Effects of systemic administration of HESA-A on the expression of cyclin D1 and EGFR and E-cadherin in the induced tongue dysplasia in rats.

Background. HESA-A has herbal and marine bases, containing minerals and rare elements such as Zr, Cr, Ga, Mn, Mg, Ca, Sr, Cu, Ti, etc. Its mechanism of action includes antioxidant, antiinflammatory and adjustment of the immune system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of HESA-A systemic drug on expression of cyclin D1, EGFR and E-cadherin in induced tongue dysplasia in rats. Methods. In this experimental study, the effects of the systemic drug HESA-A on the expression of cyclin D1, EGFR, and E-cadherin molecular markers were examined in induced tongue dysplasia in rats. Results. The incidence rate of cyclin D1 in groups receiving HESA-A was lower than the group that did not receive the drug (77.78% in the 0‒5% range versus 77.78% in the 5‒50% range). In the case of expression of E-cadherin in group D, which did not receive HESA-A, a decrease was observed in the expression of this cell adhesion marker as compared to the other two groups. The incidence of E-cadherin was dependent on HESA-A dose, while with 500 mg/kg it was higher than other groups (>75% in 55.55% versus >75% in 11.11%). Concerning the incidence of EGFR in all the three groups most cases were grade 0. Conclusion. The results of the present research indicated that considering changes in the expression of cyclin D1 and E-cadherin markers in groups treated with HESA-A, HESA-A® has preventive effects on development of cancer in dysplastic lesions through regulation of expression of these molecules.

Evaluation of the Effect of Two Different Systemic Doses of Viola Odorata on Prevention of Induced Tongue Dysplasia in Rats.

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM: Oral cancer is among the ten most common cancers worldwide. It affects the life quality of patients in many ways. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two different systemic doses of Viola Odorata syrup on the prevention of 4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) induced tongue dysplasia in rats. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Forty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of A, B, C and D. Group A served as the control group. The rats in groups B to D received 30 ppm of 4-NQO in drinking water for 12 weeks. Additionally, the rats in groups B and C received Viola Odorata syrup at doses of 15 and 5 ml/kg, respectively, 3 times a week. Body weights were measured three times a week. At the end, the rats were euthanized and the tongue was removed. Histological evaluations for carcinogenesis were carried out under a light microscope. RESULTS: The mean body weight of the rats in groups B, C, and D were lower than that in group A (p< 0.01). After 12 weeks of treatment, microscopically no histological changes of the tongue base epithelia were observed in the control group. The rats in group B did not show severe dysplastic changes; only mild to moderate histological changes including hyperplasia and hyperkeratosis were evident. These incidences were significantly more apparent in groups C with moderate to severe changes (p< 0.05) and group D with severe dysplastic changes (p< 0.01). Almost all rats in group D had hyperplasia and manifested all of the stages of dysplasia. CONCLUSION: Viola Odorata extract has dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the development of tongue induced dysplasia.

Hesa-A Improves Clinical Outcome of Oral Carcinoma by Affecting p53 Gene Expression in vivo.

BACKGROUND: Oral carcinoma (OC) remains as one of the most difficult malignancies to cure. Hesa-A is an Iranian herbal-marine compound that has shown promising anti-tumor properties on various human cancer cells, although the mechanisms of action remain to be addressed. This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of two doses of Hesa-A on mRNA expression of p53 as a main prognosticator of OC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 60 rats were randomly divided into 5 groups of 12 animals each. Rats in carcinoma groups received 0, 250 and 500 mg/kg body weight of Hesa-A three times a day. The two other groups considered as treated and untreated healthy groups. At the end of experiment, animals were sacrificed and tongue tissues subjected to H and E staining and real time PCR. RESULTS: Our results indicated that compared to healthy group, p53 over expressed ~ 40% in untreated carcinoma group. After treatment with 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg body weights of Hesa-A , p53 level dropped by 53.4% and 13.6 %, respectively, compared to untreated carcinoma group (p<0.05, p<0.0001). Moreover, there was a significant relation between p53 mRNA content and observed pathological changes in studied groups (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These data provide insights into the mechanism(s) by which Hesa-A improves clinical outcome of oral carcinoma by modulation of p53 expression.

Evaluation of the Relationship between Serum Lipid Profile andOral Lichen Planus.

Background and aims. Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an immunologic disorder. A large number of studies have reported that lipid rafts have a key role in receptor signaling of lymphocytes. Here, we explore the potential of lipid rafts as targets for the development of a new class of agents to down-modulate immune responses and treat autoimmune diseases. Materials and methods. The present cross-sectional study evaluated 88 patients referring to the Department of Oral Medicine in 3 groups (Group 1: erosive OLP; Group 2: non-erosive OLP; Group 3: healthy). A total of 3 mL of blood sample was taken from each subject and the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL and LDL were determined. The mean outcomes of each group were compared with each other and analyzed two by two. Results. The results of statistical analyses showed no significant differences in mean HDL and LDL serum levels between the three groups. The results of post hoc LSD test showed that mean serum levels of subjects with erosive and non-erosive lichen planus were higher than those in healthy subjects. In relation to triglyceride serum levels, the mean serum levels of triglycerides were higher in erosive and non-erosive OLP patients compared to healthy subjects. Conclusion. Triglyceride and cholesterol can be considered to have a critical role in the incidence of lichen planus and in its manifestations as predisposing factors.

Evaluation of the Effect of Two Systemic Doses of HESA-A on Prevention of Induced Tongue Neoplasm in Rats.

Background and aims. The aim of the present study was to compare the inhibitory effects of two systemic doses of HESA-A on prevention of 4-NQO-induced tongue neoplasms in rats. This study evaluated weight and histopathological changes. Materials and methods. Forty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were divided into four groups of A, B, C and D of each 12 rats. The rats in groups B to D received 30 ppm of 4-Nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) in drinking water for 12 weeks.  When feeding with 4-NQO was initiated, the rats in groups B and C received HESA-A at doses of 250 and 500 mg/kg, respectively, 3 times a week. Body weights were measured three times a week. At the end, the rats were euthanized and the tongue was removed. Histological evaluations for carcinogenesis were carried out under a light microscope. Results. The mean body weights of rats in groups B, C and D were significantly lower than that in group A (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in weight changes between groups B, C and D. In the present study, after 12 weeks of treatment, Tongue specimens in groups B and C did not exhibit severe dysplastic changes; however, concurrent hyperplasia, without atypia and mild-to-moderate dysplastic changes were detected. These changes were significantly less than those in group D, with significant differences between group D and groups A, B and C (P<0.001, P<0.01 and P<0.05, respectively). Conclusion. HESA-A has dose-dependent inhibitory effects on the development of neoplasms of the tongue.