effects of N-acetylcysteine on intestinal ischemia/ reperfusion injury in rats

To evaluate the effects of N-acetylcysteine NAC on the injury of intestinal ischemia-reperfusion. Forty-eight Wistar-Albino rats were divided into 6 groups: as control, ischemia, ischemia-reperfusion, ischemia + N-acetylcysteine, ischemia-reperfusion + N-acetylcysteine IRN, and reperfusion + N-acetylcysteine RN. Histopathologic examination was performed to all groups. In the tissue and plasma, and erythrocyte samples, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, glutathione, and nitric oxide NO levels were evaluated. The present study was carried out in Trakya and Istanbul University, Edirne, Turkey between December 2002 and July 2003. The most severe histopathological damage was seen in the intestinal ischemia-reperfusion group, and this damage was observed to be reduced by NAC administration. Lowest plasma malondialdehyde levels were observed in RN group. The tissue glutathione levels were found to be higher in RN group than those in IRN group. It was found that administration of NAC has important effects on the injury of intestinal ischemia, as well as, reperfusion in rats. N-acetylcysteine administration causes an improvement in the histopathologic findings of ischemia/reperfusion damages. The N-acetylcysteine treatment protects the antioxidant enzymes in the tissue, plasma, and the erythrocytes, which are crucially important in the intestinal schemia/reperfusion injury in rats

Congenital Fibrous Epulis in the Infant

Congenital fibrous epulis is an extremely rare tumor of infancy. It is a benign gingival tumor and generally seen in maxillary alveolar crest and its etiology remains the subject of debate. Congenital fibrous epulis could be considered a hamartomatous lesion. Histologically it does not show the closely packed large granular cells necessary for the diagnosis of an ordinary congenital epulis. Instead, it consists of irregular bundles of collagenous connective tissue, varying numbers of fusiform cells with oval or fusiform shaped nuclei and mild subepithelial inflammatory infiltration with tiny blood vessels and in this case a woven bone spicule in the deep area. Recommended treatment for this tumor is simple excision. We report upon a case of congenital fibrous epulis in a male infant and discuss the clinical features, histopathologic findings, and surgical treatment.