%0 Journal Article %T Letter to Editor on: "Ginger (Zingiber officinale roscoe) extract could upregulate the renal expression of NRF2 and TNFα and prevents ethanol-induced toxicity in rat kidney" by Akbari et al. %J Avicenna Journal of Phytomedicine %I Mashhad University of Medical Sciences %Z 2228-7930 %A Elumalai, Perumal %A Ezhilarasan, Devaraj %A Raghunandhakumar, Subramanian %D 2023 %\ 01/01/2023 %V 13 %N 1 %P 1-2 %! Letter to Editor on: "Ginger (Zingiber officinale roscoe) extract could upregulate the renal expression of NRF2 and TNFα and prevents ethanol-induced toxicity in rat kidney" by Akbari et al. %K Zingiber officinale %K ginger %K Ethanol %K Nuclear factor E2-related factor %R 10.22038/ajp.2022.21187 %X A recent study entitled “Ginger(Zingiber officinale roscoe) extractcould upregulate the renal expressionof Nrf2 and TNFα and preventsethanol-induced toxicity in rat kidney”that was published in this journal byFathi et al., 2021) states that ethanolcan activate Nrf2 expression. Nuclearfactor E2-related factor (Nrf2)regulates the expression of a variety ofgenes responsible for intracellulardetoxification, and antioxidant, antiinflammation, anti-stress activities, etc(Ezhilarasan et al., 2016). Nrf2 iscrucial for the induction of endogenousantioxidant enzymes such as hemeoxygenase 1 and reduced glutathionevia activation of intracellular antioxidantresponsive element. Therefore, activationof Nrf2 pathway by phytochemicals has beendemonstrated to provide protection againstalcohol-related abnormalities suggesting thebeneficial role of Nrf2 activation (Zhao etal., 2018; Ezhilarasan et al., 2016). Besides,a growing body of evidence reports theprotective role of Nrf2 against a number ofkidney diseases (Hejazian et al., 2021). Nrf2activates several intracellular antioxidantenzymes during the onset of intracellularoxidative stress (Ezhilarasan, 2018).Therefore, Nrf-2 activation is usuallyconsidered to have a beneficial effect.Previous studies also showed that ethanoladministrations can downregulate orsuppress Nrf-2 expression (Sueblinvong etal., 2014; Shanmugam et al., 2019). In viewof the above scenario, as a powerfuloxidative agent, how ethanol could activateNrf2 expression? The authors have showedthat ginger, ethanol and ethanol+gingertreatments can activate Nrf2 expression. Themanuscript was also failed to discuss aboutthe reason behind Nrf2 upregulation afterethanol administration. These discrepanciesmust be addressed in the discussion part.The objectives of the study wereinteresting, however, there were somediscrepancies in the title and their resultsfurnished. Therefore, we wish to seek yourattention towards this publication. The mainconcern of this publication is the title. Thetitle says “Ginger (Zingiber officinaleElumalai et al. AJP, Vol. 13, No. 1, Jan-Feb 2023 2roscoe) extract could upregulate therenal expression of Nrf-2 and tumornecrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) andprevents ethanol-induced toxicity in ratkidney”. However, in results theauthors were reported that Ginger candownregulate ethanol-induced TNF-α.Moreover, as reported in the title Gingerextract did not ameliorate ethanol-inducedNrf-2 downregulation.  %U https://ajp.mums.ac.ir/article_21187_2102039a6bb916e74f5bc65da199ae85.pdf