Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are cytotoxic agents that lead to significant oxidative damage. Bisphenol A (BPA) is a contaminant with increasing exposure to it and exerts both toxic and estrogenic effects on mammalian cells. Due to limited information concerning the effect of BPA on liver, this study investigates whether BPA causes hepatotoxicity by induction of oxidative stress in liver. Rats were divided into five groups: The first four groups, BPA (0.1, 1, 10, 50 mg/kg/day) were administrated orally to rats for four weeks. The fifth group was taken water with vehicle. The final body weights in the 0.1 mg group showed a significant decrease compared to control group. Significant decreased levels of reduced glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase and catalase activity were found in the 50 mg BPA group compared to control groups. High dose of BPA (50 mg/kg) significantly increased the biochemical levels of ALT, ALP and total bilirubin. BPA effect on the activity of antioxidant genes was confirmed by real time PCR in which the expression levels of these genes in liver tissue were significantly decrease compared to control. Data from this study demonstrate that BPA generate ROS and reduce the antioxidant gene expression that causes hepatotoxicity.

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Breast cancer causes death due to distant metastases in which tumor cells produce matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) enzymes which facilitate invasion. Oleuropein, the main olive oil polyphenol, has anti-proliferative effects. This study aimed to investigate the effect of oleuropein on the metastatic and anti-metastatic gene expression in the MDA human breast cancer cell line. We evaluated the MMPs and TIMPs gene expression by semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in treated and untreated cells. This study demonstrated that OL may induce anti-metastatic effects on human breast cancer cells. We found that TIMP1,-3, and -4 were over-expressed after all periods of incubation in treated cancer cells compared to untreated cells, while MMP2 and MMP9 genes were down-regulated, at least initially. Treatment of breast cancer cells with oleuropein could help in prevention of cancer metastasis by increasing the TIMPs and suppressing the MMPs gene expressions.

Goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) rank among the most endangered mammals on the Arabian Peninsula and the Asian steppes. Past conservation efforts have been plagued by confusion about the phylogenetic relationship among various-phenotypically discernablepopulations, and even the question of species boundaries was far from being certain. This lack of knowledge had a direct impact on conservation measures, especially ex situ breeding programmes, hampering the assignment of captive stocks to potential conservation units. Here, we provide a phylogenetic framework, based on the analysis of mtDNA sequences of a number of individuals collected from the wild and captivity throughout the species' natural range. Our analyses revealed a polyphyly within the presumed species of G. subgutturosa resulting in two distinct clades: one on the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Turkey (Gazella marica; sand gazelle) and one genetically diverse larger clade from the rest of its Asian range (G. subgutturosa; goitred gazelle). Additionally, we provide a quick method (PCR-RFLP) to analyse the taxonomic affiliation of captive gazelles that will be used for re-introductions into the wild.