Comparison of oxidative stress markers in the saliva, gingival crevicular fluid, and serum samples of pregnant women with gestational diabetes and healthy pregnant women.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To compare oxidative stress (OS) markers in the saliva, gingival crevicular fluid (GCF), and serum samples of pregnant women with gestational diabetes (GDM) and healthy pregnant women and to investigate the association between periodontal health/diseases and OS and GDM. METHOD: Eighty women with GDM and 80 healthy pregnant women were included in the study. Medical and clinical anamnesis was obtained from all the pregnant women included in the study, and their plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), bleeding on probing (BoP), probing pocket depth (PPD), and clinical attachment level (CAL) measurements were performed. GCF, saliva, and serum samples were collected for the measurements of the local and systemic total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS). RESULTS: Clinical periodontal parameters were found to be significantly higher in the GDM group compared to the control group. The serum and saliva TAS, TOS, and TAS/TOS values were significantly lower in the GDM group than in the control group. In the analysis of the GCF samples, the mean TAS and TAS/TOS values were significantly lower and the TOS value was significantly higher in the GDM group than in the control group. The multivariate reduced model indicated that gravidity, salivary TAS/TOS, and GCF TAS were significant independent variables in the development of GDM (p < .05). CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the OS of serum, saliva, and GCF samples increased in patients with GDM compared to healthy pregnant women. The role of local OS parameters in GDM may be associated with elevated clinical periodontal parameters.

Iodine status of Turkish pregnant women and their offspring: A national cross-sectional survey.

BACKGROUND: This national cross-sectional survey aimed to assess the iodine status in pregnant women and their offspring, and also to demonstrate regional differences by measuring urinary iodine concentration (UIC). For each woman and her newborn a questionnaire was prepared with basic facts as age, parity number or birth weight and additional information regarding thyroid diseases, use of iodized salt in the household, extra iodine supplementation during pregnancy, education level and wage income. METHODS: The target population represented 1444 pregnant women who gave birth between January 1 st, 2018 and 2019, and their offspring. Iodine deficiency for pregnant women and their offspring were defined as urine iodine level <150 µg/L and <100 µg/L, respectively. Results are given as median (25th-75th percentile). RESULTS: The median UIC in the group of pregnant woman was 94 (52-153) µg/L. Within the sample of 1444 pregnant women, UIC indicative of mild iodine deficiency (100-149 µg/L) was present in 21 % (n = 306), moderate deficiency (50-99 µg/L) in 30 % (n = 430), and severe deficiency (<50 µg/L) in 23 % (n = 337). This study showed a prevalence of 74 % of iodine deficiency in Turkish pregnant woman. The median UIC in the group of offspring was 96 (41-191) µg/L. Within the new-borns, UIC indicative of mild iodine deficiency (50-99 µg/L) was present in 22 % (n = 323), moderate deficiency (20-49 µg/L) in 15 % (n = 222), and severe deficiency (<20 µg/L) in 13 % (n = 192). This survey showed a prevalence of 51 % of iodine deficiency in Turkish new-borns. Pregnant women with lower socioeconomic and education level, lower access to household iodized salt, lower rates of exposure to povidone-iodine containing skin disinfectant, higher parity and higher iodine deficiency had higher rates of iodine deficiency in their offspring. Regional differences were observed both in mothers and their offspring concerning their iodine status. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that iodine deficiency is still an important public health problem in Turkey. More drastic measures should be taken to decrease these important iodine deficiencies, both in pregnant women and in their offspring.

α-Lipoic Acid Ameliorates The Changes in Prooxidant-Antioxidant Balance in Liver and Brain Tissues of Propylthiouracil-Induced Hypothyroid Rats.

OBJECTIVE: There are controversial data about the prooxidant-antioxidant balance in hypothyroidism. We aimed to investigate the effect of α-lipoic acid (ALA) on oxidative stress parameters in the liver and brain of propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced hypothyroid rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this experimental study, PTU (500 mg/L) was given to rats in drinking water for 10 weeks. ALA (0.2% in diet) alone and together with thyroxine (T4, 20 µg/kg body weight, s.c) were given to hypothyroid rats in the last 5 weeks of the experimental period. The levels of reactive oxygen species, malondialdehyde, protein carbonyl, ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and glutathione (GSH) levels, superoxide dismutase, and GSH peroxidase activities were determined in the liver and brain of rats. Histopathological examinations were also performed. RESULTS: Prooxidant parameters were increased in the brain but not liver in hypothyroid rats. ALA treatment alone lowered enhanced brain oxidative stress in hypothyroid rats. Also, ALA was found to ameliorate the changes as a result of oxidative stress arising from T4 replacement therapy. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that ALA alone and together with T4 may be useful in reducing oxidative stress in thyroid dysfunctions.

The protective effects of sesamol in a neonatal rat model of necrotizing enterocolitis.

Background and aim: Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) is a severe gastrointestinal inflammatory disease associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Its pathophysiology includes hypoxic-ischemic injury that may be related to oxygen-derived free radical formation. Sesamol is considered to be an antioxidant and free radical scavenger with anti-inflammatory effects. The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of sesamol in a neonatal rat model of NEC.Materials and methods: The study included 1-day-old Wistar albino rat pups (n = 34) that were randomly divided into four groups: Group 1 (NEC), group 2 (NEC + intraperitoneal sesamol), group 3 (NEC + oral sesamol), and a control group. NEC was induced by exposure to hypoxia/reoxygenation, following cold stress and hyperosmolar enteral formula feeding. Sesamol 100 mg kg-1 dose-1 was administered intraperitoneally to group 2 and orally to group 3 for 3 days. On day 4 all rats were sacrificed. Histological injuries, the Bcl-2, caspase-3, malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione-peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities were measured in intestinal samples.Results: The grade of intestinal damage, and Bcl-2 and caspase-3 levels in group 1 were significantly higher than in groups 2 and 3 and the control group, and intestinal damage was significantly more severe in group 1 than in groups 2 and 3. The MDA activity was significantly lower in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1 (112, 89, and 144 nmol mL-1, respectively). Groups 2 and 3 had significantly higher SOD and GSH-Px activities than group 1 (SOD: 1.75, 1.74, and 0.89 U mg-1; GSH-Px: 114, 121, and 110 nmol of NADPH min-1 mg-1, respectively).Conclusions: The present findings highlight that sesamol has beneficial effects on intestinal injury in a rat model of NEC through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Carnosine decreased oxidation and glycation products in serum and liver of high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

High-fat diet (HFD) and low-dose streptozotocin (STZ)-treated rats provide useful animal model for type II diabetes mellitus. Oxidative stress and advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play a role in the development of diabetic complications. Carnosine (CAR) has anti-oxidant and anti-glycating properties. We investigated the effects of CAR on oxidation and glycation products in HFD+STZ rats. Rats were fed with HFD (60% of total calories from fat) for 4 weeks, and then a single dose of STZ (40 mg/kg; i.p.) was applied. Rats with blood glucose levels above 200 mg/dl were fed with HFD until the end of the 12th week. CAR (250 mg/kg body weight; i.p.; five times a week) was administered to the rats for the last four weeks. CAR significantly decreased serum triglyceride (TG) (57.7%), cholesterol (35.6%) levels and hepatic marker enzyme activities of HFD+STZ rats. It significantly reduced serum reactive oxygen species (ROS) (23.7%), AGEs (13.4%) and advanced oxidized protein products (AOPP) (35.9%) and hepatic TG (59%), ROS (26%), malondialdehyde (MDA) (11.5%), protein carbonyl (PC) (19.2%) and AGE (20.2%) levels. Liver steatosis and hepatocyte ballooning were also significantly reduced. However, CAR treatment did not alter serum glucose and blood glycated haemoglobin and hepatic anti-oxidant enzyme activities/mRNA expressions in HFD+STZ rats. Our results indicate that CAR decreased accumulation of oxidation and glycation products, such as MDA, AGE, AOPP and PC in the serum and liver and ameliorated hepatic dysfunction in HFD+STZ rats. This effect may be related to its anti-oxidative, anti-glycating, and anti-lipogenic potential.

Can Ultrasound Imaging Predict the Success of an Experimental Steatofibrosis Model?

Our goal was to evaluate the role of ultrasound (US) imaging in an experimental 2-hit steatofibrosis rat model. Nineteen female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 2 groups: control group (n = 6) and high-fat diet carbontetrachloride (HFD-CCl4) group (n = 13) that was fed with HFD for 14 weeks. Ultrasound was performed to evaluate liver steatosis. The HFD-CCl4 group rats were divided further into 2 subgroups: HFD rats with liver steatosis [US (+) group; n = 6] and without steatosis [US (-) group; n = 7]. All rats in the subgroups were administered with CCl4. In both US (+) and US (-) subgroups, steatosis score, fibrosis score, triglyceride, and hydroxyproline contents were markedly higher compared with the control group. When compared with the US (-) group, triglyceride and hydroxyproline contents were significantly higher in the US (+) group, whereas steatosis and fibrosis scores were not different. Ultrasound imaging may be useful to assess the success of a 2-hit experimental steatofibrosis model.