Liver cancer treatment faces significant obstacles such as resistance, recurrence, metastasis, and toxicity to healthy cells. Biometallic nanoparticles (NPs) have emerged as a promising approach to address these challenges. In this study, copper oxide-silver (Ag-doped CuO) NPs were prepared using a reduction method with Ephedra intermedia extract. The physicochemical properties of the NPs were evaluated using various techniques such as Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Additionally, this study has evaluated nitric oxide levels (NO), reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, Bax, Bcl2, P53, and Caspase3 genes expression, as well as cell viability within 24 hours in liver cancer cell line HepG2. FESEM and TEM imaging confirmed the nanostructural nature of the synthesized particles with sizes ranging from 31.27 to 88.98 nanometers. XRD analysis confirmed the crystal structure of the NPs. Comparative analysis showed that the IC50 values of the Ag-doped CuO NPs were significantly lower than that of the plant extracts. Molecular studies showed significantly increased expression of Bax, Caspase3, and P53 genes, inducing apoptosis in cancer cells, and downregulation of Bcl2 as a pro-metastasis gene. Additionally, the presence of Ag-doped CuO NPs significantly increased NO activity enzyme and ROS generation compared to the plant extract. The biosynthesized Ag-doped CuO NPs demonstrated the ability to induce apoptosis, increase ROS production, and enhance NO enzyme activity in HepG2 cancer cells, suggesting their potential as a therapeutic agent for liver cancer.

Gastric cancer is the fourth most common cause of malignancy death in the world, which also has a high prevalence in Iran. Caspase 3 gene is considered one of the major genes related to gastric cancer. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between rs12108497 polymorphism of Caspase 3 gene. Due to the fundamental role of caspases, we have considered an SNP of Caspase 3 (common to two-way joint execution caspases), which has been proven to be related to various cancers. In this case-control study, 95 patients and 90 healthy subjects were enrolled. The patient status was approved, by endoscopy and pathology, to be gastroduodenal adenocarcinoma. Overall, 5 ml of the peripheral blood was collected from all participants, after obtaining an informed consent. Genomic DNA was extracted using the salting-out method and genotypic polymorphism was investigated using the PCR-RFLP method. The frequency of rs12108497 polymorphism was significantly different between patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and healthy subjects (p = 0.0259). Also, the difference in the distribution of T/T genotype was significant (P = 0.0111) and according to the OR score ((95.1% CI = 1.3539-10.5412) and OR = 3.7778), it is suggested that the T/T genotype increases the risk of disease. Our results confirm the association between the rs12108497 polymorphism of Caspase3 gene and the increased risk of gastric adenocarcinoma in individuals referring to Toba Sari Clinic.

Breast cancer is regarded as one of the most common female cancers in the world. Many efforts have been made to treat the breast cancer, among which surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can be mentioned. There is an increasing interest regarding using herbal preparations as a promising source of new anti-cancer drugs because of their safety profile and efficient pharmaceutical potentials. Since citrullus colocynthis proposes some cytotoxic effects against cancer, the present study aimed to explore the effect of hydro alcoholic extract of C. colocynthis fruit on the viability and expression level of Caspase-3 in MCF-7 cell line. In this laboratory study, the MCF-7 breast cancer cells were treated by different concentrations of Citrullus Colocynthis ethanol extract for 24, 48 and 72 h. The extract effect on cell viability was assessed by trypan blue staining. The RNA extraction was performed, and after the construction of cDNA, expression of Caspase 3 was analyzed via Real-Time PCR. The obtained results revealed a noticeable dose and time dependent reduction in viability of C. colocynthis in the treatment group compared to the control samples. Moreover Real-Time PCR results demonstrated that the expression of Caspase3 gene at 48 and 72 hours after extract treatment significantly increased compared to the control cells. It can be concluded that citrullus colocynthis fruit extract can destroy cancer MCF-7 cells, which is resulted from an increase in caspase 3 gene expression.

Exercise is a strong physiological stimulus that can affect the lung apoptosis by in fluencing a number of extracellular and intracellular signaling pathways, directly or indirectly. This study was designed to determine the effects of aerobic exercise training alongside vitamin D supplementation on the expression of apoptosis genes BCL2, BAX, Caspase3 and BCL2/BAX ratio on lung cell apoptosis in male rats exposed to hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

Fourty eight male rats were randomly assigned into 6 groups (n=8) including control, hydrogen peroxide (2H), hydrogen peroxide + vitamin D(2HD), hydrogen peroxide + aerobic exercise (2HE), hydrogen peroxide + vitamin D + aerobic exercise (2HDE), and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) groups. For the purpose of inducing apoptosis, 2 mmol/kg of H2O2 was injected three times per week one hour prior to the exercise session. The rats were slaughtered 24 hours following the termination of the exercise sessions and the lung tissue was exposed and stored at -75°C. Then, the RT-PCR method was employed to examine the gene expressions of BAX, BCL2, Caspase3 and BCL2/BAX ratios. It is applied one and two- way analysis of variance and Thuky tests for analysis of data at the significant level of p < 0.05.

BCL2 expression in the 2HE group (p=0.004) and 2HD (p=0.006) increased significantly compared to the control group. While the expression of BAX, BCL2/BAX ratio, Caspase3 in the 2HE and 2HD significantly (p < 0.05) was lower than the control group. On the other hand, 2HDE had a decline effect on BAX gene expression (p=0.03) and BCL2/BAX ratio (p=0.04), but did not show significant effect on expression of BCL2 and Caspase3 gene ( p>0.05).

It seems that that one course of regular aerobic exercise in addition to consuming vitamin D might is likely to cause significant alteration on the expression of genes involved in apoptosis caused by H2O2 presence can be used as a complementary therapy along with other treatments for apoptosis in lung tissue.

Cyclophosphamide (CP), a utilized anticancer drug, is known to cause infertility in women. However, L-carnitine (LC), an antioxidant, has been shown to offer protective benefits against infertility.

This study aimed to evaluate the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and apoptotic gene expression in mice treated with CP and LC.

24 NMRI female mice (6-8 wk, 30 ± 5 gr) were divided into 4 groups: control group: received normal saline intraperitoneal (IP) injection for 10 days; CP group: received 75 mg/kg of CP as a single IP on the 10th day of the experiment; LC group: received 200 mg/kg of LC IP for 10 days; LC+CP group: received LC for 10 days and CP single IP injection on the 10th day of the experiment. After 10 days, mice were superovulated. The oviducts were then removed, and the oocytes of each group were collected for evaluating apoptotic gene expression B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl2), Bcl2-associated X (Bax), and Caspase3 via real-time polymerase chain reaction and intracellular ROS levels by dichloro-dihydro-fluorescein diacetate fluorescence staining.

Data revealed that LC in the LC+CP group significantly increased Bcl2 gene expression (p = 0.01), and decreased Bax and Caspase3 gene expression compared to the CP group (p = 0.03, p = 0.04). LC decreased the ROS level in the LC+CP group compared to the CP group (p < 0.001).

Findings suggest that LC can scavenge the ROS caused by CP and modulate the apoptotic pathway via downregulating the Bax and Caspase3 genes and upregulating the Bcl2 gene in oocytes of mice exposed to CP.

Idarubicin (IDA), as a chemotherapeutic drug, has side effects on testicular tissue; different studies have shown the protective and antioxidant effects of rutin.
The current study aimed at investigating the protective effects of rutin on damages induced by IDA in the testes of mice.
In the current experimental study, Balb/c mice were divided into 8 groups, including saline (10 mL/kg), rutin (single doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg via intraperitoneal (i.p) as the control groups, saline-IDA group (saline for 7 days, IDA, 10 mg/kg, i.p), rutin 50 and 100 mg/kg for 7 days before IDA, and rutin (single doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg) before IDA. The expression of Bcl2, Caspase3 and Dazl at the mRNA level was assessed.
Administration of rutin 100 mg/kg for 7 days before IDA could significantly downregulate Caspase3 expression by 45% compared with saline-7d-IDA (P It seems that the preventive effects of rutin against damages caused by IDA can be attributed to its ability to reduce apoptosis, which may be mediated by underexpression of Caspase3 and overexpression of Bcl2 genes. Also, it could increase the expression of Dazl that may be important in spermatogenesis.

Traditional herbs are effective in the treatment of many diseases. It is proven that traditional herbs can decrease the risk of cancer and grow the survivals of patients.
Based on the results of our previous research, ethanol Baneh skin extract has cytotoxic effect on pc3 cells; thus, we decide to determine the effect of Baneh extracts on Bcl2 and Bax expression and amount of concentration of caspase3.
The expressions of apoptotic - related genes were determined by real time PCR and the concentration of caspase3 was determined by ELISA method.
Ethanol Baneh skin extract increased the mRNA expression of Bax and decreased the mRNA expression of Bcl2 in pc3 cells and also increased the amount of caspase3.
The result of this study indicates the Ethanol Baneh skin extract including photochemical that might be a candidate for the herbal anti - cancer drugs.

Background and ObjectivesAcute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is one of the most malignant forms of acute leukemia with a fatal course of only weeks which represents 10-15% of AML in adults. Arsenic trioxide as a single agent factor (without chemotherapy) is the treatment of choice for APL patients; it induces cell death through apoptosis but the mechanism by which arsenic targets apoptosis and dramatically affects gene expression remains poorly understood. Since arsenic is used as first line treatment in Iran, it is worth investigating its effect on expression of genes involved in APL. Materials and MethodsIn this descriptive study, to understand the underlying mechanisms of cell death induction by arsenic, we treated NB4 cell line in a dose and time dependent manner. Extracting RNA and synthesis of cDNA, gene expression of apoptotic genes in mitochondrial pathway including caspase3, Mcl-1 and Bcl-2 was analyzed through Real-Time PCR. ResultsOur findings showed that As2O3-induced cell death was paralleled by reduced expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 but the expression of Caspase3 and Mcl-1 did not change after arsenic treatment. ConclusionsThese results suggest that changes in Bcl-2 gene expression may be one of the mechanisms of action of arsenic in induction of apoptosis, while Caspase3 and Mcl-1 gene expression are not affected by arsenic at the transcriptional level.

Different Salvia species have demonstrated anti-proliferative effects on various cancer cells. Owing to the poor literature on the anti-proliferative effects of Salvia species on gastric cancer cells, present study was conducted to determine the anticancer effects of a local Iranian Salvia, Salvia chorassanica, on two different gastric cell lines.

Root, stem and leaf extract of Salvia chorassanica were prepared through maceration method and were then used to treat the AGS and MKN-45 cell lines in different concentrations. MTT assay was employed to determine the toxicity of all the types of extracts on the two studied cell lines. The expression of Bax, Bcl-2, Caspase3, MMP2 and MMP9 genes were determined through reverse transcription Real time PCR (RT-PCR).

Bunge and shoot extracts demonstrated toxicity in both cell lines which were more considerable in AGS cells treated with root extract. In contrary to AGS cells, Caspase3 gene was up-regulated in all types of treatment while the MMP2 and MMP9 genes were down-regulated (p-value<0.001). Except of the MKN-45 cells treated with leaf extract, Bax/Bcl-2 expression ratio was decreased in the treatment with all types of Salvia chorassanica extracts (p-value<0.001).

Remarkable low IC50 concentration of root extract in MKN-45 cell line is indicating the significant cytotoxicity of Salvia chorassanica against gastric cancer cells. Moreover, gene expression analysis in MKN-45 needs further confirmation on the potential anti-metastatic roles of leaf and root extracts in higher grades of gastric cancer.

Okra (A.esculentus) is an antidiabetic plant that it's beneficial effects on ovarian dysfunction in diabetes condition has not been clarified. The present study was designed to examine the effect of Okra powder on serum oxidant/antioxidant status, ovarian structure and expression of apoptotic/antiapoptotic related genes in ovary of experimentally induced high fat diet diabetic rats. Diabetes was induced by 5 weeks feeding of Wistar rats with high fat diet (HFD) and subsequent i.p injection of STZ (35mg/kg). Diabetic animals (serum glucose above 250mg/dl) were treated with Okra powder (200mg/kg)supplemented in diet or metformin (200mg/kg) for 30days. Animals were euthanized and insulin resistance markers (insulin and glucose levels and HOMA-IR), ovarian expression of apoptotic/antiapoptotic genes (Bax,caspase3 and Bcl2) and serum oxidant/antioxidant levels (SOD,GPX and CAT activities and MDA level) were determined. The ovaries were also processed for histological study. Hyperglycemia and reduced body weight of diabetic rats were improved after administration of Okra for 30days. This effect was relatively similar to metformin. Okra resulted in reduction of follicular atresia in concomitant with down regulation of apoptotic related genes (Bax and caspase3) in ovary of diabetic rats. Okra could also diminished oxidative stress in diabetic rats by increasing of serum GPX and CAT activities and reducing the lipid peroxidation level. The results of the present study revealed that Okra powder could be useful intervention for improvement of ovaian dysfunction in diabetic rat by three probable mechanisms; attenuation of glucotoxicity, down regulation of ovarian apoptosis related genes and reduction of oxidative stress.