Reviewer's report
Title:Chemopreventive effects of berberine on intestinal tumor development in
APCmin/+ mice
Version: 2Date:3 June 2013
Reviewer: Michael Wargovich
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript reports the chemopreventve effects of berberine in the ApcMin
mouse model for intestinal cancer. There are problems with the data
presentation, omission of aspects of methodology, and language.
Methodology:
1) Source of berberine is not given.
2). Please describe in more detail how "random" fields for IHC quanititation were
chosen. Was the evaluator blinded to treatment?
3). How was protein extracted for westerns? Did this include epithelial and
non-epithelial cells?
4). Why do the authors use Ki-67 as loading control? Western blotting analysis,
line 6. This must be a mistake as it is not a constantly expressed protein.
Major Compulsory Revision
Data presentation:
1).Table 1; there is no data presentation by histological grade. I assume these
were all benign adenomas?
2). Figure 1- the authors measured cyclin D1 and cleaved caspase 3 but no data
is presented.
3). Figure 2- the westerns do not support the authors conclusions. It looks like
b-catenin was only marginally down-regulated; no change in KI-67, no change in
p-EGFR!
Language
The paper contains grammatical errors.Especially in the references cited.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have no competing interests
Reviewer's report
Title:Chemopreventive effects of berberine on intestinal tumor development in
APCmin/+ mice
Version: 2Date:3 June 2013
Reviewer: Michael Wargovich
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript reports the chemopreventve effects of berberine in the ApcMin
mouse model for intestinal cancer. There are problems with the data
presentation, omission of aspects of methodology, and language.
Methodology:
1) Source of berberine is not given.
2). Please describe in more detail how "random" fields for IHC quanititation were
chosen. Was the evaluator blinded to treatment?
3). How was protein extracted for westerns? Did this include epithelial and
non-epithelial cells?
4). Why do the authors use Ki-67 as loading control? Western blotting analysis,
line 6. This must be a mistake as it is not a constantly expressed protein.
Major Compulsory Revision
Data presentation:
1).Table 1; there is no data presentation by histological grade. I assume these
were all benign adenomas?
2). Figure 1- the authors measured cyclin D1 and cleaved caspase 3 but no data
is presented.
3). Figure 2- the westerns do not support the authors conclusions. It looks like
b-catenin was only marginally down-regulated; no change in KI-67, no change in
p-EGFR!
Language
The paper contains grammatical errors.Especially in the references cited.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have no competing interests
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
Title:Chemopreventive effects of berberine on intestinal tumor development in
APCmin/+ mice
Version: 2Date:3 June 2013
Reviewer: Michael Wargovich
Reviewer's report:
The manuscript reports the chemopreventve effects of berberine in the ApcMin
mouse model for intestinal cancer. There are problems with the data
presentation, omission of aspects of methodology, and language.
Methodology:
1) Source of berberine is not given.
2). Please describe in more detail how "random" fields for IHC quanititation were
chosen. Was the evaluator blinded to treatment?
3). How was protein extracted for westerns? Did this include epithelial and
non-epithelial cells?
4). Why do the authors use Ki-67 as loading control? Western blotting analysis,
line 6. This must be a mistake as it is not a constantly expressed protein.
Major Compulsory Revision
Data presentation:
1).Table 1; there is no data presentation by histological grade. I assume these
were all benign adenomas?
2). Figure 1- the authors measured cyclin D1 and cleaved caspase 3 but no data
is presented.
3). Figure 2- the westerns do not support the authors conclusions. It looks like
b-catenin was only marginally down-regulated; no change in KI-67, no change in
p-EGFR!
Language
The paper contains grammatical errors.Especially in the references cited.
Level of interest: An article of limited interest
Quality of written English: Needs some language corrections before being
published
Statistical review: Yes, but I do not feel adequately qualified to assess the
statistics.
Declaration of competing interests:
I have no competing interests
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