Effects of Sambucus ebulus Extract on Cell Proliferation and Viability of Triple- Negative Breast Cancer: An In Vitro and In Vivo Study.

BACKGROUND: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) accounts for 15% of all breast cancer (BC) cases and is a severe type of BC. Since medicinal herbs containing biocompatible substances that are accepted by patient more than chemical therapeutics, they can be considered a safe option for treating BC. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated the effect of Sambucus Ebulus (S. ebulus) extract on a model of TNBC. METHODS: S. ebulus extract was prepared using petroleum ether, ethyl acetate, and methanol. The petroleum ether extract was fractionated and analyzed using vacuum liquid chromatography and GC-MS, respectively. MDAMB- 231 and MCF-10A were used as TNBC and normal breast cells, respectively. Flowcytometry and MTT assays were performed to evaluate cell cycle, apoptosis, and viability of the cells. Gene expression analysis was performed using RT-qPCR. Nude mouse allograft tumor models were used, and pathological sections were evaluated. RESULTS: The findings indicated that S. ebulus extract remarkably decreased cell proliferation and viability. The extract had no toxicity to the normal breast cells but efficiently killed the cancer cells. Cell cycle- and apoptosisrelated gene expression showed that fraction 4 of S. ebulus extract significantly increased the expression of Bax, Bak, P53, and c-MYC. CONCLUSION: This study showed satisfactory results of the effect of S. ebulus extract on clearing BC cells both in vitro and in vivo. Thus, S. ebulus extract may be a safe herbal compound for eliminating BC cells without toxicity to host cells.

Effects of a Formula-Based Ketogenic Diet on Refractory Epilepsy in 1 to 3 Year-Old Patients under Classic Ketogenic Diet.

OBJECTIVES: The classic ketogenic diet (CKD) as a potential epilepsy treatment with high-fat has not good tolerability in some patients, and so many families refuse to use this diet for long term especially in children younger than 2 year. In the present study, the efficacy and tolerability of the CKD only diet were compared with CKD combined a formula-based powder in children between 1 and 3 yr with intractable epilepsy. MATERIALS & METHODS: We randomly enrolled 45 children referred to Mofid Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran from April 2016 to May 2017 with refractory epilepsy for CKD only (control group), and formula based CKD (experimental group) treatment. Subjects were followed up for at least six months. RESULTS: Most of the patients in CKD only group did not tolerate the diet and were reluctant to eat homemade foods with high fat. All families of the patients younger than 2 yr old in this group chose to discontinue CKD and pursued other options. About 33% of the families of the patients younger than 2 yr old and 41.6% of the total patients between 1-3 yr old in experimental group stayed to the end of the trial, and all of them showed more than 90% reduction in seizure frequency after 6 months. Moreover, regardless of the other variables, using formula increased the chance of responding to treatment 7.32 times. CONCLUSION: A ketogenic diet using a powder ketogenic formula is effective, safe, and tolerable in infants and children with refractory seizure especially for younger patients who are reluctant to eat ketogenic homemade foods.

Effect of ischemia preconditioning and leech therapy on cutaneous pedicle flaps subjected to prolonged ischemia in a mouse model.

We sought to determine the effect of ischemic preconditioning (IPC) and hirudotherapy (leech therapy) on cutaneous pedicle flaps after they underwent prolonged ischemia (global ischemia) in a mouse model. Twenty cutaneous pedicle flaps were elevated in 20 mice, and the animals were randomized into four groups: sham, control, IPC and leech (5 flaps in each group). Except in the sham group, all flaps were subjected to global ischemia for 5 h via pedicle clamping. The control group did not receive any treatment before or after global ischemia. In the IPC group, global ischemia was preceded by three 10-min episodes of ischemia, each followed by 10 min of reperfusion. In the leech therapy group, after global ischemia, hirudotherapy was performed. Flap survival area and histopathological changes were evaluated on the 10th day after surgery. Flap survival areas were significantly higher in both the IPC and leech groups than in the control group and were significantly higher in the leech group than in the IPC group (p < 0.05). In conclusion IPC and hirudotherapy had definite effects on the survival area of cutaneous pedicle flaps that underwent prolonged ischemia in a mouse model.