Cytokines are low molecular weight regulatory proteins or glycoprotein that modulates the intensity and duration of immune response by stimulating or inhibiting the activation, proliferation, and/or differentiation of target cells. Different cytokines are known to have diverse role in breast cancer initiation and progression. Interleukin-10 (IL-10), a pleiotropic anti-inflammatory cytokine, induces immunosuppression and assists in escape from tumor immune surveillance. Like several other cytokines, IL-10 also can exert dual proliferative and inhibitory effect on breast tumor cells indicating a complex role of IL-10 in breast cancer initiation and progression. In this review, we tried to put together a comprehensive current view on significance of IL-10 in promotion, inhibition, and importance as prognosticator in breast cancer based on in vitro, in vivo, and clinical evidences. For literature collection, we conducted PubMed search with keywords "IL-10" and "breast cancer".

A new approach to synthesize a homologous series of 14-, 15-, and 16-membered drug-like, macrocyclic glycoconjugates involving TBAHS promoted azide-propenone intramolecular cycloaddition in designed C-glycopyranosyl butenones from a simple sugar d-glucose and d-mannose is reported.

The present investigation aimed to assess the concentrations of selected heavy metals in water and sediments and their bioaccumulation in tissues of freshwater mussels and their histopathological effects on the digestive gland, gills, and gonads of Anodonta cygnea. Water, sediments, and freshwater mussel samples were collected at four sites, that is, reference and polluted sites, along the Kabul River, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The polluted sites were receiving effluents from the industrial, agricultural, municipal, and domestic sources. The order of metals in the water was Zn > Pb > Ni > Cu > Mn > Fe > Cr > Cd, in sediments the order was Fe > Zn > Cr > Ni > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cd, and in the soft tissues the order was Fe > Zn > Mn > Pb > Cu > Cr > Ni > Cd. Histopathological alterations observed in polluted sites of Kabul River were inflammation, hydropic vacuolation, and lipofuscin pigments (in digestive gland), gill lamellar fusion, dilated hemolymphatic sinus, clumping, and generation of cilia and hemocytic infiltration (in gills), and atresia, necrosis, granulocytoma, hemocytic infiltration, and lipofuscin pigments (in gonads). The histopathological alterations in the organs of Anodonta cygnea can be considered as reliable biomarkers in biomonitoring of heavy metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems.

This study describes the antidiarrheal and antispasmodic activities of the crude extract of V. stocksii with possible mode of action explored. Materials and Methods Plant materialsAerial parts of V. stocksii (800 g) were obtained from Quetta Baluchistan and authenticated by Prof. Musaddar A Zaidi. A voucher specimen (VT-LF-09-02-57) was deposited at the herbarium located at the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan. Preparation of crude extractPreparation of the crude extract was carried out as described previously (Gilani et al., 2005). The powdered material was soaked in 70% aqueous-methanol for three AbstractThis study was carried out to explore the mechanism underlying antidiarrheal and antispasmodic activities of Vincetoxicum stocksii. The crude extract of V. stocksii provided 12-24% protection from castor oil-induced diarrhea at the dose of 300-1,000 mg/kg, similar to loperamide. In isolated rabbit jejunum preparations, V. stocksii caused inhibition of the spontaneous and high K + (80 mM)-induced contractions, with respective EC50 values of 2.5 (1.7-3.9) and 1.0 mg/mL (0.6-1.4), similar to that caused by verapamil, suggesting the calcium channel blocking effect. Loperamide caused inhibition of spontaneous and high K + -induced contraction, with respective EC50 values of 8.6 (6.3-10.1) and 9.1 µM (7.3-12.8). The calcium channel blocking activity was further confirmed when pretreatment of the tissues with V. stocksii (1-3 mg/mL) caused a rightward displacement of the Ca ++ concentrations response curves, similar to that produced by verapamil; constructed in Ca ++ free medium. These data indicate that the crude extract of V. stocksii contains calcium channel blocking constituents that may possibly explain its medicinal use in hyperactive states of gut, such as, diarrhea and spasms. Article Info