطانی هستند. این مطالعه با هدف بررسی اثر سایتوتوکسیک و آپوپتوتیک عصاره الکلی سیاهدانه بر روی رشد سلول های سرطانی کلیه انسان رده ACHN و سلول های غیر سرطانی سالم رده L929 انجام شد. روش بررسی: در این مطالعه تجربی غلظت های مختلف عصاره الکلی سیاهدانه در محیط کشت، روی سلول های ACHN و L929 اثر داده شد. پس از 24، 48 و 72 ساعت، تغییرات مورفولوژیک ایجاد شده با میکروسکوپ معکوس ارزیابی گردید. با آزمون MTT اثر غلظت های عصاره بر درصد سلول های زنده هر دو رده سلولی در زمان‌های مذکور، از نظر کمی بررسی شد. بررسی میزان آپوپتوز با کیت فسفاتیدیل سرین با استفاده ار دستگاه فلوسیتومتری مشخص گردید. داده ها با استفاده از آنالیز آماری واریانس یک طرفه و آزمون تعقیبی Tukeyآنالیز شد. یافته ها: نتایج آزمون MTT نشان داد که غلظت های µg/ml 750 و بالاتر عصاره بر سلول های رده ACHN و غلظت های µg/ml 1250 و بالاتر عصاره بر روی سلول های رده L929 موجب کاهش معنی دار تعداد سلول های زنده ACHN و L929 می گردد (05/0P(P. نتیجه گیری: با توجه به نتایج این پژوهش عصاره الکلی سیاهدانه دارای اثرات آپوپتوتیک و سایتوتوکسیک بر سلول های سرطانی رده ACHN در مقایسه با سلول های سالم L929 است. لذا می توان عصاره الکلی سیاهدانه را به عنوان ترکیبی با اثرات سایتوتوکسیک روی سلول های سرطانی در درمان سرطان کلیه پیشنهاد کرد

Hypnotic effect of red cabbage (Brassica oleracea) on pentobarbital-induced sleep in mice

Objective: The present study was performed to investigate the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of red cabbage and its fractions on sleeping behavior in mice. Materials and Methods: The extract and its fractions were injected to mice and sleep duration as well as sleep latency were recorded. Furthermore, toxicity of the extract was determined both in vivo and in vitro. Results: The extract increased sleep duration at doses of 50–200mg/kg (P < 0.001). This observed hypnotic effect was comparable to that of diazepam (3mg/kg) (P < 0.001 in comparison with control group). Ethyl acetate, n-butanol, and aqueous fractions could increase sleep duration (P < 0.001). The sleep latency was decreased by the extract (P < 0.001) and only ethyl acetate fraction (P < 0.001). LD50 value for red cabbage extract was 2.4g/kg. There was no toxic effect on viability of cultured neuronal cells (PC12). Rotarod test results showed that there were no significant differences between the extract groups and the control group. Conclusion: The results suggest that red cabbage potentiates pentobarbital hypnosis without any toxic effect. The main component(s) responsible for this effect is most likely to be intermediate polar agent(s) such as flavonoids, which are found in ethyl acetate fraction of this plant

Kidney stone formation and antioxidant effects of Cynodon dactylon decoction in male Wistar rats

Objectives: The antioxidant capacity impairs in kidney and urinary bladder of animals with stone disease. Herbal medicine can improve the antioxidant condition of renal tissue. Cynodon dactylon (C. dactylon) is a medicinal plant with antioxidative and diuretic properties and different preparations of this plant have shown promising effects in stone disease. Assessment of the whole plant decoction to prevent kidney stone disease as well as its antioxidant effects was the aim of this paper.Materials and Methods: Fifty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 experimental groups (n=10). One group was left without treatment and four groups received ethylene glycol (1% v/v) in drinking water for 6 weeks. Three doses of Cynodon dactylon aqueous decoction (12.5, 50 and 200 mg/kg BW) were added to the drinking water of groups 3-5. Finally, water intake, 24-hour urine volume, MDA, total thiol concentration and FRAP value were measured in the serum and kidney tissues. The CaOx depositions were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining.Results: Compared to the ethylene glycol-treated group, 200 mg/kg C. dactylon, lowered stone incidents, decreased urine volume, increased FRAP/g Cr (43%) and thiol content (