Background: In this study, the protective effect of thymoquinone (TQ) and Nigella sativa seeds oil (NSO) was evaluated against oxidative damages induced by ethanol in rats. Methods: Animals were treated with ethanol 40% daily by gavages once a day for 4 weeks. NSO and TQ were injected intraperitoneal once a day for 4 weeks. The histopathological examination of liver, kidney, brain and heart was...

Caspase-6 is an apoptotic protease that also plays important roles in neurodegenerative disorders, including Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases. Caspase-6 is the only caspase known to form a latent state in which two extended helices block access to the active site. These helices must convert to strands for binding substrate. We probed the interconverting region and found that the absence of...

Fifteen ketone-containing peptides were designed, synthesized, and used to probe the effect of substitution at the P1' position on caspase-3 and -7 inhibition. Even with the large bias of Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp at the P4-P1 positions, certain peptides with cyclic functionality in the P1' position show a dramatically reduced ability to inhibit these caspases. Additionally, trends toward isozyme sele...