Littoral- cell angioma (LCA) is a rare vascular tumor of the spleen. It was thought to be a benign, incidental lesion. However, many recent reports have described it to be a malignant lesion with congenital and immunologic associations. We report a case of LCA of the spleen, which has been infrequently communicated in the literature. A 41-year-old female patient was admitted to our hospital with a three-week history of weakness, weight loss, anorexia, and intermittent upper abdominal pain which improved slightly with antacid medication. Imaging studies, including computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), showed multiple lesions in the spleen. Laparoscopic splenectomy was performed.

Objective(s): Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a common autoimmune and multifactorial disorder. Researchers have been interested in making a favorable islet-like tissue model for the treatment of diabetes. The main objective of this study was to determine the effects of the spleen extracellular matrix (S-ECM) on the function of the MIN6 cell line (a β,-cell model). Materials and Methods: In this experimental research, Wistar rat spleens were decellularized by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) and Triton X-100. S-ECM was characterized by histological assessments, scanning electron microscopy, determination of residua DNA, and examination of the mechanical tensile property. Then, MIN6 cells were seeded on S-ECM scaffold. Glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and mRNA expression of insulin-related genes were examined to confirm the function of the cells. Results: The main components of S-ECM such as collagen and glycosaminoglycan remained after decellularization. Furthermore, very low residual DNA and appropriate mechanical behavior of S-ECM provided an ideal extracellular microenvironment for the MIN6 cells. GSIS results showed that the seeded cells in S-ECM secreted more insulin than the traditional two-dimensional (2D) culture. The expression of specific insulin-related genes such as PDX-1, insulin, Maf-A, and Glut-2 in the recellularized scaffold was more significant than in the 2D traditional cultured cells. Also, MTT assay results showed that S-ECM were no cytotoxic effects on the MIN6 cells. Conclusion: These results collectively have evidenced that S-ECM is a suitable scaffold for stabilizing artificial pancreatic islands.

Aims The present study aimed to assess the effects of spleen-cell-conditioned medium treated with different concentrations of adenosine on the 4T1 breast cancer cell line. Materials & Methods For this purpose, mouse spleens were isolated in completely sterile conditions, and splenocytes were then isolated for culture. Different concentrations of adenosine (25, 50, and 100 μM doses), phytohemagglutinin solution, and culture medium containing Fetal Bovine Serum (FBS) were added to splenocytes and incubated for 72 h. Thereafter, splenocytes were incubated by adding fresh culture medium without serum for 24 h. This fluid was collected and stored in a freezer at-80 for further assessment. The conditioned medium was mixed with an equal volume of the culture medium containing 4T1 cancer. The studied groups included control containing untreated 4T1 cancer cells, spleen-cell-conditioned medium untreated with adenosine, spleen-cell-conditioned medium treated with adenosine ∼25 μM, spleen-cell-conditioned medium treated with adenosine ∼5 μM, and the fifth group: spleen-cell-conditioned medium treated with adenosine ∼10 μM. After 48 h, the viability of 4T1 cells was measured by MTT and NR tests, and the amount of apoptosis in the cells was evaluated by vital dye staining. Findings The spleen-cell-conditioned medium is able to damage cancer cells and causes a significant reduction in neutral red uptake or damage to the cancer cell membrane. In the MTT test, a decrease was observed in the mitochondrial power,that is to say, a decrease in cell viability of cancer cells compared to the control group. In the apoptosis test, a percentage of cancer cells changed color from green to red. This function of the conditioned medium was strengthened by adding adenosine ∼25 μM to the spleen cell conditioned medium so that the amount of neutral red uptake was markedly reduced and caused a further decrease in the mitochondrial power of cancer cells. It also increased apoptosis in cancer cells so that most cancer cells changed color to red. The beneficial effect of the spleen-cell-conditioned medium decreased by increasing the concentration of adenosine to 5 µM so that there was no statistically significant difference with the untreated spleen-cell-conditioned medium. When we increased the concentration of adenosine to 10 µM, the killing efficacy disappeared, and there was no significant difference with the control group. Conclusion Based on the results, the spleen-cell-conditioned medium was able to kill a percentage of cancer cells. When we treat the spleen-cell-conditioned medium with low concentrations of adenosine, we observe a marked improvement in the killing efficacy of cancer cells, as well as an interaction between immune cells and cancer cells. Nonetheless, when the concentration of adenosine increases, the killing efficacy of cancer cells is lost and completely reversed, resulting in the growth of cancer cells.

Milk thistle (Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn) belonging to the Asteraceae family and known for its valuable secondary metabolite, silymarin. In order to get the cell suspension culture of Silybum marianum, the combination of 2,4-D and BAP hormones each with five different concentrations (0, 0.1, 1, 2 and 5 mg/L) and 3 different seedling explants (cotyledon, hypocotyl and root) was used to callus formation. High-quality callus was observed in eight different of hormone-explant combinations. Successful cell suspension culture was achieved only by using callus created from cotyledon explants treated with 0.1 mg/L 2,4-D and 5 mg/L BAP. Furthermore, the study examined the effects of 2% and 4% Serendipita indica cell wall extract as an elicitor on silymarin production in cell suspension culture at three different inoculation times (24, 48, and 72 h). After 48 h of inoculation with 2% fungal extract, the highest level of silymarin (199 ppm) was observed, which was significantly different from the control (46 ppm). The silymarin content of cells increased over time through elicitation with 4% fungal elicitor, while no similar pattern was observed with 2% fungal extract. Based on the results, the cell wall of S. indica can significantly enhance the amount of SLM in the cell suspension culture of S. marianum.