Anticancer activity of curcumin on human breast adenocarcinoma: Role of Mcl-1 gene

Background: Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related death among females in the world. To date, chemotherapy has been the most frequently used treatment for breast cancer and other cancers. However, some natural products have been used, as alternative treatments for cancers including breast cancer, due to their wide range of biological activities and low toxicity in animal models. Objectives: The present study examined the anti-proliferative activity of curcumin and its effect(s) on the apoptosis of breast cancer cells. Materials and Methods: This study was performed by an in vitro assay and the anticancer effects of curcumin were determined by MTT (3-4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl-2,5 diphenyl tetrazolium bromide). We used quantitative real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) for detection of Mcl-1 gene expression in treated groups and then compared them to control samples. Results: In the treatment group, there were higher levels of cell death changes than the control group. The results also showed that the Mcl-1 gene expression declined in the tested group as compared to the control group. Conclusions: Our present findings indicated that curcumin significantly inhibited the growth of human breast cancer cell MCF-7 by inducing apoptosis in a dose- and time- dependent manner, accompanied by a decrease in MCF-7 cell viability. Furthermore, our results showed that quantitative real-time PCR could be used as a direct method for detection Mcl-1 gene expression in tested samples and normal samples. © 2015, Iranian Journal of Cancer Prevention

Effect of Cyperus rotundus on ischemia-induced brain damage and memory dysfunction in rats

Objective(s): Global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury causes loss of pyramidal cells in CA1 region of hippocampus. In this study, we investigated the possible neuroprotective effects of the ethanol extract of Cyperus rotundus (EECR) on a model of global transient ischemia in rat, by evaluating the pathophysiology of the hippocampal tissue and spatial memory. Materials and Methods: Treatment group (EECR, 100 mg/kg/day) was gavaged from 4 days before, to 3 days after ischemia. Morris water maze test was performed 1 week after ischemia for 4 days. Brain tissue was prepared for Nissl staining. Results: Our data showed no statistical difference between the treatment and ischemia groups in water maze task. So, treatment of ischemia with EECR cannot improve spatial learning and memory. On the contrary EECR ameliorated the CA1 pyramidal cell loss due to transient global ischemia/ reperfusion injury. Conclusion: These results suggest that EECR cannot reduce the ischemia-induced, cognitive impairments seen after transient, global cerebral ischemia but can prevent pyramidal cell loss in CA1 region of hippocampus. © 2015, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences. All rights reserved

Early Detection of t(8;21) Chromosomal Translocations During Treatment of PML-RARA Positive Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia: A Case Study

Here we describe a female patient who developed acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) characterized by t(l5;17) translocation at diagnosis. The patient began treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) + chemotherapy. During follow up, the patient was found to be negative for the t(15;17) transcript after 3 months of therapy which remained undetectable, thereafter. However, the emergence of a small clone with a t(8;21) abnormality was observed in the bone marrow and peripheral blood (PB) cells between 3 and 18 months following treatment initiation. The abnormal translocation observed in PB cells obtained at 3 months was detected after the second cycle of consolidation therapy and reappeared at 15 months during maintenance treatment, a period without ATRA. Although based on a single case, we conclude that genetic screening of multiple translocations in AML patients should be requested to allow early identification of other emerging clones during therapy that may manifest clinically following treatment

Pneumococcal infection of respiratory cells exposed to welding fumes; Role of oxidative stress and HIF-1 alpha

Colt Foundation: CF/05/12

Distribution and ecological risk assessment of heavy metals in roadside soil along the Hemat highway of Tehran, Iran

The impact of land use and a distance from the highway on heavy metal concentration in soils along the highway has been investigated. 28 soil samples were collected in August 2014 from the roadside soils of the Hemmat highway of Tehran, Iran. The results showed that the mean concentrations of Pb, Cr, Ni, Zn and Cd were 144, 17.20, 18.91, 86.84, 3.86 mg/kg–1, respectively. With exception for Cd, the concentrations of the heavy metals decreased upon increasing distance from the highway that shows the background amount of cadmium in the soil area was high. The values of the enrichment factor (EF) showed that Ni, Zn and Cr have a natural source (EF 10). The anthropogenic sources are emphasized for these heavy metals, thus indicating the strong human influence. The mean values of geoaccumulation index (Igeo) for Pb, Zn, Cd were high at residential, under-construction and green space land uses. The ecological risk index (RI) for roadside soils was higher than 300, indicating that sampling sites had a considerable ecological risk. The potential ecological risk index for single metal decreases in the following sequence: Cd > Pb > Ni > Zn > Cr