Title: Protective role of thymoquinone in hyperlipidemia-induced liver injury in LDL-R -/- mice
Version: 1 Date: 04 Mar 2023
Reviewer's report:
The topic is novel and using thymoquinone as nutraceutical is promising in a number of diseases
while some points needs to be addressed to improve the work:
-This paragraph needs revision ''Blood samples were obtained from the inferior vena cava,
collected in serum tubes, and stored at –80 °C until use. Longitudinal sections of the livers
were fixed in 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin for histological evaluation. The remaining
liver was snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for mRNA isolation and immunoblotting analyses.
All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use
of Laboratory Animals. This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Affiliated
Zhongshan Hospital of the Dalian University of China.'' Did you store the blood samples or
serum? Is the remaining liver snap frozen? did you freeze the remaining liver as it is? The ethical
approval should be at the start not the end of the paragraph.
-The blood samples were collected, and serum was prepared by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for
15 min.  this should be in the experimental model
- What do the authors mean by this ''There was no variation with respect to the aforementioned
parameters in the ND group.'' between ND group and which group?
- Regarding figure 4, the scale bar should be in all fields, arrows and explanations should be
added, It is highly recommended if you can add the percentage of CD68 positive cells in each
field.
-Figure 8 needs to be more representative, PI3K, CD68 upregulated or downregulated? the
metabolic characteristics and the biochemical parameters are very wide expressions that need
to be more specified.
- Full gel picture with no editing need to be added as supplementary
- Discussion needs to be improved by linking all the parameters together.
-Please revise the primer sequence of IL-18. Is this the sequence you used?
Title: Protective role of thymoquinone in hyperlipidemia-induced liver injury in LDL-R -/- mice
Version: 1 Date: 04 Mar 2023
Reviewer's report:
The topic is novel and using thymoquinone as nutraceutical is promising in a number of diseases
while some points needs to be addressed to improve the work:
-This paragraph needs revision ''Blood samples were obtained from the inferior vena cava,
collected in serum tubes, and stored at –80 °C until use. Longitudinal sections of the livers
were fixed in 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin for histological evaluation. The remaining
liver was snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for mRNA isolation and immunoblotting analyses.
All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use
of Laboratory Animals. This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Affiliated
Zhongshan Hospital of the Dalian University of China.'' Did you store the blood samples or
serum? Is the remaining liver snap frozen? did you freeze the remaining liver as it is? The ethical
approval should be at the start not the end of the paragraph.
-The blood samples were collected, and serum was prepared by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for
15 min.  this should be in the experimental model
- What do the authors mean by this ''There was no variation with respect to the aforementioned
parameters in the ND group.'' between ND group and which group?
- Regarding figure 4, the scale bar should be in all fields, arrows and explanations should be
added, It is highly recommended if you can add the percentage of CD68 positive cells in each
field.
-Figure 8 needs to be more representative, PI3K, CD68 upregulated or downregulated? the
metabolic characteristics and the biochemical parameters are very wide expressions that need
to be more specified.
- Full gel picture with no editing need to be added as supplementary
- Discussion needs to be improved by linking all the parameters together.
-Please revise the primer sequence of IL-18. Is this the sequence you used?
Please review this paper.
user
Title: Protective role of thymoquinone in hyperlipidemia-induced liver injury in LDL-R -/- mice
Version: 1 Date: 04 Mar 2023
Reviewer's report:
The topic is novel and using thymoquinone as nutraceutical is promising in a number of diseases
while some points needs to be addressed to improve the work:
-This paragraph needs revision ''Blood samples were obtained from the inferior vena cava,
collected in serum tubes, and stored at –80 °C until use. Longitudinal sections of the livers
were fixed in 10% formalin and embedded in paraffin for histological evaluation. The remaining
liver was snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen for mRNA isolation and immunoblotting analyses.
All animal experiments were performed in accordance with the Guide for the Care and Use
of Laboratory Animals. This study was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Affiliated
Zhongshan Hospital of the Dalian University of China.'' Did you store the blood samples or
serum? Is the remaining liver snap frozen? did you freeze the remaining liver as it is? The ethical
approval should be at the start not the end of the paragraph.
-The blood samples were collected, and serum was prepared by centrifugation at 3000 rpm for
15 min.  this should be in the experimental model
- What do the authors mean by this ''There was no variation with respect to the aforementioned
parameters in the ND group.'' between ND group and which group?
- Regarding figure 4, the scale bar should be in all fields, arrows and explanations should be
added, It is highly recommended if you can add the percentage of CD68 positive cells in each
field.
-Figure 8 needs to be more representative, PI3K, CD68 upregulated or downregulated? the
metabolic characteristics and the biochemical parameters are very wide expressions that need
to be more specified.
- Full gel picture with no editing need to be added as supplementary
- Discussion needs to be improved by linking all the parameters together.
-Please revise the primer sequence of IL-18. Is this the sequence you used?
assistant