From viability to cell death: Claims with insufficient evidence in high-impact cell culture studies.

Background: Reliability of preclinical research is of critical concern. Prior studies have demonstrated the low reproducibility of research results and recommend implementing higher standards to improve overall quality and robustness of research. One understudied aspect of this quality issue is the harmony between the research hypotheses and the experimental design in published work.

Design and development of a self-microemulsifying drug delivery system of olmesartan medoxomil for enhanced bioavailability.

Olmesartan medoxomil (OM) is a hydrophobic antihypertensive drug with low bioavailability (26%) and is known to have adverse effects such as celiac disease and enteropathy. The purpose of this study was to develop SMEDDS to increase bioavailability and decrease potential side effects of OM. Hydrophilic lipophilic balance was calculated by testing solubility of OM in different oils, surfactants, and cosurfactants to obtain the most suitable combination of SMEDDS.

High concentration calcitriol induces endoplasmic reticulum stress related gene profile in breast cancer cells.

Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, is known for its anticancer properties including induction of apoptosis as well as the inhibition of angiogenesis and metastasis. Understanding the mechanisms of action for calcitriol will help with the development of novel treatment strategies. Since vitamin D exerts its cellular actions via binding to its receptor and by altering expressions of a set of genes, we aimed to evaluate the effect of calcitriol on transcriptomic profile of breast cancer cells.

Macroalgae of Izmir Gulf: Dictyotaceae exhibit high in vitro anti-cancer activity independent from their antioxidant capabilities.

In this study, 24 marine macroalgae collected from the coastline of Izmir Gulf were examined for their antioxidant activities and their effects on cell proliferation. Crude extracts were obtained from samples with cold methanol extraction. Antioxidant activity was evaluated as 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity and total phenolic content (TPC); growth inhibitory effects of the extracts were determined by using WST-8.

Effects of Ganoderma lucidum (Higher Basidiomycetes) Extracts on the miRNA Profile and Telomerase Activity of the MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line.

Ganoderma lucidum is a medicinal higher Basidiomycetes mushroom that exerts anticancer effects through several different mechanisms. This study investigated the effects of G. lucidum on the telomerase activity and microRNA (miRNA) profiles of MCF-7 cells.

The effect of calcitriol on endoplasmic reticulum stress response.

Calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D, is known for its anticancer properties including induction of apoptosis, inhibition of angiogenesis, and metastasis. Calcitriol also increases intracellular calcium triggering apoptosis in a calpain-dependent manner. Since the main storage unit for cellular calcium is endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and a decrease in ER calcium levels might induce ER stress associated cell death, we hypothesized that the cellular actions of calcitriol occur via ER stress.

Targeting mitochondrial citrate transport in breast cancer cell lines.

Lipogenesis is considered to be a very important aspect of cancer metabolism and targeting de novo lipid synthesis or related pathways are among novel approaches to treat cancer. Many targets of the pathway including ATP-citrate lyase (ACLY), acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthase have been evaluated for their potential in cancer treatment. However the role of citrate transport protein (CTP), another important component of lipogenesis pathway, is not well known for cancer metabolism and cell survival.

Increased expression of electron transport chain genes in uterine leiomyoma.

The etiology and pathophysiology of uterine leiomyomas, benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus, are not well understood. To evaluate the role of mitochondria in uterine leiomyoma, we compared electron transport gene expressions of uterine leiomyoma tissue with myometrium tissue in six uterine leiomyoma patients by RT-PCR array. Our results showed an average of 1.

Mitochondrial DNA polymorphisms associated with longevity in the Turkish population.

The accumulation of mutations in mitochondrial DNA is a widely recognized mechanism for aging and age related diseases. However, studies indicate that some mutations could be beneficial to longevity by slowing down the function of the electron transport chain, reducing free radical production. In this study, we re-sequenced the entire mitochondrial DNA from 50 individuals and examined aging-related variations in the Turkish population.