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Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is one of the deadliest human malignancies. A cure for GBM remains elusive, and the overall survival time is less than 1 year. Thus, the development of more efficient therapeutic approaches for the treatment of these patients is required. Induction of tumor cell death by certain phytochemicals derived from medicinal herbs and dietary plants has become a new frontier for cancer therapy research. Although the cancer suppressive effect of Ficus carica (fig) latex (FCL) has been determined in a few cancer types, the effect of this latex on GBM tumors has not been investigated. Therefore, in the current study, the anti-proliferative activity of FCL and the effect of the FCL-temozolomide (TMZ) combination were tested in the T98G, U-138 MG, and U-87 MG GBM cell lines using the WST-1 assay. The mechanism of cell death was analyzed using Annexin-V/FITC and TUNEL assays, and the effect of FCL on invasion was tested using the chick chorioallantoic membrane assay. To determine the effect of FCL on GBM progression, the expression levels of 40 GBM associated miRNAs were analyzed in T98G cells using RT-qPCR. According to the obtained data, FCL causes cell death in GBM cells with different responses to TMZ, and this effect is synergistically increased in combination with TMZ. In addition, the current study is the first to demonstrate the effect of FCL on modulation of let-7d expression, which may be an important underlying mechanism of the anti-invasive effect of this extract.

Phoenixin (PNX) and nesfatin‐1 are localised in the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland. Moreover, the most of the PNX‐expressing neurons in the hypothalamus also co‐express nesfatin‐1. These outcomes may suggest that there is an interaction between PNX and nesfatin‐1, at least in terms of neuroendocrine‐mediated regulations. Hence, the study was planned to find out the effects of centrally delivered PNX and nesfatin‐1 on male sex hormones or to show the interactive association of intracerebroventricularly (ICV) injected PNX+nesfatin‐1 combination on the release of male hormones. PNX and nesfatin‐1, single or together, were delivered ICV to different male Wistar Albino rat groups. Both PNX and nesfatin‐1 induced a significant enhancement in plasma FSH, LH and testosterone without inducing any alteration in plasma GnRH in the rats. The central combinatorial treatment of both the neuropeptides produced a more potent rise in male plasma hormone levels than treating with single neuropeptide. In summary, our preliminary data show that centrally delivered PNX and nesfatin‐1 can affect plasma male hormone levels. Moreover, that the combinatorial treatment with both the neuropeptides in male rats leading to a more potent effect on the plasma male hormone levels might suggest that both these neuropeptides act synergistically in terms of regulation of male HPGA.

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