Hepatoprotective Effect of 17β-Estradiol as Antioxidant Modulators Against Stress Damage

Background:

Liver is one of the most important organs affected by exercise. According to the literature a few study to date has investigated the effects of estrogen supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress in liver tissue of rats.

Objectives:

We aimed to investigate the effects of estrogen supplementation on oxidative stress markers in liver tissue of exercised rats.

Materials and Methods:

Male rats (n = 35) were divided as estrogen supplemented (n = 18) and non-supplemented groups (n = 17); these groups were further divided as rest and eccentric exercised groups. Eccentric exercise groups were further divided as rats killed after 1 hour and 48 hours of eccentric exercise. Estrogen (10 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously for 30 days. Eccentric exercise was applied as treadmill run (15° downhill, 20 m/min) consisting of periods of "5 min" run and 2 min rest repeated 18 times. The rat liver was examined biochemically and histologically. Activities of GST, GSH-Px, CAT, SOD and MDA concentration were also measured spectrophotometrically.

Results:

Some disruptions were detected in experimental groups compared with the control group. Additionally, exercise training caused an increase in SOD and decrease in GSH-Px activities in some experimental groups. SOD activities increased significantly in group 3 (Estrogen (-), eccentric exercise (+) killed (after 1 h), compared with group 5 (Estrogen (-), eccentric exercise (+) killed (after 48 h). On the other hand, GSH-Px activities were also significantly decreased in groups 3, 4 and 5 compared with the control group. Leukocyte infiltration in liver increased after 48 hours compared with after 1 hour and estrogen supplementation was not able to prevent this infiltration.

Conclusions:

Estrogen seemed to be not very effective to prevent eccentric exercise-induced liver damage.     

Urinary macrophage migration inhibitory factor in children with urinary tract infection

Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays an essential pathophysiological role in inflammatory reactions. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical utility of urine MIF (uMIF) level in predicting urinary tract infections (UTI). This multicenter, prospective study was conducted over a 1-year period between March 2008 and March 2009. Sixty patients with symptomatic culture-proven UTI and 29 healthy children were recruited. Urine MIF was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The mean MIF level was found to be significantly higher in the UTI group than in the control group (1082.82 vs. 211.45 pg/ml, p?=?0.0001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that the optimal cut-off uMIF level was 295 pg/ml for uMIF to predict UTI. The sensitivity and specificity of this cut-off level were 91.7% and 69%, respectively. Mean uMIF/creatinine (Cr) was also significantly higher in the UTI group than in the control group (2400.69 vs. 267.56 pg/mgCr, p?=?0.0001). At a cut-off of 815 pg/mgCr for uMIF/Cr, the sensitivity and specificity were 95 and 79%, respectively. The area under curve (AUC) was 0.848 (standard error 0.040, 95% confidence interval 0.756–0.915) for uMIF and 0.889 (0.034, 0.805–0.946) for uMIF/Cr. Urine MIF/Cr was significantly higher in the patients with a positive leukocyte esterase reaction in the urine (p?=?0.047), leukocytosis (p?=?0.0001) and positive C-reactive protein level in serum (p?=?0.003). The uMIF level was not related to leukocytosis, positive CRP level in serum and leukocyte esterase reaction in the urine. Neither uMIF nor uMIF/Cr were correlated to the positive urine nitrite test, pyuria, urine pH and specific gravity (p?>?0.05). These results suggest that urine MIF and uMIF/Cr can be used for the early prediction of UTI in children.     

Comparison of 1998 WHO/ISUP and 1973 WHO classifications for interobserver variability in grading of papillary urothelial neoplasms of the bladder. Pathological evaluation of 258 cases

AIM: Our aim was to compare the interobserver variability between the 1998 WHO/ISUP and 1973 WHO classifications. METHODS: 258 consecutive papillary urothelial carcinomas were reviewed by two pathologists and assigned a tumor grade according to the 1973 WHO and 1998 WHO/ISUP without the knowledge of primary diagnosis and clinical follow-up. All cases were also histologically staged by the two pathologists separately as follows: pTa (noninvasive), pT1 (lamina propria invasion only), pT2 (muscularis propria invasion). Findings of both pathologists and degree of agreement were compared statistically by using Pearson's chi(2) test and kappa statistics respectively. A kappa value of 0.21-0.40 is accepted as fair, 0.41-0.60 moderate and 0.61-0.80 substantial agreement. RESULTS: Regardless of the pathologist, tumor grades of two classifications correlated to each other and the pathological stage (p < 0.05). Overall degree of agreement between pathologists was higher in the 1998 WHO/ISUP (kappa 0.59) than the 1973 WHO (kappa 0.41), but both were still moderate. Papillary urothelial neoplasia with low malignant potential was the group of 1998 WHO/ISUP that showed the lowest degree of agreement and if excluded, interobserver variability of the 1998 WHO/ISUP decreased significantly (kappa 0.84). CONCLUSION: The diagnosis of papillary urothelial neoplasia with low malignant potential and the criteria that differentiates it from low-grade carcinomas needs improvement in order to compare the different studies and therapies and to provide more accurate information for management.     

Comparison of lornoxicam versus tramadol analgesia for transrectal prostate biopsy: a randomized prospective study

Introduction We compared the efficacy of lornoxicam and tramadol to provide analgesia and comfort during transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy of the prostate (TRUSP) as a noninvasive method. Materials and methods A total of 62 men undergoing TRUSP were enrolled in this study. Patients were randomized to three groups. Group 1 (n = 21) received 8 mg of lornoxicam, group 2 (n = 21) received 100 mg of tramadol, and group 3 (n = 20) received saline as a control. The drugs were given intramuscularly half an hour prior to the procedure. All patients were asked to indicate the level of pain experienced after the procedure by visual analog score (VAS), and the patient’s comfort level was scored by a comfort score. Additionally, the patients were asked if they were willing to undergo a future TRUSP. Results The data obtained revealed that both experimental groups receiving lornoxicam and tramadol had lower VAS scores compared to the control group (3.4 and 2.4 vs. 6.4, respectively; P < 0.0001). There were also significant differences in VAS scores between group 1 and group 2 (P = 0.027). There was a significant difference in the comfort score between the drug groups and control (P > 0.0001) and between the lornoxicam and tramadol group (P < 0.05). Pain and discomfort were least in the tramadol group. The percentage of patients who would not consent to future TRUSP was lower in the drug groups compared to control (P < 0.0001). But there were not any differences between the drug groups. Conclusions The use of lornoxicam or tramadol for pain relief in TRUSP is a practical, effective and comfortable method compared to the results of the control group. In addition, tramadol was found to be more effective than lornoxicam.     

Head injuries due to landmines

Summary Background. Landmine explosions cause most of the war injuries in the battlefield and pose a substantial public health risk. Although the lower limbs are usually affected, head injuries also occur. The aim of this study is to describe the types of head injuries caused by the explosion of landmines and the management of the victims. Patients and method. Fifteen patients who sustained a head injury due to a landmine explosion were treated in the Department of Neurosurgery between 2000 and 2006. The average age of the patients was 22.5 (range between 20 and 33). The Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score ranged between 3 and 15 and was 8 or less in 4. Shrapnel, stone and earth were the wounding agents. Four patients underwent neurosurgical treatment and 11, apart from simple scalp closure, had conservative treatment. Ten patients had associated lesions in the other parts of the body including thorax, upper and lower limbs, and the abdomen. Findings. Two patients died. At the time of admission, one had a GCS score of 3 and the other a score of 4. Infection was observed among 4 patients and a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) fistula in 1 patient. Conclusion. Landmines occasionally cause head injuries. Surgical intervention is seldom required and survival is likely unless the patient is in deep coma. Multidisciplinary approaches are required in case there are associated lesions in the other parts of the body.     

The prevalence of asthma and allergic symptoms in Manisa, Turkey (A western city from a country bridging Asia and Europe)

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of asthma and allergic symptoms in Manisa city center, Turkey, to evaluate the determinants effective on those values, and to review the prevalence rates reported from different parts of the country. Data were collected from 610 households and complete interviews were conducted with 1,336 adults over 18 years of age by using European Community Respiratory Health Survey-ECRHS questionnaire. The prevalences of current asthma, cumulative asthma and asthma-like symptoms were found in 1.2, 1.0 and 25.0%, respectively, of the 20-44 years age group and the prevalences of allergic rhinitis, allergic dermatitis and family atopy were found in 14.5, 10.9, and 15.2%, respectively, in all age group. Wheezing with breathlessness, wheezing without cold, woken up with shortness of breath and woken up with cold were reported by 9.1%, 6.9%, 6% and 16.1% of the study population, respectively. Gender, age, active or passive smoking, family atopy and home condition effect on prevalence of asthma and allergic symptoms. In this study prevalence of asthma correlated with the studies reporting low prevalence rates of Turkey.     

Prognostic Significance of NOTCH1 and FBXW7 Mutations in Pediatric T-ALL

The NOTCH signaling pathway plays important role in the development of multicellular organisms, as it regulates cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation. In adults, it is essential for the T- or B-lymphocyte lineage commitment. NOTCH1 and FBXW7 mutations both lead the activation of the NOTCH1 pathway and are found in the majority of T-ALL patients. In this study, the mutation analysis of NOTCH1 and FBXW7 genes was performed in 87 pediatric T-ALLs who were treated on the ALL-BFM protocols. In 19 patients (22%), activating NOTCH1 mutations were observed either in the heterodimerization domain or in the PEST domain and 7 cases (10%) demonstrated FBXW7 mutations (2 cases had both NOTCH1 and FBXW7 mutations). We also analyzed the relationship of the mutation data between the clinical and biological data of the patients. NOTCH1 and FBXW7, NOTCH1 alone were found correlated with lower initial leucocyte counts which was independent from the sex and T- cell immunophenotype. However, NOTCH1 and FBXW7 mutations were not predictive of outcome in the overall cohort of pediatric T-ALLs.     

The effect of antidepressant treatment on N-acetyl aspartate levels of medial frontal cortex in drug-free depressed patients

The medial frontal cortex has been shown to modulate emotional behavior and stress responses, suggesting that the dysfunction of this region may be involved in the pathogenesis of depressive symptoms. The present study was performed to determine whether there was any effect of antidepressant treatment on the metabolite levels in the left medial frontal cortex as measured by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy in depressed patients. Twenty patients diagnosed as having major depressive disorder according to DSM-IV and 18 healthy volunteer subjects were included in the study. Twelve of patients had their first episode and were drug-na?ve. Other depressed patients were drug-free for at least 4 weeks. The severity of depression was assessed by HAM-D and Clinical Global Impression Scale-Severity (CGI-S). Single voxel, 8 cm(3), 1H MR spectra of left medial frontal cortex was acquired both before and following antidepressant treatment. The concentrations and ratios of N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), Creatine+Phosphocreatine (Cr+PCr) and Choline (Cho) were measured. Pretreatment NAA/Cr values of patients were lower than those of healthy controls, but this difference did not reach to statistically significant levels (t=1.83, df=36, p=0.07). However, antidepressant treatment had significant effect on NAA/Cr ratios (groupxtreatment interaction: F=9.93 df=1,36, p=0.03). After the treatment, NAA/Cr values of patients increased significantly compared to pretreatment values (t=3.32, df=19, p=0.004). No significant difference was observed between the post-treatment NAA/Cr values of patients and those of controls (t=1.64, df=36, p=0.19). Correlation analysis detected negative correlation between pretreatment CGI-S scores and NAA/Cr ratios (r=-0.51, p=0.02). This preliminary result suggests that there might be a possible defect in the neuronal integrity in the left medial frontal cortex (mainly left anterior cingulate cortex) of depressed patients. Antidepressant treatment with its neurotrophic effects might play a positive role in restoring the neuronal integrity. Further studies are needed to support these initial findings.