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ABSTRACT Objective: To investigate the effects of buserelin on the development of follicles, apoptosis index and steroid hormones level. Methods: Twenty-four 3-month-old female rats were randomly divided into three groups: a low-dose group, a high-dose group and a control group (n = 8). Buserelin and normal saline were injected subcutaneously for 5 days. Thirty days after the first injection, the ovaries were removed for staining. Blood samples were collected and centrifuged. Their serum was used for measuring estradiol and progesterone levels, using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: The findings revealed a significant decrease in the mean of secondary and Graafian follicles in the high-dose group compared with the control group (p = 0.037, p = 0.034, respectively). The serum estradiol level increased significantly in the high-dose group, compared with the low-dose and control groups (p = 0.027, p = 0.047, respectively). The serum progesterone level decreased, although not significantly. In contrast to the control group, the significant increase of apoptotic cell death was found in primordial, unilaminar and multi-laminar follicles in the high-dose group (p = 0.004, p = 0.049, p = 0.047, respectively). Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that short-term administration of high-dose buserelin increases the serum estradiol level and apoptosis in the granulosa cells but has an inhibitory effect on follicular development.
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Background: It has been reported that the activity of glutathione S-transferase (GST) is over-expressed in plasma and esophagus biopsies in Iranian patients suffering from esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The aim of this study was to find out the frequency of GST-P genotypes in these patients. Moreover, the association of GST-P genotypes with p53 protein accumulation in esophageal epithelium was investigated. Materials and Methods: DNA isolated from paraffin-embedded tissue biopsies from patients suffering from esophageal SCC (n = 56) were collected. polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) using Alw261 enzyme was applied to determine GST-P genotypes (Ile 105 Val). All the samples were also subjected to immunohistochemistry (IHC) for p53. Results: The frequency of GST-P genotypes in Iranian esophagus SCC patients for Ile/Ile, Ile/Val and Val/Val was 73.2, 21.5 and 5.3%. There was no association between GST-P polymorphism and p53 accumulation in esophageal epithelial cells. Conclusions: The frequency of GST-P polymorphism was not associated with p53 protein accumulation in esophagus epithelium. The frequency of polymorphic variants of GST-P, Ile/Ile, Ile/Val and Val/Val in SCC patients may suggest that Ile to Val substitution in GST-P gene dose not represent susceptibility to SCC in high-risk Iranian population.