Prevention of intraperitoneal adhesion formation using beta-glucan after ileocolic anastomosis in a rat bacterial peritonitis model

BACKGROUND: To investigate the effects of beta-glucan on intraabdominal abscess and adhesion formation after ileocolic anastomosis in a rat bacterial peritonitis model. METHODS: Sixty male Wistar rats were used in this study. Bacterial peritonitis was induced by performing a cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). On the first day, abdomen was reopened and peritoneal fluid samples were taken for microbiological examination. Thereafter, cecum was resected and ileocolic anastomosis was made. Group 1 rats were given 1 mL of normal saline as a placebo. Group 2 and group 3 rats were given beta-D-glucan 2 mg/kg by intramuscularly; 1 mg of beta-1,3-D-glucanase was administered to group 3 rats just after the use of beta-D-glucan. Half of each group were killed at day 7 and at day 21, respectively. Adhesions were scored and the presence of intraabdominal abscesses was noted. RESULTS: One day after CLP, microbiological examination showed polymicrobial bacterial peritonitis. Five (8%) of the 60 animals died owing to sepsis. One week after CLP, in two rats in each group developed abscess formation. Three weeks after CLP, abscess formation was observed in only one rat in each group. The rats treated with the beta-glucan had significantly lower adhesion scores than did the saline-treated rats (P = 0.008 at one week; P = 0.001 at 3 weeks). Administration of beta-glucanase inhibited beta-glucan activity and resulted in more adhesions (P = 0.022 at 1 week; P = 0.006 at 3 weeks). CONCLUSIONS: Although the use of beta-glucan after ileocolic anastomosis in rats with experimentally developed intraabdominal sepsis does not have any significantly effect on mortality and abscess formation, beta-glucan is capable of reducing the frequency of adhesion. This effect of beta-glucan has been prevented with beta-glucanase     

Is Nothingham Prognostic Index correlated with apoptosis and P53 expression in infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast?

The role of p53 as a prognostic factor is not clear. P53 named as "guardian of the genome" plays an important role in many intracellular regulatory systems, one of which is apoptosis, having an impact on tumor kinetics. A retrospective study was undertaken to assess the relationship of the Nothingham Prognostic Index (NPI) to p53 expression and apoptotic cell counts. To conduct the study, 160 successive cases of infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast were included. P53 was assessed on AP-AAP stained sections. Apoptotic cell counting (ACC) was done on the HE stained routine sections in 10 HPFs. Clinical data were derived from the hospital files. Apoptotic cell counts were higher in the p53 positive group but the difference was not significant (p=0.079). P53 positivity was found to be related to the disease-free survival (DFS) (p=0.008). NPI was significantly higher in apoptotic cell containing group (p=0.006). There was a positive linear correlation between ACC and NPI scores (p=0.004). This correlation was not present between apoptosis and disease free survival. P53 expression was found to be related with DFS but not with the NPI which is a score composed of the best prognostic indicators known today. In contrast to this, ACC was found to be closely and linearly associated to the known prognostic factors. This may suggest that the apoptotic cell counts done on routine sections may be used as a part of prognosis assessment in infiltrating ductal carcinoma.     

Neonatal cerebral venous thrombosis coexisting with bilateral adrenal hemorrhage

We report a case of severe perinatal asphyxia with both cerebral venous thrombosis and adrenal hemorrhage who survived with severe sequela including multicystic encephalomalasia, acquired microcephaly and blindness. Hematological investigations showed normal levels of anticardiolipin antibodies, protein C and S levels and activity, antithrombin III levels. Factor V Leiden mutation was negative. The adrenal hemorrhage resolved within three months with glucocorticoid therapy, the cerebral venous thrombosis resolved within two months without treatment. The literature on neonatal cerebral venous thrombosis is also reviewed.     

A study on the genotoxic activities of some new benzoxazoles

The Bacillus subtilis rec assay has been specially developed to detect DNA-damaging potential in chemicals, with the rationale based on the relative difference of survival of a DNA repair combination proficient strains and its deficient strain, which is interpreted as genotoxicity. The genotoxic activities of newly (1–6) and previously (7–18) synthesized various benzoxazoles and benzimidazoles were analyzed via the B. subtilis rec assay. Newly obtained benzoxazole and benzimidazole derivatives (1–6) were synthesized in the presence of polyphosphoric acid (PPA) and 6 N HCl, respectively to detect their DNA-damaging activities. Among the tested compounds, 6-methyl-2-(o-chlorophenyl)benzoxazole (9), 5-amino-2-(p-methylbenzyl)benzoxazole (4), 5-(p-fluorobenzamido)-2-phenylbenzoxazole (13), and 2-(p-methylaminophenyl)benzoxazole (18) showed genotoxic activities having Rec₅₀ values of 1.85, 1.74, 1.60, and 1.50 or S-probit values of 0.534, 0.482, 0.460, and 0.357, respectively. On the other hand, 2-(p-bromobenzyl)-5-methylbenzimidazole (6) and 2-benzyl-5-(p-fluorophenylacetamido)-benzoxazole (15) were exhibited a reverse effect that displayed a bacterial growth in the rec ^- strains while there was no any bacterial growth in rec ⁺ strains at the same concentration.     

Histopathological and radiological investigations of the influence of botulinum toxin on the submandibular gland of the rat

The aim of the study was to correlate the sonographic features of Botox A injection in rat submandibular gland with the histopathological changes. Fifteen Wistar albino rats were randomly assigned to 2 groups. Group 1 (control group) consisted of 5 animals not given any substance. Group 2 was divided as “a” and “b” each consisting of 5 animals. A median cervical incision has been performed to the rats in group 2 and 2.5 U Botulinum toxin A reconstituted 0.1 ml physiologic saline was injected into the right gland. Sonograms were obtained before the application, at the first day of the Botox A application, in addition to group 2a on the 14th day, and on 28th day to group 2b. Gland size was lower in group 2a and 2b comparing to control group. The gland size of group 2b was lower than group 2a. There was no change in vascularization. There was no other histopathological change except lymphocytic infiltration in group 2. It was observed that Botox A injection does not have a direct effect on the cells in submandibular gland but it causes a homogenic shrinking in gland size without atrophy.     

Radiation exposure to premature infants in a neonatal intensive care unit in Turkey

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work was to determine the radiation dose received by infants from radiographic exposure and the contribution from scatter radiation due to radiographic exposure of other infants in the same room. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated the entrance skin doses (ESDs) and effective doses of 23 infants with a gestational age as low as 28 weeks. ESDs were determined from tube output measurements (ESD(TO)) (n = 23) and from the use of thermoluminescent dosimetry (ESD(TLD)) (n = 16). Scattered radiation was evaluated using a 5 cm Perspex phantom. Effective doses were estimated from ESD(TO) by Monte Carlo computed software and radiation risks were estimated from the effective dose. ESD(TO) and ESD(TLD) were correlated using linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The mean ESD(TO) for the chest and abdomen were 67 microGy and 65 microGy per procedure, respectively. The mean ESD(TLD) per radiograph was 70 microGy. The measured scattered radiation range at a 2 m distance from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was (11-17 microGy) per radiograph. Mean effective doses were 16 and 27 microSv per procedure for the chest and abdomen, respectively. ESD(TLD) was well correlated with ESD(TO) obtained from the total chest and abdomen radiographs for each infant (R(2) = 0.86). The radiation risks for childhood cancer estimated from the effective dose were 0.4 x 10(-6) to 2 x 10(-6) and 0.6 x 10(-6) to 2.9 x 10(-6) for chest and abdomen radiographs, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results of our study show that neonates received acceptable doses from common radiological examinations. Although the contribution of scatter radiation to the neonatal dose is low, considering the sensitivity of the neonates to radiation, further protective action was performed by increasing the distance of the infants from each other.     

Recurrent liver hydatid disease: when does it become symptomatic and how does one diagnose it?

BackgroundEchinococcosis is a zoonotic disease that mainly occurs in sheep-grazing areas. Recurrence of the disease and its diagnosis are relatively new areas of investigation due to the limited number of cases. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnosis of the symptomatic recurrent liver hydatid disease and the efficacy of abdominal ultrasonography (US).Materials and MethodsBetween 1988 and 2006, 412 patients with hydatid cyst of the liver were operated at Erciyes University Medical Faculty. We have considered a growing cyst at the original operative site or at the neighboring hepatic tissue as recurrence and investigated 38 of them for the recurrence of the disease (9.2%).ResultsThe recurrence usually occurred after 2 years. The majority of the cases were Types 2 and 3 (24 cases; 8 were Type 4 and 6 were Type 1) according to Gharbi classification. In 35 patients with recurrent disease approved after surgical exploration, US was successful in preoperative diagnosis (100%). Overall, the recurrence was demonstrated correctly by means of US in 35 patients (92.1%), and 23 of 26 patients (88.4%) were correctly diagnosed with the use of computed tomography. In our study, in the first 2 years after the operation, the success rate of US examination was 72.7%. The success rate of US rose up to 100% when the frequency of recurrence is highest.ConclusionBeyond 2 years after surgery, US examination alone might be enough for the diagnosis of symptomatic recurrent liver hydatid disease in patients with the suspicion of recurrence. Postoperative early US profile and annual US examination must be performed for at least 5 years to prevent misinterpretation in doubtful cases.     

Circulating ghrelin levels in obese women: a possible association with hypertension

OBJECTIVE: The orexigenic hormone ghrelin induces weight gain by stimulating food intake. Ghrelin has been shown to modulate sympathetic activity, to exert vasodilative effects and to counterreact with leptin on both food intake and blood pressure. Of these two hormones, ghrelin levels are decreased in obesity, whereas leptin levels are increased. In this cross-sectional study, differences in serum ghrelin and leptin levels were examined in normotensive and hypertensive obese women. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Sixty-one normotensive and hypertensive women were classified according to the body mass indices as follows: (a) 18 healthy subjects with BMI 21.5-27.5 kg/m(2); (b) 22 normotensive subjects with BMI 30-47 kg/m(2); (c) 21 hypertensive obese subjects (BMI 30-48 kg/m(2)) with systolic blood pressure > or =140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > or =90 mmHg. Anthropometric measurements including height, weight, BMI, waist and hip circumferences and blood pressure were recorded. The levels of ghrelin and leptin were determined in sera using the commercial ELISA kits. RESULTS: In normotensive obese subjects, ghrelin levels were significantly lower than in controls (0.21+/-0.13 vs 0.60+/-0.3 ng/mL), whereas hypertensive obese women had elevated ghrelin levels (0.64+/-0.36 ng/mL). Ghrelin concentration was decreased despite the presence of hypertension in the patients who had BMIs above 35 kg/m(2). Leptin levels were significantly higher in both normotensive and hypertensive obese groups (19.54+/-11.19 and 21.61+/-12.7 ng/mL, respectively) than in controls (7.61+/-3.3 ng/mL), and were not affected by the presence of hypertension in obese subjects. CONCLUSION: Ghrelin was positively associated with hypertension in obese women and this association was inversely influenced by the increase of BMI.