The combination of serum miR-16 and serum AFP is a significant improvement on the current best practice of serum AFP for HCC in HCVpositive patients. Serum miR-199a and miR-16 could be used as potential indicators of the progress of HCC.

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Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the role of exogenous epidermal growth factor (EGF) injection on the Ki-67 immuno-expression in submandibular salivary gland tissue of rats receiving doxorubicin (DXR). Methods: A total of 21 two-month-old male albino rats, of 200 g body weight, were divided into three groups: control group; DXR group, the rats received 20 mg/kg body weight DXR as a single intra peritoneal injection; DXR+EGF group, the rats received the same dose of DXR and on the next day they were injected intraperitoneally with 10 µg/kg body weight of EGF daily for one week. Histological sections and immunohistochemical expression of Ki67 sections were examined using a ZEISS Primo Star light microscopy and images taken using Tucsen IS 1000 10.0MP Camera. Results: Ki-67 expression was significantly increased in submandibular salivary glands of rats after DXR injection. However, Ki-67 expression in the glandular tissue was restored to normal levels after EGF injection. Conclusions: EGF preserved glandular architecture after DXR injection and maintained Ki-67 immune-expression within the glandular tissue near to the normal level.

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This experiment was conducted in Inshas Poultry Research Station, Ministry of Agricultural, Egypt, A total number of 420 hens and 105 cocks from Silver Montazah chickens (SM) (Egyptian local strain) flock were used to investigate the effect of dietary supplemental of arginine (Arg) levels on plasma nitric oxide (NO) and Insulinlike growth factor (IGF-I), testosterone (Testo) and luteinizing (LH) hormones concentrations, and their relation to productive and reproductive performance during laying period (28-40 wks of age). Birds were randomly divided into 7 experimental groups (each of 3 replicates). Each replicates consisted of 20 hens and 5 cocks. The 1 st group (T1) was fed the basal diet and served as the control group with no additional Arg (15, 12.5 and 12.8 g Ar /kg diet) for the starter, grower and finisher diet, respectively. The 2 nd , 3 rd and 4 th groups were fed the basal diet supplemented with 2, 2.5 and 3 g Arg/kg diet, respectively, from one-day old to 40 wks of age (17, 17.5 and 18 g Arg /kg diet) for the starter, (14.5, 15 and 15.5 g Arg /kg diet) for the grower and (14.8, 15.3 and 15.8 g Arg /kg diet) for the finisher diet was used. However, the 5 th , 6 th and 7 th groups were fed the basal diet (15 g and12.5 Arg/kg diet) for the starter, grower diet and the basal diet supplemented with 2, 2.5 and 3 g Arg/kg diet (14.8, 15.3 and 15.8 g Arg/kg diet) for the finisher diets, respectively, only from 28 to 40 wks of age. Results indicated that hens fed Arg supplementation significantly improved feed conversion ratio (FCR) for all treatments except T2 and T3 groups in compared with control group. Egg production, egg mass and total leucocytes count was higher in treated hens from 28 to 40 wks of age than in control ones. Most semen quality parameters, fertility, hatchability and lymphocyte (L) ratio were improved by dietary treatments. However, hetrophils (H) and H/L ratio were decreased by Arg supplementation. Significant increase (P≤0.05) appear in NO trait, IGF-I, LH and Testo hormones concentrations for hens in T6 and T7 from 28 to 40 wks of age in compared with treated hens from one-day old to 40 wks of age (T2, T3 and T4) and the control group. While, there were no significant differences in live body weight, feed consumption, egg weight and egg quality traits among all treatments in compared with control group at 40 wks of age. It could be concluded that dietary Arg supplementation to SM hens from 28 to 40 might improve the egg production, reproductive performance and some semen quality parameters. Also, it might have a mediated effects on NO, IGF-I, LH and testosterone hormones levels.