In Vitro Antitumor and Antioxidant Capacity as well as Ameliorative Effects of Fermented Kefir on Cyclophosphamide-Induced Toxicity on Cardiac and Hepatic Tissues in Rats.

Fermented prebiotic and probiotic products with kefir are very important to slow down and prevent the growth of tumors and to treat cancer by stimulating the immune response against tumor cells. Cyclophosphamide (CPx) is widely preferred in cancer treatment but its effectiveness in high doses is restricted because of its side effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of kefir against CPx-induced heart and liver toxicity. In an experiment, 42 Wistar albino rats were divided into six treatment groups: the control (Group 1), the group receiving 150 mg/kg CPx (Group 2), the groups receiving 5 and 10 mg/kg kefir (Groups 3 and 4) and the groups receiving 5 and 10 mg/kg kefir + CPx (Group 5 and 6). Fermented kefirs obtained on different days by traditional methods were mixed and given by gavage for 12 days, while a single dose of CPx was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) on the 12th day of the experiment. It was observed that alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), creatinine kinase-MB (CK-MB), ischemia modified albumin (IMA) and Troponin I values, which indicate oxidative stress, increased in the CPx-administered group, and this level approached that of the control in the CPx + kefir groups. Likewise, as a result of the kefir, the rats' CPx-induced histopathological symptoms were reduced, and their heart and liver tissue were significantly improved. In conclusion, it was observed that kefir had a cytoprotective effect against CPx-induced oxidative stress, hepatotoxicity and cardiotoxicity, bringing their biochemical parameters closer to those of the control by suppressing oxidative stress and reducing tissue damage.

Investigation into the protective effects of Hypericum Triquetrifolium Turra seed against cyclophosphamide-induced testicular injury in Sprague Dawley rats.

For centuries, Turkey has been a significant location here around 80 species of Hypericum with differing names widely occur, which is also known as Turkish folk medicine in treating some bacterial diseases as well as stomach and intestine inflammation. Recent studies have reported this herb family to contain numbers of bioactive compound contents. The study aims to investigate the protective effects of Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra (HT) upon oxidative stress and apoptosis in a rat model in which testes injury was induced by CP. The testicular injury was caused using CP (150 mg/kg). The rats were treated with a single dose (100 mg/kg) of methanol extract of HT to investigate various biochemical markers in the serum and plasma of blood samples apart from assessing the prognosis of CP-induced testicular damage. Added to that, histological analyses were performed to identify possible structural changes and apoptotic indicators, like Bax, Caspase-3, and Bcl-2. In CP Group, there was a rise in the levels of total oxidant status (TOS), malondialdehyde (MDA), oxidative stress index (OSI), Caspase-3, and Bax while superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), Bcl-2, and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) all decreased. Also, our histological analysis showed damaged testes. On the other hand, neither biochemical nor histological analysis showed testicular damage in HT Alone Group. In CP + HT Group, a significant number of the negatives changes due to CP were observed to have improved remarkably following an HT treatment. This study results suggest that HT could help improve CP-induced testicular injury thanks to its anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic properties.

Presence of biofilm and adhesin genes in Staphylococcus aureus strains taken from chronic wound infections and their genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial sensitivity patterns.

The purpose of this research was to examine biofilm (icaA, icaD and bap) and adhesin (clfA, fnbA, cna) genes, and also assess the genotypic and phenotypic antimicrobial resistance patterns of Staphylococcus aureus strains taken from wound specimens in Mardin, Turkey. A total of 220 wound specimens were investigated. The biofilm forming ability and resistance pattern for eleven antimicrobial agents were investigated by conventional and multiplex PCR methods. S. aureus were taken from 112 (50.9%) of 220 wound specimens. Moreover, biofilm production was found in 79 (70.5%) of the 112 S. aureus isolates. 97 (86.6%) strains of all isolates were positive for icaA and icaD, and 15 (13.4%) for bap. The adhesin genes, cna, fnbA and clfA were detected in 98 (87.5%), 87 (77.7%), and 75 (66.9%) strains, respectively. The numbers of MSSA and MRSA bearing antimicrobial resistance genes were 19 (16.96%) and 32 (28.57%) for blaZ, 9 (8.04%) and 17 (15.18%) for tetK, 6 (5.36%) and 14 (12.5%) for ermC, 2 (1.79%) and 7 (6.25%) for tetM, 0 (0%) and 5 (4.46%) for mecA, 2 (1.79%) and 4 (3.57%) for ermA, 1 (0.89%) and 2 (1.79%) for both tetK and tetM, respectively. Our findings indicate that multiplex PCR is a suitable way for identifying biofilm and adhesin producing S. aureus. Our data also provided a country-wide oversight of the S. aureus antimicrobial resistance gene profiles for the properly therapy of patients and to control the spreading of the resistance genes.

Protective properties of kefir on burn wounds of mice that were infected with S. aureus, P. auroginasa and E. coli.

Burns and burn wounds are very sensitive to infections and cause a large amount of death worldwide. Although burn wound is sterile at the beginning, because of the risk factors such as prolonged hospital stay, immune suppression and burn affecting large surface area, colonisation with Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli occur. For the burn therapy, one of the most important ways is to control bacterial infections. A probiotic fermented milk product kefir has antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiinflammatory, anticancer and various health promoting features. This study aims to examine possible protective properties of kefir which was used on the burn wounds that were infected with S. aureus, P. auroginasa and E. coli.  Swiss albino / Balb-c mice were seperated into four groups: (1) used as control group, (2) second-degree burn model+ burn wounds were infected with P.aeruginosa + S.aureus + E.coli, (3) second-burn wounds were treated with sterile pads dressed with kefir and (4) second-degree burn+burn wounds were infected with P. aeruginosa + S.aureus +E.coli before being treated with sterile pads dressed with kefir. The serum biochemical results verified the histopathological results and our findings showed that kefir is an effective product with cell-protecting properties.

Hepato-preventive and anti-apoptotic role of boric acid against liver injury induced by cyclophosphamide.

This study aims to examine cyclophosphamide (CP) exsposure associated toxicity on rat livers and the likely defensive effects of boric acid (BA). The rats used in this study were divided into four groups: control group, CP group, BA group, and BA + CP group. The present study was carried out using routine histological H&E stain, immunohistochemical stain caspase-3 as apoptotic marker, serum biochemical analysis for liver function markers (alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and alkalen phosphatase (ALP)), oxidative stress markers (total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) and total antioxidant capacity marker (TAC)). In the CP group, the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TOS, OSI and caspase-3 increased whereas TAC levels decreased compared with the control group. In the BA + CP group, the levels of ALT, AST, ALP, TOS, OSI and caspase-3 decreased whereas TAC levels increased compared with the CP group. The histopathological evaluation of light microscope images and immunohistochemical caspase-3 activity in the BA + CP group were found to be decrease compared with those in the CP group. In conclusion, BA was successful in defending the liver against apoptosis and histopathological changes that are attributable to CP.