Some Heavy Metals Accumulation in Tissues in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Capoeta umbla</Emphasis> (Heckel, 1843) from Uzuncayir Dam Lake (Tunceli,Turkey)

Concentrations of metals were determined in the gills, liver, kidney, heart and muscle in Capoeta umbla caught from six stations from the Munzur River system. Metal concentrations in the tissues tended to vary significantly among stations (p < 0.05). Liver (Cu, 10.10 ± 0.23–23.03 ± 9.37 ppm; Zn, 14.67 ± 3.01–21.82 ± 2.39 ppm; Cd, 18.04 ± 4.56–52.69 ± 10.65 ppb and Fe, 28.87 ± 6.78–115.11 ± 34.87 ppm) and kidney (Cu, 1.80 ± 0.25–3.70 ± 0.62 ppm; Zn, 20.81 ± 0.37–29.36 ± 0.70 ppm; Cd, 132.06 ± 5.29–639.51 ± 20.14 ppb and Fe, 24.40 ± 1.98–59.39 ± 1.97 ppm) tissues showed higher metal concentrations than other tissues. It seems that metal contamination in the river is too high for the health of fish and the people who eat them. The geographical locations of catch, season, nature of diet, and the size of fish used for analyses might lead to different metal concentration in the same fish species.     

PGT for aneuploidy does not affect three-cycle cumulative IVF discontinuation rate in women of advanced maternal age

Research questionDoes preimplantation genetic testing for aneuploidy (PGT-A) influence the discontinuation rate in women with advanced maternal age (AMA) undergoing IVF?DesignRetrospective longitudinal cohort study carried out at a single IVF clinic in Turkey. In total, 401 consecutive AMA cases were included. Discontinuation rates of pre-intervention (conventional IVF; June 2013 to October 2014; 203 couples; 270 cycles) and post-intervention (PGT-A; April 2015 to June 2016; 198 couples; 285 cycles) periods were compared. To delineate the reason for discontinuation, a telephone survey was conducted. Primary outcome measure was cumulative discontinuation rate before completing three cycles of IVF treatment without achieving an ongoing pregnancy.ResultsThe discontinuation rates after the first and second failed cycles were comparable between the two arms as were the cumulative discontinuation rates before completing three cycles. The cumulative ongoing pregnancy rate per embryo transfer was significantly higher in the PGT-A arm (43.2% versus 16.8%; P < 0.001). The cumulative ongoing pregnancy rate per patient was comparable between the two arms (20.7% versus 16.3%, respectively). Female age was the only significant contributor to treatment discontinuation (hazard ratio [HR] 1.07; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.13). Of the 296 couples discontinuing treatment in both arms, 179 (179/296 [60.5%]) participated in the survey; overall, psychological burden was the main reason for treatment discontinuation (37/179 [20.7%]).ConclusionsAbout 90% of AMA cases not achieving an ongoing pregnancy discontinue IVF treatment before completing three cycles. Discontinuation rate is not reduced by carrying out PGT-A. Female ageing is the only significant contributor, with a hazard of discontinuing further IVF treatment of 7% with female ageing of 1-year.     

In vitro antifungal effect of human milk.

A lower incidence of infection occurs among breast-fed babies because of the presence of antibacterial, antiviral, and antiparasitic effects, but little is known about the antifungal effects to fungi other than Candida albicans. This study was undertaken to assess the antifungal effect of human milk to the fungi in the environmental air, which also may be allergenic. Milk samples were obtained from lactating mothers of healthy term infants between the 3rd and 8th days of lactation. Ninety-six Sabouraud agar petri dishes were separated into three groups, closed, and incubated in the same location after 15 minutes uncovered. The first group (group 1, n=48 dishes) was used to detect the fungal flora of the environmental air. The second group (group 2, n=24 dishes) was rubbed with a thin layer of human milk by a sterile pipette. The last group (group 3, n=24 dishes) was rubbed with 0.9% NaCIlsolution. After 7 days of incubation, the colony-forming fungal growths of all dishes were evaluated by a microbiologist who did not know the groups of the dishes. The number offungal colonies grown in human milk-rubbed dishes in group 2 was less than both of the other groups (group 1 and 3; p < 0.001 and p < 0.001, respectively). These results indicated that human milk may have antifungal effects to fungi present in the environmental air as tested by Sabouraud agar petri dishes. To prevent infections and allergic diseases, human milk must be considered the ideal food for newborns.     

Plasma leptin and its relationship with lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide in obese female patients with or without hypertension

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence suggested that leptin-induced oxidative stress in human endothelial cells in vivo and increased oxidative stress in human essential hypertension may further contribute to both the development of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases. We investigated the association of plasma leptin levels with plasma lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide metabolites (NOx) in obese hypertensive atherosclerosis model. METHODS: Plasma leptin, lipid peroxidation and NOx levels were determined in age-matched non-obese normotensive female subjects (n = 30), obese normotensive female subjects (n = 45), and obese hypertensive female subjects (n = 50). Plasma leptin levels were determined by immunoradiometric method. Lipid peroxidation was determined as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) using spectrophotometric method. NOx levels were determined using enzymatic method. RESULTS: We found that plasma leptin and TBARS levels were increased in obesity, and obese hypertensives have significantly higher plasma leptin and TBARS levels than obese normotensives (p <0.001 and p <0.001). Obese hypertensives have significantly lower plasma NOx levels than obese normotensives (p <0.001). In univariate and multivariate regression analysis, plasma leptin levels were significantly correlated with TBARS (p <0.01 and p <0.01) in obese subjects. Plasma TBARS were also inversely correlated with NOx in hypertensive obese subjects (r = -0.412, p <0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our results have shown that elevated leptin levels may be associated with increased oxidative stress and free-radical-induced decreased NOx levels. Therefore, hyperleptinemia may be an important contributor to the generation of hypertension in obesity.     

Synthesis of new Mannich bases of arylpyridazinones as analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents

A series of 2-[[4-(substituted-phenyl/ benzyl)-1-piperazinyllmethyl]-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3(2H)pyridazinone derivatives was prepared and examined for analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities. The structures of these new pyridazinone derivatives were confirmed by their IR and 1H-NMR spectra and elementary analysis. Among the compounds prepared, 2-[[4-(4-fluorophenyl)-1-piperazinyl]methyl]-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3(2H)pyridazinone IVe was found to be a most promising analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent. Compound IVe showed more potent analgesic activity than acetylsalicyclic acid in the phenylbenzoquinone-induced writhing test. Also IVe showed anti-inflammatory activity comparable to that of the standard compound indometacin against the carrageenan-induced paw edema. Side effects of the compounds were examined on gastric mucosa. None of the compounds showed a gastric ulcerogenic effect compared with reference nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. On the basis of the available data, the structure-activity relationship of the series of 2-[[4-(substituted-phenyl/benzyl)-1-piperazinyl]methyl]-6-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3(2H) pyridazinones is also discussed.     

Mirtazapine augmentation for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor-induced sexual dysfunction: a retropective investigation

The aim of the present study was to retrospectively identify sexual dysfunction changes in the patients under mirtazapine-augmented serotonin reuptake inhibito (SSRI) treatment. The study comprised medical records of 20 outpatients, under mirtazapine-augmented SSRI treatment for their major depressive disorder, who had been selected among the patients that had developed sexual dysfunction to previous treatment as monotherapy, with SSRI for at least six weeks. These drugs were maintained and mirtazapine were added (15-45 mg/day). There was a significant difference in scores between baseline and week 4 or week 8 on the both Hamilton Depression Rating and Arizona Sexual Experience Scale. According to Clinical Global Impression-Improvement, 68.4% of the patients were responders. The use of low-dose mirtazapine as an add-on treatment to SSRIs appears to be an effective and well-tolerated augmenttaion for sexual dysfunction caused by SSRIs.     

Immunohistochemical comparison of indermil with traditional suture materials in dental surgery

The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate the effects of indermil on the closure of oral mucosa wounds in comparison with conventional sutures by investigating interleukin 1β (IL-1β) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) markers immunohistochemically in an animal model.The animals were anesthetized by intraperitoneal injection of ketamine (90 mg/kg body weight). Straight incisions were made to the buccal mucosa of the animals. Animals were randomly assigned to 5 groups. Five different materials were used in the study. These were silk, plain catgut, monocryl, vicryl rapide (polyglactin 910), and indermil (N-butyl-2-cyanoacrylate). The wounds were closed primarily. After the region of wounds was examined clinically at the 2nd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days, excisional biopsies were performed, and the tissue samples were examined histopathologically and immunohistochemically.On the 14th day, TNF-α and IL-1β levels were high in the plain catgut group, moderate in the indermil group, and mild in the monocryl, silk, and vicryl rapide groups. On the 21st day, TNF-α and IL-1β levels were moderate in the plain catgut group, mild in the indermil and monocryl groups, and nonsignificant in the silk group. After the second day, TNF-α and IL-1β levels were mild in the monocryl, silk, and vicryl rapide groups.Plain catgut had more negative effects than indermil on wound healing. Indermil should be applied to oral mucosa wounds together with sutures to provide better tissue support.     

Diagnostic value of thyroglobulin measurement in fine-needle aspiration biopsy for detecting metastatic lymph nodes in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma

Purpose  

We aimed to compare the diagnostic value of fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) and fine-needle aspiration thyroglobulin measurements (FNA-Tg) for detecting cervical lymph node metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinomas.