Tolou Babaei Hemmaty; Najmeh Ranji; Fatemeh Safari
Volume 23, Issue 3 , 2021
Abstract
Background and Aims: Gastric cancer (GC) is a global health problem and the second deadly type of cancer worldwide with 1000 deaths per year. Poor prognosis in the early stages is one of the burdens in the treatment of GC. MicroRNAs are 18-22 nucleotide non-coding RNAs which play critical roles ...
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Background and Aims: Gastric cancer (GC) is a global health problem and the second deadly type of cancer worldwide with 1000 deaths per year. Poor prognosis in the early stages is one of the burdens in the treatment of GC. MicroRNAs are 18-22 nucleotide non-coding RNAs which play critical roles in the regulation of gene expression. Nowadays, miRNAs are widely known as non-invasive biomarkers for various kinds of cancers. This study aimed to evaluate the expression level of circulating miR-16 and miR-26a in GC patients and investigate the potential prognostic role of these miRNAs.
Material and Methods: Initially, 20 plasma samples were obtained from pre-and post-operative GC patients, and the expression of miR-16 and -26a were compared with that of 20 healthy controls. The miRNAs expression was investigated using Real-Time quantitative PCR. The association between the expression levels of these miRNAs and clinicopathological features was also investigated in this study.
Results: MiR-16 was down-regulated in GC patients; however, miR-26a expression revealed no significant difference between patients and controls in this regard. Furthermore, the expression of two miRNAs showed no association with the grade, TNM stage, and smoking status of the patients. Eventually, decreased expression of miR-16 was not correlated with the expression level of miR-26a.
Conclusion: The downregulation of circulating miR-16 introduces this microRNA as a candidate biomarker for the non-invasive early prognosis of GC.
Armaghan Shirinsokhan; Zeinab Khazaei Koohpar; Najmeh Ranji; Fatemeh safari
Volume 22, Issue 11 , 2020
Abstract
Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a natural and heavy metal, which is widely widespread in the atmosphere. Studies report that environmental exposure to Cd increases the risk of various disorders, such as pulmonary diseases. On the other hand, Cd increases the reactive oxygen species (ROS), which interacts ...
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Background: Cadmium (Cd) is a natural and heavy metal, which is widely widespread in the atmosphere. Studies report that environmental exposure to Cd increases the risk of various disorders, such as pulmonary diseases. On the other hand, Cd increases the reactive oxygen species (ROS), which interacts with biomolecules (e.g. DNA, proteins, and lipids) and causes severe damages. In addition, Cd may play a role in the dysregulation of the expression and activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Since ROS and oxidative stress are likely the main reasons for MMPs dysregulation, antioxidants therapy may protect tissues against Cd-induced damages. Furthermore, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) protects cells against oxidative stress and toxic compounds.
Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the effect of cadmium (Cd) on the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) -2 and -9 expression in the lung, and the role of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) in preserving the lung cells against Cd toxicity.
Methods: The rats were randomly divided into five groups of G1 (control), G2 (single dose of Cd), G3 (continuous dose of Cd), G4 (single dose of Cd+NAC), and G5 (continuous dose of Cd+NAC). The level of Cd in the blood and lung tissue was measured by atomic absorption spectroscopy. Moreover, the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 genes was evaluated using RT-PCR.
Results: Single and continuous exposure to Cd caused a significant increase in serum and the lung tissue of Cd in G2 (0.23±0.04 mg/L and 0.35±0.047 ?g/g tissue) and G3 (0.50±0.068 mg/L and 0.81±0.063 ?g/g tissue) groups, compared to other groups (P<0.001). The NAC supplementation significantly decreased Cd levels in the serum and lung tissue samples of rats exposed to single or continuous Cd (P<0.001). Furthermore, exposure to a single and continuous dose of Cd caused a significant increase in the MMP2 expression by 3.24-fold (P=0.003) and 11.9-fold (P<0.001), respectively. Additionally, treatment with single and continuous dose treatment of Cd led to a significant increase in the MMP9 expression by 3.20-fold (P=0.004) and 7.54-fold (P<0.001), respectively. The NAC treatments decreased the expression of MMP2 and MMP9 in the lung of rats exposed to a single or continuous dose of Cd.
Conclusion: The Cd exposure was strongly associated with the accumulation of Cd and overexpression of MMP2 and MMP9 in the lung tissue. Moreover, the NAC can protect the lungs against Cd toxicity by decreasing Cd and down-regulating MMPs.
