effects of thymol and menthol on diethylnitrosamine-induced changes in sox2 expression and tgf-β/smad3 signaling in mice’s liver and kidneys

Background: the signaling pathway of the transforming growth factor (tgf)-β/smad3 plays a crucial role in developing liver and kidney fibrosis. tgf-β is linked to metastasis through sry-related, high-mobility box (sox-2). the objective of this study was to investigate the impact of thymol and menthol, two monoterpene compounds, on the sox-2 expression and tgf-β/smad3 signaling in the liver and kidneys of mice after administering diethylnitrosamine (den).methods: the balb/c male mice, aged 14 days, were administered a single intraperitoneal injection of den (25 mg/kg) and then given daily either thymol (10 mg/kg) or menthol (50 mg/kg) for 26 consecutive weeks. the mrna levels of tgf-β, smad3, and sox-2 were measured after 4 and 26 weeks of treatment.results: the administration of den increased the expressions of tgf-β, smad3, and sox-2 in the liver of animals after 4 and 26 weeks; however, their expressions in the kidneys increased only at the end of the 26th week compared to that of the control group. thymol and menthol inhibited the expression of tgf-β, smad3, and sox-2 in the liver and kidneys of the mice injected with den.conclusion: based on the study findings, we concluded that thymol and menthol prevented carcinogenesis induction via expression of den in the liver and kidneys by inhibiting the associated expression of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and sox-2.