Glioprotective Effects of Ashwagandha Leaf Extract against Lead Induced Toxicity

Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha), also known as Indian Ginseng, is a well-known Indian medicinal plant due to its antioxidative, antistress, antigenotoxic, and immunomodulatory properties. The present study was designed to assess and establish the cytoprotective potential of Ashwagandha leaf aqueous extract against lead induced toxicity. Pretreatment of C6 cells with 0.1% Ashwagandha extract showed cytoprotection against 25 μM to 400 μM concentration of lead nitrate. Further pretreatment with Ashwagandha extract to lead nitrate exposed cells (200 μM) resulted in normalization of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression as well as heat shock protein (HSP70), mortalin, and neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression. Further, the cytoprotective efficacy of Ashwagandha extract was studied in vivo. Administration of Ashwagandha extract provided significant protection to lead induced altered antioxidant defense that may significantly compromise normal cellular function. Ashwagandha also provided a significant protection to lipid peroxidation (LPx) levels, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) but not reduced glutathione (GSH) contents in brain tissue as well as peripheral organs, liver and kidney, suggesting its ability to act as a free radical scavenger protecting cells against toxic insult. These results, thus, suggest that Ashwagandha water extract may have the potential therapeutic implication against lead poisoning

Establishment and characterization of two primary breast cancer cell lines from young Indian breast cancer patients: mutation analysis

Two novel triple negative breast cancer cell lines, NIPBC-1 and NIPBC-2 were successfully established from primary tumors of two young breast cancer patients aged 39 and 38 years respectively, diagnosed as infiltrating duct carcinoma of breast. Characterization of these cell lines showed luminal origin with expression of epithelial specific antigen and cytokeratin 18 and presence of microfilaments and secretary vesicles, microvilli, tight junctions and desmosomes on ultra-structural analysis. Both the cell lines showed anchorage independent growth and invasion of matrigel coated membranes. Karyotype analysis showed aneuploidy, deletions and multiple rearrangements in chromosomes 7, 9, X and 11 and isochromosomes 17q in both the cell lines. P53 mutational analysis revealed no mutation in the coding region in both the cell lines; however NIPBC-2 cell line showed presence of heterozygous C/G polymorphism, g.417 C > G (NM_000546.5) resulting in Arg/Pro allele at codon 72 of exon 4. Screening for mutations in BRCA1&2 genes revealed presence of three heterozygous polymorphisms in exon 11 of BRCA1 and 2 polymorphisms in exons 11, and14 of BRCA2 gene in both the cell lines. Both the cell lines showed presence of CD 44+/24-breast cancer stem cells and capability of producing mammosphere on culture. The two triple negative breast cancer cell lines established from early onset breast tumors can serve as novel invitro models to study mechanisms underlying breast tumorigenesis in younger age group patients and also identification of new therapeutic modalities targeting cancer stem cells