RESUMO
OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the protective effect of Zataria multiflora extract, an antioxidative medicinal plant, against cyclophosphamide (CP)-induced oxidative lung damage in mice.@*METHODS@#Mice were intraperitoneally pre-treated with various doses of Zataria multiflora extract (50, 100, 200, and 400 mg/kg) once daily for 7 consecutive days. Animals were then injected with a single 200 mg/kg intraperitoneal dose of CP 1 h after the last administration of O. vulgare. Twenty-four hours later, mice were euthanized, the lungs were immediately removed, and biochemical and histological studies were conducted.@*RESULTS@#A single dose of CP markedly altered the levels of several biomarkers associated with oxidative stress in lung homogenates. Pretreatment with Zataria multiflora significantly inhibited the elevation of lipid peroxidation level and the depletion in glutathione content, and superoxide dismutase and catalase activities induced by CP in lung. In addition, Zataria multiflora effectively alleviated CP-induced histopathological abnormality and pulmonary damages in mice lung tissues.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The results reveal that Zataria multiflora protects lung tissues from CP-induced toxicity and suggest a role for oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of lung toxicity produced by CP in mice. Because Zataria multiflora has been extensively used as an additive agent and is regarded as safe, it may be used concomitantly as a good supplement for reducing organ toxicity in patients undergoing chemotherapy, besides their consolidated ethnopharmacological uses.
RESUMO
Gastric cancer is the most prevalent cancer with poor survival in gastrointestinal tract. Caspase 3 and 9 play an important role in the development and progression of cancer. Polymorphisms in the genes for these enzymes can affect gene activity and thus may influence susceptibility to gastric cancer. In this study, caspase 3 and 9 genes polymorphisms in patients with gastric cancer were examined. In a case - control study, 100 patients with gastric cancer and 100 healthy individuals were evaluated in the region rs4647601: G> T for caspase-3 and -1263 A> G gene promoter for caspase 9. DNA extraction was performed from whole blood according to manufacture protocol. RFLP-PCR method was carrying out for detection of caspase 3 and 9 genes genotype in two groups. In this study, 143 men and 57 women were evaluated. All of them were selected from the same race and geographical area. The results indicated an increase of the mutant G allele in the control group, which leads to a decreasing in the incidence of gastric cancer [P<0.0001, OR: 0.096, [%0.95CL] =0.04-0.23]. It seems that screening of -1263 A> caspase 9 polymorphism could be a useful marker in personal sensitivity to gastric cancer and help to cancer treatment and prevention process. It is concluded that caspase gene variation may be a diagnostic factor in the gastric cancer.