Effect of cord clamping time on neonatal vitamin B12, folate and urinary iodine concentration.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this randomised study was to investigate whether early or late clamping of the cord influences the status of micro-elements and thyroid hormone levels in newborns. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study participants were randomised into two groups: Group 1, in which cord clamping was performed within 10 s (n = 32) and Group 2, in which clamping was performed at the 60th second (n = 28). Sociodemographic parameters were recorded; maternal and neonatal levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid stimulant hormone (TSH), urinary iodine concentration levels (UIC) folate and vitamin B12 were measured. RESULTS: Of the maternal and neonatal thyroid hormone values examined, a significant difference was determined between the groups only in respect of the FT4 and FT3 values of the newborns in the first 24 hours (p = 0.037, p = 0.009, respectively). The FT4 values in the first 24 hours were determined to be lower than normal in 15.6% (n: 5) of the newborns in Group 1 and in 0% of Group 2. The FT3 values in the first 24 hours were determined to be lower than normal in 62.5% (n: 20) of the newborns in Group 1 and in 28.5% of Group 2. Vitamin B12 values below the normal limit were determined at a significantly higher rate in Group 1 (p = 0.009). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between the maternal and neonatal vitamin B12 levels (r: 0.334, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Late clamping of the umbilical cord may contribute to erythrocyte synthesis by allowing passage of vitamins such as B12 and folic acid to the newborn.

Therapeutic Treatment with Abdominal Adipose Mesenchymal Cells Does Not Prevent Elastase-Induced Emphysema in Rats.

OBJECTIVES: Emphysema and chronic bronchitis have different pathophysiologies but both are significant components of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). The levels of Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 in the bronchoalveloar lavage fluid (BALF) and in serum indicate the presence of emphysema. Intratracheal administration of elastase has been used to create a rat model of emphysema. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) have been postulated to prevent or reverse emphysema, however, this has not been examined in the rat model of elastase-induced emphysema. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 31 Wistar albino rats aged 6-8 weeks and weighing 250-300 g were assessed. On day 1, the animals were treated intratracheally with 0.5 mL saline (control group, n=10), i.e., 0.5 mL saline solution containing 0.1 IU porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) (Elastase group, n=12) or PPE plus MSC (Elastase-MSC group, n=9) was adminstered per animal. MSCs suspended in serum were injected via the caudal vein on day 21. At least 106 cells were injected. All animals were sacrificed on day 42 and the emphysema index (EI) was calculated, along with measuring the BALF and serum MMP-9 concentrations. RESULTS: Porcine pancreatic elastase induced a significant degree of emphysema in the PPE groups as compared to the control group, which was determined by the EI index (p=0.008). This was not reversed by MSC treatment. The EI remained significantly low in comprison with the controls (p=0.001) and measured no different from the Elastase-treated animals. There was no statistically significant difference between the BALF and serum MMP-9 levels between the control and treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that therapeutic treatment with adipose tissue-derived MSC in rats has no effect on emphysema or on MMP9 expression, which is a known marker of emphysema.

A multilateral investigation of the effects of zinc level on pregnancy.

BACKROUND: The relationship between maternal zinc level and birth weight, birth week, delivery type, garvida, maternal age, etc., contribute to diagnosis and clinical follow-up. METHOD: Multivariate investigated for data of 275 patients were obtained during their pregnancy periods until birth. 3 cc blood samples were centrifuged for 15 minutes at 2500 g within a period of 30 minutes and were stored at -80°C until the time of analysis. The zinc levels of the patients were found to be within the range of 49-129 µg/dL. Patients were divided into 8 groups according to their zinc levels (49-59, 60-69, …, 120-129) and the relationships of zinc level with the parameters related to the mode of delivery, week of delivery, birth weight, age, early membrane rupture, live-stillbirth, and gravid were statistically analyzed to determine differences between the groups. RESULTS: There was a significant difference between the live births and stillbirths with a 95% confidence level regarding the zinc level. The zinc level affected the live-stillbirth status; patients with a zinc level of 49-59 µg/dL had stillbirths, the live birth rate for 59-69 µg/dL was approximately 50%, whereas it was approximately 88% for in the patients with a zinc level of 109-119 µg/dL. All patients with a zinc level of 119 µg/dL and above had live births. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that zinc supplementation may be an appropriate treatment for the pregnant women with low zinc levels to provide the realization of live births.

Is the Level of Nitric Oxide in the Dental Follicular Tissues of Impacted Third Molars With a History of Recurrent Pericoronitis a True Marker of Oxidative Stress?

PURPOSE: Nitric oxide (NO) is an indicator of oxidative stress in several tissues. Its role in dental follicular (DF) tissues of impacted third molars with a history of recurrent pericoronitis is not well elucidated. The present study compared NO levels between inflamed and noninflamed DF tissues of impacted third molars with a history of recurrent pericoronitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was designed. The study sample included inflamed DF tissues (test group) with certain local inflammatory symptoms, such as pain, tenderness, swelling, and erythema and noninflamed DF tissues (control group) without local inflammatory symptoms of impacted mandibular third molars. Each patient contributed only 1 specimen to the samples. All tissues samples were biochemically investigated for NO levels as an indicator of oxidative stress. The primary predictor variable was inflammatory status; secondary predictor variables were age and gender. The primary outcome variable was NO level. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The test group consisted of 57 patients (28 men, 29 women; mean age, 23.28 ± 5.16 yr) and the control group consisted of 57 patients (30 men, 27 women; mean age, 23.02 ± 5.42 yr). No relevant intergroup differences were noted for demographic findings such as age and gender. NO levels were significantly higher in inflamed DF tissues of impacted third molars than in noninflamed DF tissues (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Results of this study showed that NO might be used as an indicator of oxidative stress and the necessity to remove impacted mandibular third molars with a history of recurrent pericoronitis.

Increased serum G72 protein levels in patients with schizophrenia: a potential candidate biomarker.

OBJECTIVE: The product of the G72 gene is an activator of d-amino acid oxidase and has been suggested to play a role in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia. Increased G72 protein levels may be associated with disturbed glutamatergic transmission and increased reactive oxygen species. Only one pilot study by Lin et al. has investigated the potential role of serum G72 protein levels as a biomarker for schizophrenia. In this study, we aimed to compare serum G72 protein levels between patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, and to retest the results of the previous pilot study. Materials and methods In total, 107 patients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria and 60 age-sex-matched healthy controls were included in the study. The groups were compared regarding serum G72 protein levels. RESULTS: The mean serum G72 protein values were 495.90±152.03 pg/ml in the schizophrenia group and 346.10±102.08 pg/ml in the healthy control group. The mean serum G72 protein level was significantly increased in the schizophrenia group compared with the healthy control group (t=-3.89, p<0.001). A receiver operating characteristics analysis was performed to compare the schizophrenia and healthy control groups. It was determined that the cut-off value was 141.51 pg/ml with a sensitivity of 0.991 and a specificity of 0.821. CONCLUSION: We suggest that serum G72 protein levels may represent a candidate biomarker for schizophrenia and have confirmed the results of the previous preliminary study. Additional studies with larger sample sizes and the inclusion of first episode schizophrenia patients are required to clarify the reliability and validity of serum G72 protein levels as a biomarker for schizophrenia.

Aged Garlic Extract Attenuates Neuronal Injury in a Rat Model of Spinal Cord Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury.

Garlic has been used as a food as well as a component of traditional medicine. Aged garlic extract (AGE) is claimed to promote human health through antioxidant/anti-inflammatory activities with neuroprotective effects. We evaluated the possible beneficial effect of AGE neurologically, pathologically, ultrastructurally, and biochemically in a spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) model of rats. Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: sham (no I/R), I/R, and AGE (I/R+AGE); each group consisted of eight animals. Animals were evaluated neurologically with the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) scoring system. The spinal cord tissue samples were harvested for pathological and ultrastructural examinations. Oxidative products (Malondialdehyde, nitric oxide), antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase), inflammatory cytokines (tissue tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-1), and caspase-3 activity were analyzed. The AGE group had significantly higher BBB scores than the I/R group. Pathologically, AGE group revealed reduced degree of ischemia and spinal cord edema. Ultrastructural results also showed preservation of tissue structure in the AGE group. Oxidative product levels of the I/R group were significantly higher than both the other groups, and antioxidant enzyme levels of AGE group were significantly higher than the I/R group. There was also significant difference between the sham and AGE groups in terms of total antioxidant enzyme levels. Furthermore, AGE treatment significantly reduced the inflammatory cytokines and caspase-3 activity than the I/R group. This study demonstrates the considerable neuroprotective effect of AGE on the neurological, pathological, ultrastructural, and biochemical status of rats with I/R-induced spinal cord injury.

Curcumin Attenuates Inflammation, Oxidative Stress, and Ultrastructural Damage Induced by Spinal Cord Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in Rats.

OBJECTIVES: Curcumin is a molecule found in turmeric root that possesses anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties and has been widely used to treat neurodegenerative diseases. We investigated whether curcumin stimulates the neurorepair process and improves locomotor function in a rat model of spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury. METHODS: Thirty-two Wistar albino rats (190-220 g) were randomly allocated into 4 groups of 8 rats each: 1 sham-operated group and 3 ischemia-reperfusion injury groups that received intraperitoneal injections of saline vehicle, methylprednisolone (MP, 30 mg/kg following induction of ischemia-reperfusion [IR] injury), or curcumin (200 mg/kg for 7 days before induction of IR injury). Spinal cord IR injury was induced by occlusion of the abdominal aorta for 30 minutes. After 24 hours of reperfusion, locomotor function was assessed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale. All animals were sacrificed. Spinal cord tissues were harvested to evaluate histopathological and ultrastructural alterations and to analyze levels of malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-1 beta, nitric oxide, and caspase-3, as well as enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. RESULTS: Intraperitoneal administration of curcumin significantly reduced inflammatory cytokine expression, attenuated oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation, prevented apoptosis, and increased antioxidant defense mechanism activity in comparison to treatment with MP or saline. Histopathological and ultrastructural abnormalities were significantly reduced in curcumin-treated rats compared to the MP- and saline-treated groups. Furthermore, curcumin significantly improved locomotor function. CONCLUSIONS: Curcumin treatment preserves neuronal viability against inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis associated with ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Neuroprotective effects of thymoquinone against spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury by attenuation of inflammation, oxidative stress, and apoptosis.

OBJECTIVE Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury of the spinal cord following thoracoabdominal aortic surgery remains the most devastating complication, with a life-changing impact on the patient. Thymoquinone (TQ), the main constituent of the volatile oil from Nigella sativa seeds, is reported to possess strong antioxidant, antiinflammatory, and antiapoptotic properties. This study investigated the effects of TQ administration following I/R injury to the spinal cord. METHODS Thirty-two rats were randomly allocated into 4 groups. Group 1 underwent only laparotomy. For Group 2, aortic clip occlusion was introduced to produce I/R injury. Group 3 was given 30 mg/kg of methylprednisolone intraperitoneally immediately after the I/R injury. Group 4 was given 10 mg/kg of TQ intraperitoneally for 7 days before induction of spinal cord I/R injury, and administration was continued until the animal was euthanized. Locomotor function (Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan scale and inclined plane test) was assessed at 24 hours postischemia. Spinal cord tissue samples were harvested to analyze tissue concentrations of malondialdehyde, nitric oxide, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1, superoxide dismutase, glutathione-peroxidase, catalase, and caspase-3. In addition, histological and ultrastructural evaluations were performed. RESULTS Thymoquinone treatment improved neurological outcome, which was supported by decreased levels of oxidative products (malondialdehyde and nitric oxide) and proinflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1), increased activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase, glutathione-peroxidase, and catalase), as well as reduction of motor neuron apoptosis. Light microscopy and electron microscopy results also showed preservation of tissue structure in the treatment group. CONCLUSIONS As shown by functional, biochemical, histological, and ultrastructural analysis, TQ exhibits an important protective effect against I/R injury of the spinal cord.

Neuroprotective effects of Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides against traumatic spinal cord injury in rats.

INTRODUCTION: Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) is a mushroom belonging to the polyporaceae family of Basidiomycota and has widely been used as a traditional medicine for thousands of years. G. lucidum has never been studied in traumatic spinal cord injury. The aim of this study is to investigate whether G. lucidum polysaccharides (GLPS) can protect the spinal cord after experimental spinal cord injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were randomized into five groups of eight animals each: control, sham, trauma, GLPS, and methylprednisolone. In the control group, no surgical intervention was performed. In the sham group, only a laminectomy was performed. In all the other groups, the spinal cord trauma model was created by the occlusion of the spinal cord with an aneurysm clip. In the spinal cord tissue, caspase-3 activity, tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels, nitric oxide levels, and superoxide dismutase levels were analysed. Histopathological and ultrastructural evaluations were also performed. Neurological evaluation was performed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor scale and the inclined-plane test. RESULTS: After traumatic spinal cord injury, increases in caspase-3 activity, tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels, and nitric oxide levels were detected. After the administration of GLPS, decreases were observed in tissue caspase-3 activity, tumour necrosis factor-alpha levels, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels, and nitric oxide levels. Furthermore, GLPS treatment showed improved results in histopathological scores, ultrastructural scores, and functional tests. CONCLUSIONS: Biochemical, histopathological, and ultrastructural analyses and functional tests reveal that GLPS exhibits meaningful neuroprotective effects against spinal cord injury.

Decreased serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in schizophrenic patients with deficit syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is a well-established neurotrophin that plays a role in the pathophysiology of numerous psychiatric disorders. Many studies have investigated the serum BDNF levels in patients with schizophrenia. However, there are restricted data in the literature that compare the serum BDNF levels in patients with deficit and nondeficit syndromes. In this study, we aimed to compare the serum BDNF levels between schizophrenic patients with deficit or nondeficit syndrome and healthy controls. METHODS: After fulfilling the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 58 patients with schizophrenia and 36 healthy controls were included in the study. The patients were grouped as deficit syndrome (N=23) and nondeficit syndrome (N=35) according to the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome. Three groups were compared in terms of the sociodemographic and clinical variants and serum BDNF levels. RESULTS: The groups were similar in terms of age, sex, body mass index, and smoking status. The serum BDNF levels in patients with deficit syndrome were significantly lower than those in healthy controls. In contrast, the serum BDNF levels in patients with nondeficit syndrome were similar to those in healthy controls. CONCLUSION: This study suggests that decreased BDNF levels may play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenic patients with deficit syndrome. Nonetheless, additional studies using a larger patient sample size are needed to investigate the serum BDNF levels in schizophrenic patients with deficit syndrome.

Neuroprotective effects of rosuvastatin against traumatic spinal cord injury in rats.

Rosuvastatin, which is a potent statin, has never been studied in traumatic spinal cord injury. The aim of this study was to investigate whether rosuvastatin treatment could protect the spinal cord after experimental spinal cord injury. Rats were randomized into the following five groups of eight animals each: control, sham, trauma, rosuvastatin, and methylprednisolone. In the control group, no surgical intervention was performed. In the sham group, only laminectomy was performed. In all the other groups, the spinal cord trauma model was created by the occlusion of the spinal cord with an aneurysm clip. In the spinal cord tissue, caspase-3 activity, tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels, nitric oxide levels, and superoxide dismutase levels were analyzed. Histopathological and ultrastructural evaluations were also performed. Neurological evaluation was performed using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan locomotor scale and the inclined-plane test.After traumatic spinal cord injury, increases in caspase-3 activity, tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels, and nitric oxide levels were detected. In contrast, the superoxide dismutase levels were decreased. After the administration of rosuvastatin, decreases were observed in the tissue caspase-3 activity, tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels, myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels, and nitric oxide levels. In contrast, tissue superoxide dismutase levels were increased. Furthermore, rosuvastatin treatment showed improved results concerning the histopathological scores, the ultrastructural score and the functional tests. Biochemical, histopathological, ultrastructural analysis and functional tests revealed that rosuvastatin exhibits meaningful neuroprotective effects against spinal cord injury.

The comparison of pandemic HIN1 IgG levels between HIN1 influenza-vaccinated healthcare workers and unvaccinated healthcare workers.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To compare pandemic H1N1 (pH1N1) IgG antibody levels between healthcare workers who were vaccinated with the pH1N1 influenza vaccine and the unvaccinated healthcare workers who were selected as the control group. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 68 healthcare workers were included in this study. Of those, 53 were adults vaccinated with the H1N1 influenza vaccine and 15 were unvaccinated. Serum samples were parsed and stored at -40 °C until they were examined. RESULTS: Of the total 53 vaccinated healthcare workers, 16 (30.1%) were positive for IgG antibodies (titer > 11), 17 (32.0%) were negative for IgG antibodies (titer < 9), and 20 (37.7%) were borderline (titer: 9-11). Of the 15 unvaccinated healthcare workers, 1 (6.6%) was positive for IgG antibodies, 11 (73.3%) were negative for IgG antibodies, and the remaining 3 (20.0%) had borderline values (P = 0.014, P < 0.05). In both groups, there was no statistically significant difference between IgG-negative, IgG-positive, and borderline subjects in terms of age or sex. CONCLUSION: The IgG antibody level was higher in the vaccinated healthcare workers than among the unvaccinated healthcare workers.

Protective effect of intraperitoneal ozone application in experimental ovarian ischemia/reperfusion injury.

AIM: The current accepted management of ovarian torsion is ovary-sparing surgery. Ozone therapy is used to reduce ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in several situations. An experimental study was designed to evaluate effect of ozone application in ovarian I/R injury. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three groups (n = 6) and 18 rats were included in the study. After anesthesia, right ovaries were fixed and removed at the end of 2 hours in sham group (SG). In torsion group (TG), right ovaries underwent 720° torsion in a counterclockwise direction. Ovaries were removed after 2 hours torsion and 2 hours reperfusion. In ozone group (OG), torsion was created by the same technique, and 95% oxygen plus 5% ozone gas mixture was given intraperitoneally (25 µg/mL, 0.5 mg/kg) 10 minutes before reperfusion. After 2 hours reperfusion, ovaries were removed. Histopathologic examination of ovarian and periovarian sections was performed for the presence of congestion (C), hemorrhage, interstitial edema (IE), and polymorphonuclear neutrophilic infiltrations. Tissue samples were analyzed for malondialdehyde, nitric oxide (NO), and total sulphidryl (t-SH) values. Results were compared between 3 groups. RESULTS: At histopathologic examination, the TG have elevation in terms of ovarian C, polymorphonuclear neutrophilic infiltration, and periovarian IE when compared with SG (P < ,05). In OG, ovarian C and periovarian IE were reduced according to TG, whereas the increase was observed only in ovarian C compared with SG (P < .05). At biochemical evaluation of oxidative stress markers in SG and TG, there was no difference between them (P < .05). Malondialdehyde levels were significantly lower in OG than TG, whereas NO and t-SH values were higher (P < .05). Malondialdehyde levels were decreased in OG compared with SG (P < .05). However, no difference was observed in NO and t-SH levels (P > .05). CONCLUSION: Intraperitoneal application of ozone creates a positive impact on histologic and biochemical markers on I/R injury owing to ovarian torsion. The ozone application can be developed to support efforts to protect ovary in ovarian torsion.