Acromegaly is associated with a distinct oral and gut microbiota

Pituitary - Our aim was to investigate the changes in the composition of oral and gut microbiota in patients with newly diagnosed acromegaly and their relationship with IGF-1 levels. Oral and fecal...     

Traumatic luxation of the globe: A 6-year follow-up

A 25-year-old man was involved in a motor vehicle accident. The left globe was luxated out of orbit with total optic nerve avulsion. The globe was intact without any penetration and put back into the orbit. Although the patient has no light perception, he is grateful for satisfactory cosmetic results with 6-year follow-up.     

Chemical characterization,cytotoxic, antioxidant,antimicrobial, and enzyme inhibitory effects of different extracts from one sage (Salvia ceratophylla L.) from Turkey: open a new window on industrial purposes

In the present study, the methanolic, hydro-methanolic, dichloromethane, hexane and aqueous extracts of Salvia ceratophylla L. (Family: Lamiaceae), a lemon-scented herb, were tested for total phenolic (TPC) and flavonoid content (TFC) and antioxidant activities were evaluated using a battery of assays (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), cupric reducing antioxidant capacity, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) (phosphomolybdenum) and metal chelating). Enzyme inhibitory effects were investigated using acetyl- (AChE), butyryl-cholinesterase (BChE), tyrosinase, α-amylase and α-glucosidase as target enzymes. Regarding the cytotoxic abilities, HepG2, B164A5 and S17 cell lines were used. The phytochemical profile was conducted using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Our data showed that the methanolic aerial extracts possessed the highest phenolic (72.50 ± 0.63 mg gallic acid equivalent per g) and flavonoid (43.77 ± 1.09 mg rutin equivalent per g) contents. The hydro-methanolic aerial extract showed significant DPPH radical scavenging activity (193.40 ± 0.27 mg TE per g) and the highest reducing potential against CUPRAC (377.93 ± 2.38 mg TE per g). The best tyrosinase activity was observed with dichloromethane root extract (125.45 ± 1.41 mg kojic acid equivalent per g). Among the tested extracts, hexane root extract exerted the highest antimicrobial potential with a minimum inhibitory concentration value of 0.048 mg mL⁻¹. Methanolic root extract showed the lowest cytotoxicity (28%) against HepG2 cells. Phytochemical analysis revealed the presence of important polyphenolic compounds including luteolin, gallic acid, rosmarinic acid, to name a few. This research can be used as one methodological starting point for further investigations on this lemon-scented herb.

Our findings suggested that Salvia ceratophylla could be one potential raw material in industrial applications.     

RANK deletion in neuropeptide Y neurones attenuates oestrogen deficiency‐related bone loss

The RANKL pathway is known to be an important aspect of the pathogenesis of oestrogen deficiency‐induced bone loss. RANK deletion specifically in neuropeptide Y (NPY) neurones has been shown to enhance the ability of the skeleton to match increases in body weight caused by high‐fat diet feeding, likely via the modulation of NPY levels. In the present study, we used ovariectomy in female mice to show that RANK deletion in NPY neurones attenuates bone loss caused by long‐term oestrogen deficiency, particularly in the vertebral compartment. Ovariectomy led to a reduction in NPY expression levels in the arcuate nucleus of NPY^cre/+;RANK^lox/lox mice compared to NPY^cre/+;RANK^lox/+ controls. Because NPY deficient mice also displayed a similar protection against ovariectomy‐induced bone loss, modulation of hypothalamic NPY signalling is the likely mechanism behind the protection from bone loss in the NPY^cre/+;RANK^lox/lox mice.     

The Evaluation of Argyrophilic Nucleolar Organizing Region Proteins in Fine-Needle Aspiration Samples of Thyroid

Argyrophilic nucleolar organizing region associated proteins (AgNORs) have been shown to be of interest in a variety of different diseases including thyroid disorders. Our aim was to distinguish benign thyroid lesions from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) via AgNOR count and with a new approach, via AgNOR surface area/total nuclear surface area (NORa/TNa) proportions in the nuclei on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) materials. Thirty patients (eight men and 22 women) whose FNA was compatible with benign lesion and 26 patients (eight men and 18 women) whose FNA was compatible with PTC were included in the study. Fine-needle aspiration materials were stained for AgNOR detection according to a specific protocol. One hundred nuclei per individual have been evaluated, and AgNOR number and NORa/TNa proportions of individual cells were measured and calculated by using a computer program. Patients with PTC had significantly (p < 0.001) higher AgNOR count (4.6 ± 1.2%) than in the patients with benign lesions (2.0 ± 0.5%). Additionally, patients with PTC had significantly (p < 0.001) higher NORa/TNa (13.4 ± 2.4) than in the patients with benign lesion (5.7 ± 1.0). Modified method of AgNOR staining is an easy and reliable method for evaluating proliferation activity of cells in malignant and benign thyroid lesions and it may contribute to routine cytopathology in inconclusive situations.     

Are GRIK3 (T928G) gene variants in schizophrenia patients different from those intheir first-degree relatives?

We examined whether the GRIK3 (T928G) polymorphic variants in patients with schizophrenia are different from those of their first-degree relatives and healthy controls. The study population was composed of 256 patients with schizophrenia, 305 first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and 242 healthy control subjects. The GRIK3 (T928G) polymorphism was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The frequency of the TT genotype was predominant, whereas the GG genotype was rare among all groups. The frequencies of GRIK3 (T928G) genotype distributions in the patients with schizophrenia were similar to those of their relatives. The frequency of the GG genotype was significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls. Similarly, GG genotype distribution in relatives was elevated compared with that in controls, but this value did not reach statistical significance. On the other hand, the subgroups of schizophrenia patients did not show a significant association with the GRIK3 (T928G) gene. It appears that the patients share the same (GRIK3) T928G gene variants with their relatives. One interpretation of our findings is that the relatives are at risk for the development of schizophrenia in the future.