Methotrexate loaded in alginate beads for controlled drug release against breast cancer.

Methotrexate (MTX), as a folate antagonist is used for breast cancer chemotherapy, but its application due to the adverse side effects was limited. In this study, MTX were encapsulated in magnetic alginate beads coated with glutaraldehyde to control its release in order to reduce the side effects and improve its stability. The complex was characterized by physicochemical studies. The encapsulation efficiency was 75 % and the complex showed acceptable controlled release behavior. The cell cytotoxicity assessed using methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) method showed that magnetic alginate beads-MTX, in lower dosage has higher anticancer effect compared to the free MTX. The real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to evaluate apoptotic factors Bcl2 associated X gene (Bax), B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2), and neuroinflammatory marker tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) genes expression level on the treated cells. The findings demonstrated the significant increase of expression of Bax and a significant decrease in the expressions of Bcl-2 and TNF-α in Michigan cancer foundation-7 (MCF-7) cells. These results indicated that the developed drug can overcome the side effects of MTX and offer a controlled drug release for a sustained period with the long-term treatment of breast cancer.

Viola tricolor Hydroalcoholic Extract Improves Behavioral Deficiencies in Rats Exposed to Chronic Immobilization Stress

Abstract This study aims to investigate the effect of Viola tricolor extract on hippocampal neuronal death, interleukin (IL) -6 and IL-10 expression, spatial memory, anxiety, and depression in rats exposed to chronic immobilization stress. Rats were divided into groups Control, Viola300, Viola600, Stress, Stress-Viola300, and Stress-Viola600. Animals were placed in a restrainer (6 h / 21 days) to stress exposure. V. tricolor hydro-alcoholic extract was also administrated at doses of 300 and 600 mg/kg by gavage. The extract caused immobilized animals to spend more time in the target quadrant in the Morris water maze test. It also increased the percentage of entries into the open arm and the percentage of time spent in the open arm of the elevated plus-maze in immobilized rats. Treatment with the V. tricolor extract significantly reduced the immobility time of stressed rats in the forced swimming test. Furthermore, it significantly reduced neuronal death and expression of IL-6 in the hippocampus of immobilized animals but could not prevent the decrease of IL-10 expression. We concluded that V. tricolor protects rats from stress-induced behavioral damages, at least in part, by suppressing neuronal death and decreasing IL-6 expression.

The relationship between vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphism and the occurrence of osteoporosis in menopausal Iranian women.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis, a multifactorial disease with reduced bone mineral density which increases the probability of bone fractures, is caused by calcium deficiency, and its incidence increases with age. It has been determined that mutations in functional regions of vitamin D receptor gene will affect the metabolism of minerals especially calcium and, therefore, bone density. The present study evaluates the relation between vitamin D receptor polymorphisms, TaqI (rs731236) and ApaI (rs7975232), and osteoporosis in menopausal Azari women in Zanjan province. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This case-control study has been conducted on 50 menopausal women suffering from osteoporosis and 50 menopausal women who did not suffer from osteoporosis in Zanjan province. The diagnosis of osteoporosis was confirmed using DEXA instrument. Peripheral blood was collected from the subjects and controls to extract DNA and assess the ApaI and TaqI polymorphisms using PCR-RFLP method. The results were interpreted using independent T-test, chi-square, and Pearson correlation coefficient with a p-value less than 0.05. RESULTS: There was not a significant difference between the frequency of ApaI (AA/Aa/aa) and TaqI (TT/Tt/tt) genotypes in cases (mean age 68.72) and controls (mean age 64.7) (p=0.37 and p=0.64, respectively). In addition, ApaI/TaqI allele haplotype in osteoporotic population showed non-significant relation (p value=0.563) compared with the control group. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The relationship between the genotypes and osteoporosis, cancers, and mineral metabolism disorders has been studied for a long time. Although there has been a significant relation between the aforementioned genotypes and osteoporosis or reduced mineral density-related bone fractures in some studied, some other studies have opposing results. Therefore, it is only possible to reach an acceptable conclusion by studying the haplotype of the polymorphisms in subjects.