ABSTRACT
SUMMARY OBJECTIVES: Black cumin is widely used as a spice and as a traditional treatment. The active ingredient in black cumin seeds is thymoquinone. Thymoquinone has shown anticancer effects in some cancers. We planned to investigate its anticancer effect on pancreatic cancer cell lines. METHODS: Thymoquinone chemical component in various doses was prepared and inoculated on pancreatic cancer cell culture, healthy mesenchymal stem cells, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell culture. IC50 values were calculated by absorbance data and measuring cell viability by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazolium bromide staining of cells incubated with thymoquinone at 24, 48, and 72 h. RESULTS: There was dose-related cytotoxicity. Maximal cytotoxicity was observed at 24 h and 100 μM thymoquinone concentrations in pancreatic cancer cell culture and mesenchymal stem cells. Any concentration of thymoquinone was not cytotoxic to peripheral blood mononuclear cell. Thymoquinone even caused proliferation at a concentration of 6.25 μM. CONCLUSIONS: Since the cytotoxic concentration of thymoquinone on pancreatic cancer cell culture and mesenchymal stem cells is the same, it is not appropriate to use thymoquinone to achieve cytotoxicity in pancreatic cancer. However, since thymoquinone provides proliferation in peripheral blood mononuclear cell at a noncytotoxic dose, it may have an immune activator effect. Therefore, in vivo studies are needed to investigate the effect of thymoquinone on the immune system.
ABSTRACT
Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. To study factors causing breast cancer, various epidemiological and experimental studies are being conducted. A relation may exist between vitamin D, folic acid, testosterone, and various neoplasms. Objectives: Detect the levels of vitamin D, folic acid, and testosterone in breast cancer of patients and healthy subjects, and determine the relation of the levels of vitamin D, folic acid, and testosterone with tumor histopathology, stage, and receptor status. Methods: Eighty patients diagnosed with breast cancer and 20 controls (healthy volunteers) were enrolled in the study. Serum samples were collected from the patients and the controls, and examined using Roche E-170 with its own special kit. Results: Folic acid levels were higher in the patient group and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.044). The levels of testosterone were lower in post-menopausal patients (p=0 .018). In stage I-II (early-stage) patients, vitamin D levels were higher, while in the stage III-IV (advanced-stage) patients, the levels were lower (p=0.048). Conclusions: Low vitamin D levels may be related to poor prognosis. Low levels of folic acid were detected in the control group. Low levels of folic acid but high vitamin D and testosterone levels may be protective against breast cancer.
ABSTRACT
Background: Severe hyperlipidemia secondary to capecitabine, an oral fluoropyrimidine, is a very rare condition. There are no reported cases of hyperlipidemia associated with Uracil/tegafur (UFT). Objective: Report UFT-induced severe hyperlipidemia. Method: A 71-year-old male patient with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving capecitabine treatment was hospitalized at the end of the eighth cycle with the complaint of fatigue. Capecitabine treatment was discontinued in the patient in whom severe hyperlipidemia was detected together with disease progression. Gemphibrozile 1200 mg/day was initiated; patient’s triglyceride level and serum cholesterol decreased from 1768 to 149 mg/dL and from 497 to 99 mg/dL, respectively, five weeks later. The patient started to receive UFT chemotherapy and after the second cycle, he presented to our hospital again with the complaints of fatigue, headache, and yellow vision. The investigations revealed a serum triglyceride level of 4115 mg/dL and a cholesterol level of 734 mg/dL. Results: UFT chemotherapy was discontinued and lipopheresis was administered for three consecutive days, and gemphibrozile was initiated again at a dose of 1200 mg/day. The clinical presentation might be due to oral fluoropyrimidine. Three weeks later, serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels decreased to 106 and 403 mg/dL, respectively. Conclusion: This case is a unique case of hyperlipidemia secondary to UFT. Monitoring of lipid levels, when using Fluoropyrimidine, as well as hemograms, liver and renal functions would be appropriate.