Ellagic acid attenuates oxidative stress on brain and sciatic nerve and improves histopathology of brain in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of ellagic acid in brain and sciatic nerve tissues of diabetic rats. Also, the impact of ellagic acid on catalase and paraoxonase (PON-1) activities, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) were examined. The rats were randomly divided into four groups, with eight rats each: Normal controls (not diabetic), only ellagic acid treated (ellagic acid controls, not diabetic), Diabetic controls (streptozotocin, diabetic), ellagic acid-treated diabetic (streptozotocin?+?ellagic acid). After a 4?week experiment, rats were sacrificed, and biomarkers for oxidative stress in the brain and sciatic nerve tissues of the rats were measured. There was significant depletion in the PON-1, catalase, and TAS levels in the brain and sciatic nerve tissues compared to the control groups (for both parameters, p?<?0.05). The values of catalase, PON-1 and TAS reversed back to normal levels in ellagic acid-treated diabetic rats compared to untreated diabetic rats (for both parameters, p?<?0.05). The levels of MDA, TOS, NO and, OSI in the brain and sciatic nerve tissues were higher in untreated diabetic rats compared to control group (for both parameters p?<?0.05). However, MDA, TOS, OSI, and NO levels were found to be significantly reduced in the ellagic acid-treated diabetic group compared to the untreated diabetic group in these tissues (for both parameters, p?<?0.05). In conclusion, the results of the present study suggested that ellagic acid exhibits neuroprotective effects against oxidative damage in diabetic rats.     

Effects of acute kidney injury on clinical outcomes in patients with upper gastrointestinal bleeding

Aim Upper gastrointestinal bleeding (UGIB) is a very frequently encountered condition that has a high morbidity and which increases treatment costs. Duration of hospital stay and mortality increases in patients with UGIB complicated by acute kidney injury (AKI). The aim of this study was to reveal risk factors in patients with UGIB developing AKI and to compare clinical outcomes and hospital costs between patients with UGIB developing AKI and those with UGIB not developing AKI.

Material and methods This retrospective study included 245 patients admitted to the emergency unit and the intensive care unit for internal diseases at Ankara Numune Education and Research Hospital, Turkey. Results The difference in mortality rates between the patients with AKI and those without AKI was significant (p?0.001). The mean duration of intensive care unit stay was 0.2?±?1.1 days in the patients without AKI (n?=?143) and 2.5?±?5.6 days in the patients with AKI. It was significantly higher in the patients with AKI (p?0.001). Hospital stay was significantly longer in the patients with AKI than those without AKI, and as severity of AKI increased, hospital stay became considerably longer (p?0.001). Hospital costs were significantly higher in the patients with AKI than those without AKI, and as severity of AKI increased, hospital costs considerably rose (p?0.001). Conclusion AKI is a condition that lengthens hospital stay, increases hospital costs and creates a burden on health care systems. Detect kidney injury earlier and administering an appropriate treatment can improve clinical outcomes in patients with UGIB developing AKI.     

Coexisting Bicuspid Aortic and Pulmonary Valves with Normally Related Great Vessels Diagnosed by Live/Real Time Three‐Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography

Coexistence of bicuspid aortic and pulmonary valves in the same patient is a very rare entity identified mainly during surgery and postmortem. To the best of our knowledge, only one case has been diagnosed by two‐dimensional echocardiography in a newborn with malposition of the great arteries but no images were presented. Here, we are reporting the first case of bicuspid pulmonary and aortic valves diagnosed by live/real time three‐dimensional transesophageal echocardiography in an adult with normally related great arteries.     

The effects of hypothyroidism in rats on serum leptin concentrations and leptin mRNA levels in adipose tissue and relationship with body fat composition

Both thyroid hormones and leptin affect sympathetic nervous system activity, basal metabolic rate, body fat mass, food intake, and thermogenesis, and each one also affects the actions of the other. We examined the alterations in serum leptin concentrations and leptin mRNA expression in hypothyroid rats and investigated the relation between serum leptin and leptin mRNA levels with the total adipose tissue mass and total body weight. Twenty male Wistar rats were divided into 2 groups, euthyroid and hypothyroid. Their body compositions were examined by Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry at the beginning and end of the study. Serum leptin concentrations and levels of leptin mRNA in the retroperitoneal white adipose tissue were measured at the end of the study. Serum leptin concentrations did not show any difference between the two groups (1.9 +/- 0.2 ng/ml in the hypo and euthyroid group, P > 0.05), but the fat mass of the hypothyroid rats were lower than the euthyroid rats (21.1 +/- 2.5 g in the euthyroid group and 14.2 +/- 1.9 g in the hypothyroid group, P > 0.05 between groups at the end of the study) although the difference between the groups was statistically not significant. Leptin mRNA level was significantly higher in the hypothyroid group than in the euthyroid group (21.6 +/- 1.6 vs. 15.1 +/- 1.2 ng respectively, P = 0.002) although the dissected retroperitoneal fat weight was significantly lower in the hypothyroid group versus the euthyroid group (1.0 +/- 0.2 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.2 g respectively, P = 0.013). In conclusion, the change of leptin mRNA expression in white adipocytes was thought to be the direct result of hypothyroidism or a compensatory response to metabolic changes caused by hypothyroidism.