Background: Cichorium glandulosum (CG), which is a Compositae family plant, is a commonly used traditional Uighur medicine capable of cleansing liver and being cholagogue, strengthening stomach, promoting digestion, inducing diuresis and reducing edema.Objectives: To study the liver and spleen indices, the levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and the histopathological changes.Materials and Methods: Rats were intragastrically administered with the extracts of a traditional Uighur medicine Cichorium glandulosum (CG). The expressions of FN, Smard3 IGFBPrPl and TGF-b1 were detected.Results: The liver and spleen indices of the CG-V group were significantly lower than those of the model group (P<0.01). The hepatic fibrosis symptoms of the CG-V and CG-VII groups were significantly relieved, and more FN, Smard3 and IGFBPrPl were expressed than those in the normal group. The expressions of FN, Smard3 and TGF-b1 in all treatment groups were significantly higher than those in the normal group, and the expressions in the CG-V and CG-VII groups were significantly different from those in the model group (P<0.05). Compared with the normal group, the apoptotic index of the model group was significantly higher, but the indices of the CG-V and CG-VII groups were significantly lower than that of the model group (P<0.01).Conclusions: The extracts of CG probably exerted protective effects by influencing the TGF-b/Smads signal transduction pathway.

Background: Human T-cell lymphotropic virus type 1 (HTLV-1) is the etiological agent of adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL) without any specific antiviral. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the expression level of inflammatory chemokines and pro-inflammatory cytokines in ATLL patients, asymptomatic carriers (ACs), and healthy individuals to assess the role of these inflammatory markers in ATLL pathogenicity. Methods: This study was conducted from May 2021 to August 2022. The ATLL blood samples were collected from the oncology wards of Imam Khomeini, Shariati, and Imam Hossein hospitals, in Tehran, Iran. The blood samples of ACs and normal control subjects were collected from blood donors referred to blood transfusion centers of Tehran and Alborz provinces, Iran. RNA extraction, complementary DNA (cDNA) synthesis, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were done in targeted sample groups to investigate the correlation and expression rate of C-C motif chemokine ligand 3 (CCL3), C-C motif chemokine ligand 4 (CCL4), C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 8 (CXCL8), interleukin 23 subunit alpha (IL-23A), and interleukin 17 A (IL-17A). Results: A total of 30 samples were collected from 3 groups. The CCL3, CCL4, CXCL8, and IL-17A messenger RNA (mRNA) expression levels were significantly upregulated in the ATLL groups. There was a significant difference between CCL3 expression between the ACs and ATLL groups. In addition, CCL4 and CXCL8 expression levels were more significant in the ATLL group than in the normal control group. The IL-17A expression level significantly increased between groups. The IL-23A expression levels had no significant differences between the ATLL, ACs, and normal control groups. Conclusions: This study showed significant upregulation of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines mRNAs in HTLV-1–, associated ATLL compared to the ACs and normal control groups. Conducting more experiments to investigate the therapeutic effect of chemokines/cytokines in ATLL is essential.

Background & Objective: Tetra Carbon Cholride has been known as reference hepatotoxin because it can cause necrosis, fatty change, cirrhosis and cancer liver. Silymarin has hepatoprotective and anti hepatoxin effect. This study was done to determine the protective effect of Silymarin in acute hepatotoxicity of CCl4 in rats. Materials & Methods: In this experimental study, we chose 25ml/kg dose of CCl4 (in mineral oil solvent) as an optimum dose. The hepatotoxic effects of intraperiotoneal injection of CCl4 for obtaining parameters of toxicity and therapeutic effects have been examined. According to enzymatic results (increase in ALT and AST) and histopathologic changes (grading the changes in liver including cytoplasmic granularity, cloudy swelling, necrosis and fatty change), the interval between prescribing silymarin and sampling was determined. Silymarin as a suspension in propylene glycol CMC 2% (3/2 ratio) has been prescribed in 50, 200 and 800mg/kg doses and serum and liver samples were obtained. Negative control group received silymarin vehicle in CCl4 solvent, drug control received 800 mg/kg of silymarin in CCl4 solvent and positive control received silymarin vehicle after injecting CCl4. Results: The results showed that prescribing 50mg/kg silymarin one hour after injecting CCl4, in addition to inhibiting transaminase activity, prevents progress of liver injury up to 50% of positive control group. Cellular repair and regeneration are also enhanced, So the grade 3necrosis in positive control group is decreased to grade 0.5 in silymarin gourp in 48 hours prescribing silymarin (50mg/kg). Conclusion: This study showed that up to six hours after injecting CCl4 significantly prevents hepatotoxicity, and cause acceleration in repair of liver injuries.

Introduction: Cimetidine (CIM) is used for treatment of ulcers and hyperacidity. This drug also is used as inhibitor of the microsomal monooxygenase system activity. Carbon tetrachloride (CCL4) is widley used as an industrial solvent as well as a cleaning agent. This chemical is biotransformed by cytochrome p450 to trichloromenthl radial, which binds irreversible to the essential macromolucles induced toxicity. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effect of CIM on CCL4 produced liver injury in the rats.Methods: The animals were given 120 mg/kg (ip) of CIM. Control rats were received vehicle only.The animals were given CCl4 at doses of 0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 or 2 mg/kg 12 h later. The rats were killed with over dose of sodium pentobarbital 24 h later. The blood was collected to determine of ALT, AST, ALP changes.The liver tissues were removed, fixed and processed to light microscopy, using H& E staining method.Results: The results of this study revealed that CCL4 had induced a dose- dependent injury in the liver of rat tissues. Statistical analysis showed a significant increase in all of biochemical parameters in CCl4-treated rats when compared to the control groups (P<0.05). The findings of this study also showed that CIM had no adverse effect on the rat liver and this agent protected cells against CCl4 toxicity.Conclusion: The results of this study support the view that CIM has ability to reduce CCl4 –induced hepatotoxicity. Our findings suggest that in the presence of CIM, parent form of CCl4 could induce more adverse effects than its toxic reactive metabolite (s).

Background & Objective: CCL4 (C-C chemokine ligand4) is a chemoattractant involved in tumors' development, progression, and metastasis. The relationship between the ccl4 gene polymorphisms and the risk of OSCC has not been studied in Iran. This study aimed to identify the effect of ccl4 gene polymorphism on OSCC susceptibility in the population of Southeastern Iran. Methods: In this case-control study, a total of 100 participants, 50 patients with OSCC who were referred to the Department of Oral Pathology, Faculty of Dentistry, Zahedan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, and 50 healthy people were included. The DNA was extracted from the tissue blocks of OSCC patients. The rs10491121 and rs1634507 in the ccl4 gene were evaluated by the tetra-ARMS (Amplification Refractory Mutation System)-PCR technique. Data were analyzed in SPSS (version 21) using the Chisquare and logistic regression test. Results: CCL4 genotyping showed that AA+AG genotype in rs10491121 and AA+CA genotype in rs1634507 were slightly higher in control than in the case. Still, the risk of OSCC in both polymorphisms was not significantly different. The minor allele (A) in the rs10491121 and rs1634507 polymorphisms were more common in OSCC compared to the control group (OR = 1. 2, 95% CI: 0. 66 –,2. 22, P=0. 54) (OR = 1. 6, 95% CI: 0. 853. 07, P=0. 15). There was no association between OSCC histopathological grades and CCL4 genotypes at these two sites. Conclusion: Our results showed no association between ccl4 gene polymorphism and the risk of oral cancer in the population of Southeastern Iran.