ABSTRACT

       Background and Objective: Esophageal cancer is the third most common type of cancer in Iran. Studies on water, soil, grains, waste and sediments in Golestan Province have shown that the environmental concentrations of antimony and strontium are increased in areas with high incidence rate for cancer. The carcinogenic effects of strontium have been reported, but carcinogenicity of antimony is still unclear. Since there is not enough information regarding the relationship between the concentration of strontium and antimony and prevalence of esophageal cancer in the province, this study aimed to evaluate serum levels of these elements in patients with esophageal cancer using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

       Methods: This study was performed on 30 patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and 30 healthy matched controls. After sampling, concentrations of strontium and antimony were measured using atomic absorption spectroscopy.

       Results: Half of the esophageal cancer patients and control participants were male. The mean age of patients and controls was 66 ± 13 and 64 ± 8 years, respectively. The mean serum concentration of strontium in patients and controls was 24.18 ± 1.62 and 24.08 ± 1.46 μg/L, respectively. The mean serum concentration of antimony in patients and controls was 18.61 ± 1.48 and 18.98 ± 1.93 μg/L, respectively. No statistically significant difference was observed between the serum concentrations of the two elements in patients and controls.

        Conclusion: There is no difference between serum levels of strontium and antimony in cancer patients and healthy controls, which could be due to tissue accumulation.

          Keywords: Antimony, Strontium, Esophageal Neoplasms.

ABSTRACT
          Background and Objectives: The incidence rate of esophageal cancer (EC) is high in north and northeast of Iran. Taurine is a sulfur-containing amino acid with a wide range of vital biological functions. The aim of this study was to compare plasma levels of taurine between patients with EC and healthy controls.
        Methods: Plasma samples from 36 recently diagnosed cases of EC and 36 healthy adults were analyzed by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Data analysis was done using SPSS (version 16). The t-test was used to evaluate significant differences in the level of taurine between the two groups. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant.
         Results: Patients with EC had significantly higher levels of plasma taurine compared with the controls (P<0.05).
         Conclusion: Patients with EC have significantly higher levels of plasma taurine compared with healthy individuals. This finding suggests that the measurement of plasma taurine in patients with EC could be useful for the early diagnosis of the disease.
        Keywords: Esophageal Cancer, Taurine, HPLC.

ABSTRACT
         Background and Objectives: Capparis spinosa has been used in traditional medicine for various applications including treatment of liver disorders and cancer. We studied the effects of this plant on cell proliferation and morphological characteristics of PLC/PRF/5 liver cancer cell line.
        Methods: After preparing ethanolic extract of the plant, the inhibitory effect of the extract was assessed using MTT assay, and morphological changes were assessed by an inverted microscope.
       Results: C. spinosa ethanolic extract exhibited anti-cancer effects in a concentration-dependent manner. Half-maximal inhibitory concentration of the extract was 1051±4.21 mg/mL. Morphological changes including cell shrinkage, reduction of cell volume and nuclear condensation confirmed the inhibitory effect of C. spinosa on PLC/PRF/5 cells.
        Conclusion: According to the results of this study, extract of C. spinosa seems to be suitable for prevention and treatment of liver cancer. Further studies on animal models could verify the efficiency of the extract against cancer cells.

KEYWORDS: Plants, Medicinal, Capparis spinosa, Liver Neoplasms.