The Effect of Risedronate on Posterior Lateral Spinal Fusion in a Rat Model

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the potential effects of risedronate (RIS) which shows a higher anti-resorptive effect among bisphosphonates, after a posterolateral lumbar intertransverse process spinal fusion using both autograft and allograft in a rat model. METHODS: A totoal of 28 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 2 study groups. A posterolateral lumbar intertransverse process spinal fusion was peformed using both autograft and allograft in a rat model. Group I (control) received 0.1 mL of steril saline (placebo) and Group II (treatment) received risedronate, equivalent to human dose (10 microgram/kg/week) for 10-weeks period. RESULTS: The fusion rates as determined by manual palpation were 69% in the group I and 46% in the group II (p = 0.251). According to radiographic score, the spinal segment was considered to be fused radiographically in 7 (53%) of the 13 controls and 9 (69%) of the 13 rats treated with RIS (p = 0.851). The mean histological scores were 5.69 +/- 0.13 and 3.84 +/- 0.43 for the control and treatment groups, respectively. There was a significant difference between the both groups (p = 0.001). The mean bone density of the fusion masses was 86.9 +/- 2.34 in the control group and 106.0 +/- 3.54 in the RIS treatment group. There was a statistical difference in mean bone densities of the fusion masses comparing the two groups (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: In this study, risedronate appears to delay bone fusion in a rat model. This occurs as a result of uncoupling the balanced osteoclastic and osteoblastic activity inherent to bone healing. These findings suggest that a discontinuation of risedronate postoperatively during acute fusion period may be warranted.

Expression of p53 oncoprotein and bcl-2 in renal cell carcinoma

The aim of the present study was to investigate the significance of p53 and bcl-2 as prognostic factors among others in renal cell carcinoma patients. We evaluated the stages, histological grades, tumor diameters, cellular patterns and the presence of mutant p53 protein and bcl-2 overexpression in 57 cases of renal cell carcinoma [RCC]. Kaplan-Meier and log-rank tests estimated the survival function of each parameter. The study was carried out in the Department of Pathology and the Department of Urology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University Hospital, Diyarbakir, Turkey, in 2003. The p53 mutation was 35% and bcl-2 overexpression incidence was 89.4% in the RCC cases included in the study. The 5-year disease specific survival rates of mutant p53 positive was 46.6% and p53 negative cases were 83.3%, [p=0.0063]. There was no pathological parameter associated in bcl-2, and it has no prognostic significance. The tumor stage, grade, diameter and p53 mutations affect the survival of RCC cases. The bcl-2 staining did not play any role to estimate patients at high risk of the disease progression

Preventive Effects of Intracisternal Alphatochopherol on Cerebral Vasospasm in Experimental Subarachnoid Hamorrhage

Vasospasm is an important cause of morbidity and/or mortality with a subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). The roles of lipid peroxidation in a vasospasm caused by a SAH remain to be investigated. The effect of an intracisternal administration of alphatochopherol on a cerebral vasospasm was investigated in an experimental model. The authors assessed whether the administration of alphatochopherol reduced the vasospasm. By means of an intracisternal blood injection model, a SAH was induced in 30 rats, which were randomly divided into three groups, as follows: group I (G1), without a SAH and drug, group II (G2), a SAH alone, group III (G3), a SAH and alphatochopherol. Following the withdrawal of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a fresh unheparinized arterial blood was injected into the cisterna magna to induce a SAH. In G3, 20 U (0.4ml) alphatochopherol was intracisternally injected forty-five hours after induction of the SAH. All rats were sacrificed 72 hours after the induction. The basilar artery, with surrounding tissue, was removed from the cranium. The cross-sectional diameter of the lumen and vessel wall of the rat basilar artery was assessed from a planimetric analysis, and changes compared with G1 and G2. The reduction in the luminal cross-sectional diameter of the vessels exposed to subarachnoid blood was found to be 29.01 % (p=0.001). The group treated with alphatochopherol had a 9% reduction (p=0.004). The role of lipid peroxidation on a vasospasm caused by SAH is well known to be critical. Data from the present study indicated that antioxidant therapy, with topical alphatochopherol, may be promising on a vasospasm caused by a SAH.

Congenital granular cell epulis: report of 2 cases

Congenital granular cell epulis of the newborn is a rare lesion whose histogenesis and natural clinical history have remained obscure. It is important that new cases of this lesion are reported from different populations so that its occurrence and frequency may be ascertained more accurately. Furthermore, the lesion is important in the differential diagnosis of the more aggressive lesions seen in early life. The lesion occurs more often in female infants, but in our cases, one was a male and the other was a female

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas in childhood A retrospective analysis of 45 cases

Between the years 1984 and 1996, 45 cases in children younger than 15 years with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were retrospectively reviewed at the Pathology Department of Medical School, Dicle University. Twenty-nine patients were body and 16 girls [male-to-female ratio, 1.81]. Of these cases 12 [29%] were in 4-5 years, which was the most common age group. The mean age of these cases, for boys were 9 years, for girls were 8.06. Lymphoblastic lymphoma [33.33%] was histological type that appeared the most frequently. Non-Burkitt's lymphoma [4.44%] was histological type that appeared the least frequently. In lymphoblastic lymphoma the involvement was nodal in 9 [60%] of these cases whereas in Burkitt's lymphoma, only 2 [22.22%]. The nodal involvement n our cases was 55.55%