ABSTRACT
The sudden involuntary muscular contractions of the air ways is a very common disease in human societies. Study on medical plant extracts to affect contractile activity of the tracheal smooth muscle can be useful manner in control of pulmonary obstructive sickness. This research was designed to determine the effect of Althaeas' root methanol extract on contractile function of rat tracheal smooth muscle. In this experimental study, 36 tracheas of a healthy and male of 18 Sprague Dawley rats were dissected in 6 groups. The effect of Althaeas' root methanol extract concentrations [0.2, 0.6, 2.6, 6.6, 14.6, 140.6 microg/ml] and epinephrine [5 microm] in presence and absence of 1microM propranolol under one gram tension based on isometric method was assayed. This assay was recorded in an organ bath containing kerebs-hancelit solution on tracheal smooth muscle contractions by KCl [60 mM] induction. Epinephrine [5 microm] alone and root methanol extract concentrations [0.6 - 140.6 microg/ml] reduced the tracheal smooth muscle contractions induced by KCl [60 mM] dose-dependently. Propranolol couldn't reduce the antispasmodic effect of root methanol extract concentrations, but it could reduce the antispasmodic effect of Epinephrine on tracheal smooth muscle contractions. Althaeas' root methanol extract inhibited the tracheal smooth muscle of rat contractions dose dependently, but it seems that beta-Adrenergic receptors are not engage in this process. Realizing the mechanism of this process can be useful in treatment of pulmonary obstructive disease
ABSTRACT
Breast cancer is the most common disease in women. In the expansion and progression of breast tumors combination of tumor markers including prostate specific antigen and telomerase are engaged. The aim of this study was to evaluate relationship between telomerase activity and prostate specific antigen gene expression in breast cancer patients and controls. This study was a case-control and consisted of 25 women diagnosed with breast benign tumors as control and 35 malignant tumors as cases. Telomerase activity was measured in tumor cytosol of samples by TRAP assay. PSA protein was measured using ultra sensitive immunoflourometric assay and PSA mRNA expression was making cleared using RTPCR techniques in all tumor tissues. Using TRAP assay, presence of the telomerase activity was positive in all of the breast cancer patients. The difference of relative telomerase activity [RTA] values between stages and also all grades were more statistically significant [p<0.05]. The PSA mRNA were detected only in benign tumors and stage I and grade I malignant tumor cytosols. Difference of tumor cytosol PSA levels between the cases and control groups and also between all grades and stages of diseases were significant [p <0.05]. In all, there was an inverse significant correlation between the RTA and PSA protein levels in the case groups [r=-0.42, p<0.05]. Our results showed a reverse relationship between PSA mRNA expression and increasing telomerase gene expression during breast cancer progression and development. In all, measurement of telomerase activity could be favorable biomarker along with PSA in breast cancer diagnosis