Nadire Kıyak

Objectives: Structural, molecular and immunohistochemical changes in the liver of rats after acute cadmium (Cd) exposure and the effects of carvacrol (Car) and thymoquinone (TQ) were studied in this research. Methods: Control, DMSO, Cd-treated (3.5 mg/kg by subcutane), Car (50 mg/kg gavage)-Cd treated, TQ (5 mg/kg by gavage)- Cd treated, carvacrol, and thymoquinone groups were formed.H&E and Masson’s Trichrome stainings were performed. Histological scoring was performed in liver. On the liver sections TNF-α, IL-6, and NF-kB immunostainings were carried out. Also sections of liver tissue were evaluated by electron microscopy. Serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and triglyceride (TG), oxidative stress parameters, MDA and GPx, were evaluated. Tnf-α, Nfkb1, IL6, mTor and Casp3 mRNA gene expression levels were examined using RT-PCR. The obtained data was statistically analyzed using GraphPad Prism software. Results: Treatment groups showed significant reduction in ALT and TG when compared to cadmium group.In the cadmium group, MDA levels increased significantly and GPX1 levels decreased compared to the control group. As a results of the microscopic studies, cellular and structural defects by cadmium were decreased in the presence of carvacrol and thymoquinone. NF-kB, TNF-α and IL-6 immunostained surface area increased in cadmium compared to the control group. Cd-Car and Cd+Thymoquinone alleviated these inflammatory expressions. In treatment groups, Nfkb1, Tnf-α, IL6, mTor, Casp3 expressions reduced compared to cadmium alone. Conclusions: The study results indicate that carvacrol and thymoquinone alleviate the toxic effects of liver tissue induced by cadmium.

This study focuses on the cytotoxic activity of ruthenium(II) complexes, denoted as Ru1–8, which exhibit coordination with nitrogen (amine and amide), oxygen, and sulfur donor atoms, coupled with aryl and aliphatic wingtips. Specifically, the complexes were evaluated for their impact on the MCF‐7 breast cancer cell line. A systematic exploration of various parameters, including solubility, donor atom type, metal number, carbon chain length, aromatic ring presence, and molecular weight, was conducted to discern their influence on cytotoxic activity. The investigation involved assessing the cell viability across five concentrations (100, 50, 25, 10, and 5 μM) for five distinct monometallic and three bimetallic ruthenium complexes. Notably, Ru3, characterized by an extended carbon chain length (dodecyl) and favorable oil solubility facilitating cellular membrane penetration, demonstrated particularly promising results with the IC₅₀ value of 1.03 μM. This research underscores the critical role of ligand design in shaping the cytotoxic potential of ruthenium(II) complexes and emphasizes the suitability of the Ru(II) p‐cymene complexes, as demonstrated by their robust activity against breast cancer in this specific investigation.