RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Although antibiotics are well-known for their anti-bacterial effects, their inaugurated immunomodulatory roles in chronic inflammatory diseases have not elucidated yet. Anecdotal reports support the beneficial effects of parenteral penicillin in arthritis suggesting an immunomodulatory other than antibacterial effects for penicillin. The present study was designed to address the possible effects of penicillin G sodium (PCN-G) on different T-helper cells differentiation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of 10 healthy donors were isolated using Ficoll density gradient. The stimulated PBMCs by anti-CD3, anti-CD28, and anti-CD69 were cultured in the presence of 120 µg/ml of PCN-G. Foxp3, T-bet, RORγT, GATA3 as well as interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and interleukin (IL)-17A mRNA in stimulated cells were measured by the real-time polymerase chain reaction. Mann-Whitney U-test was used for determining differences between the medium of gene expression levels of stimulated cell population and unstimulated cells by PCN. Correlations between the related genes were determined using the Spearman test. RESULTS: Based on the results, T-bet gene expression levels were similar in stimulated cells by PCN G after 24 and 48 h while significant reduction was observed after 72 incubation with PCN G (difference = 3; 0.09-0.34; P = 0.031). Meanwhile, treated cells with PCN G expressed decreased levels of IFN-γ (difference = 8.0; 0.49-1.07; P = 0.001) and IL-17A (difference = 2.2; 0.05-0.75; P ≤ 0.05) genes comparing to unstimulated cell by PCN-G. GATA3 genes expression levels downregulated by PCN G after 72 h of incubation by PBMCs (difference = 1.1; 0.77-0.88; P = 0.035). CONCLUSION: Our results confirmed the immunomodulatory role of PCN G by affecting the expression of different cytokines genes in PBMCs.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Cancer causes significant morbidity and mortality and is a major public health problem worldwide. Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in women, and the incidence is also on the rise in the entire world. Medicinal plants have been an important source of several clinically useful anticancer agents. AIM: In this study, we studied the growth inhibitory effect of asafoetida and its essential oil and ferulic acid on antitumor activity using mouse breast cancer cell line. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this aim, cells were exposed to these components at different concentrations and for different time durations. 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay was carried out to characterize the cytotoxicity of the constituents used. RESULTS: Our results showed that all three constituents could inhibit 4T1 cell proliferation. Our MTT assay results showed a significant cytotoxicity effect in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. It also demonstrated that essential oil of asafoetida has a stronger effect in decreasing viability breast cancer cells. Ferulic acid showed a significant effect only at a dose of 500 µg/ml. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results of cellular carried out in this study, we could demonstrate that asafoetida and its essential oil and ferulic acid have inhibitory effect on the growth of breast cancer cell line. As evidenced from these preliminary results, asafoetida and its derivative constituents may be considered as attractive alternatives to serve as lead compounds in drug development for breast cancer as an adjuvant therapy. However, much remains to be done before such agent could be introduced to the clinic.
