Background: Garlic or Allium sativum (As) shows therapeutic effects such as reduction of blood pressure or hypercholesterolemia but side-effects on reproductive functions remain poorly investigated. Because of garlic's chemical complexity, the processing methods and yield in preparations differ in efficacy and safety. In this context, we clarify the mechanisms of action of crushed crude garlic on testicular markers.

A differential responsiveness of patients to ionizing radiation is observed after preoperative radiotherapy for rectal adenocarcinoma that might be related, in part, to an apoptosis defect. To establish if proteins of the apoptotic cascades [pro-apoptotic: active caspase 3, 8, and 9 and DIABLO (direct inhibitor of apoptosis-binding protein with low pI); anti-apoptotic: XIAP (X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis)] are involved, we analyzed their profile in radioresistant (SW480) and radiosensitive (SW48) human colorectal cell lines. We demonstrated that, after irradiation, the SW48 cells increased the expression of the pro-apoptotic proteins, whereas the SW480 cells increased the expression of the anti-apoptotic protein XIAP. Moreover, XIAP knockdown in SW480 cells enhanced the basal and radiation-induced apoptotic index; the propensity of the SW480 cells to undergo apoptosis after radiation was higher compared with SW48 cells. In a translational study of 38 patients with rectal carcinoma, we analyzed the apoptotic profile for tumor and noncancerous tissue for each biopsy specimen using IHC. According to their response to preoperative radiotherapy, patients were classified into two groups: responsive and nonresponsive. Although no difference in expression of caspase 3, 8, or 9 was observed in the tumor/normal tissue ratio between responsive and nonresponsive patients, the ratio decreased for DIABLO and increased for XIAP. In conclusion, inhibition of XIAP rescues cellular radiosensitivity and both DIABLO and XIAP might be potential predictive markers of radiation responsiveness in rectal adenocarcinoma.

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Together, these results indicate that the platinum analogue oxaliplatin and the ionizing radiations trigger apoptosis in the testicular germ cells, probably through different pathways.

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La spermatogenese resulte d'un equilibre entre proliferation et apoptose. Si cet equilibre est rompu il peut conduire ~ certaines pathologies testiculaires : cancers testiculaires, infertilit~s. L'apoptose semble ~tre particuli~rement importante Iors de la spermatogen~se puisque 60 :~ 75% des cellules germinales formees n'atteignent pas le stade spermatozo'ide. Dans les cellules germinales de rongeurs ou bien humaines, les diff~rentes molecules de I'apoptose ont ~t~ d~tect~es : caspases effectrices qui sont au coeur du processus et en amont les prot~ines de la voie des recepteurs de mort ou de la voie mitochondriale. Selon le type d'apoptose des cellules germinales (apoptose physiologique, induite par un retrait hormonal, par des I~sions chimiques ou physiques), une ou les differentes voies entrent en jeu. Enfin, dans differentes pathologies testiculaires humaines, les voies de I'apoptose et particulierement les caspases semblent ~tre impliqu~es.

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