Sodium nitroprusside as a nitric oxide donor in a rat intestinal ischemia-reperfusion model.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of sodium nitroprusside in the reduction of the intestinal ischemia-reperfusion injury as a nitric oxide donor after intraperitoneal administration. METHODS: The histopathological examinations and tissue malonyldialdehyde levels of 35 Wistar albino rats that were subjected to ischemia-reperfusion, were performed in 5 groups. The groups include Control, Ischemia -reperfusion, Sodium nitroprusside, NG-Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) and Sodium nitroprusside+L-NAME. Each rat was subjected to ischemia for 40 minutes and reperfusion for 30 minutes, except the control group. The medications were done intraperitoneally as saline 4 ml/kg, Sodium nitroprusside 5 mg/kg, L-NAME 10 mg/kg just before reperfusions. RESULTS: Significant tissue injury in histological sections and an increase in tissue levels of Malonyldialdehyde was detected in the I/R group. The efficacy of intraperitoneal administration of Sodium nitroprusside in both Sodium nitroprusside alone and Sodium nitroprusside+L-NAME groups was found statistically significant for the reducing of injury scores (p<0.05). The difference between the Ischemia/reperfusion and Sodium nitroprusside groups was found statistically significant as in the Ischemia/reperfusion and Sodium nitroprusside+L-NAME groups due to the tissue Malonyldialdehyde levels (p<0.05). There was no statistical difference between Ischemia/reperfusion and L-NAME groups. CONCLUSION: Ischemia/reperfusion induced injury might be reduced by the intraperitoneal administration of Sodium nitroprusside, even in the presence of L-NAME, in the rat intestinal model.

WITHDRAWN: Significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-I levels and nitric oxide activity in breast cancer patients.

The publisher regrets that this is an accidental duplication of an article that has already been published in The Breast, 12 (2003) 1-9, doi:10.1016/S0960-9776(02)00214-X. The duplicate article has therefore been withdrawn.

Sodium nitroprusside as a nitric oxide donor in a rat intestinal ischemiareperfusion model

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of sodium nitroprusside in the reduction of the intestinal ischemiareperfusion injury as a nitric oxide donor after intraperitoneal administration. METHODS: The histopathological examinations and tissue malonyldialdehyde levels of 35 Wistar albino rats that were subjected to ischemia-reperfusion, were performed in 5 groups. The groups include Control, Ischemia -reperfusion, Sodium nitroprusside, NG-Nitro-L-Arginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) and Sodium nitroprusside+L-NAME. Each rat was subjected to ischemia for 40 minutes and reperfusion for 30 minutes, except the control group. The medications were done intraperitoneally as saline 4 ml/kg, Sodium nitroprusside 5 mg/kg, L-NAME 10 mg/kg just before reperfusions. RESULTS: Significant tissue injury in histological sections and an increase in tissue levels of Malonyldialdehyde was detected in the I/R group. The efficacy of intraperitoneal administration of Sodium nitroprusside in both Sodium nitroprusside alone and Sodium nitroprusside+L-NAME groups was found statistically significant for the reducing of injury scores (p<0.05). The difference between the Ischemia/reperfusion and Sodium nitroprusside groups was found statistically significant as in the Ischemia/reperfusion and Sodium nitroprusside+L-NAME groups due to the tissue Malonyldialdehyde levels (p<0.05). There was no statistical difference between Ischemia/reperfusion and L-NAME groups. CONCLUSION: Ischemia/reperfusion induced injury might be reduced by the intraperitoneal administration of Sodium nitroprusside, even in the presence of L-NAME, in the rat intestinal model.

Evaluation of hormone replacement therapy which may have an adrenomedullin-mediated protective effect on cardiovascular disorders.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: This study aimed to determine whether there is an adrenomedullin (AM)-mediated protective effect of postmenopausal estrogen/progestin therapy (HRT) against cardiovascular disorders. METHODS: A total of 22 post-menopausal women without hysterectomy undergoing postmenopausal symptoms (aged 43-52) were treated with conjugated equine estrogen (0.625 mg/die) plus medroxyprogesterone acetate (2.5 mg/die) for six months. The flow velocity of the right middle cerebral artery [measured as resistance index (RI) and pulsatility index (PI)], plasma levels of adrenomedullin and endothelin- 1 (ET-1), mean baseline ratio of AM to ET-1, and lipid profiles were assessed before and after HRT. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found for triglycerides, total cholesterol, AM/ET-1 ratio and right middle cerebral artery PI (p<0.05), without any significant differences in HDL, LDL, AM, ET-1, systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, a right middle cerebral artery RI (p>0.05) between pre- and post- HRT. CONCLUSIONS: Adrenomedullin may be added to other vasoactive peptides as a new potential candidate for HRT-mediated vascular protection. The ratio of AM/ET-1 vs AM or ET-1 alone may be a useful biological marker of this protection.

Examination of the rescue effects of folic acid on derangement of the tubo-ovarian ultrastructural architecture caused by methotrexate.

The purpose of this examination was to observe the effects of folic acid (FA) on methotrexate (MTX)-induced derangements in the fallopian tubes. Investigators in this study sought to explore whether MTX-induced dysfunction in the fallopian tubes would be lessened by the addition of FA to MTX treatment. For this study, 18 albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into 6 groups, each of which comprised 3 rats; 0.1 mg/kg FA, 1 mg/kg MTX + 0.1 mg/kg FA, 5 mg/kg MTX + 0.1 mg/kg FA, 1 mg/kg MTX, and 5 mg/kg MTX were given to groups 2, 3, 4, 5,and 6, respectively; group 1 was the control group. After MTX injection, fallop-ian tube samples from all groups were prepared for examination under electron microscopy. The findings observed in groups 1 and 2 were similar. The level of cellular destruction was greater with the higher doses of MTX without FA; in particular, loss of cilia in the epithelium was prominent in groups 5 and 6. However, there was less cellular destruction observed in groups 3 and 4 than in groups 5 and 6. As a result, the addition of FA should not be overlooked, even when a single-dose MTX regimen is chosen for the treatment of patients with unruptured ectopic pregnancy.

Microanatomy of milk ducts in the nipple.

The aim of this study was to determine number and diameter of milk ducts in the nipple and to investigate the possible influences of age, breast weight, and diameter of the nipple on the number of ducts. Two hundred and twenty-six carcinoma mastectomy specimens were weighed and the nipple diameters measured. The number of ducts was counted in histological cross sections. Mean diameter of the nipple and mean breast weight were 13.9 mm and 844.6 g, respectively. There was a small but statistically significant positive correlation between nipple diameter and number of milk ducts (rho = 0.158; p = 0.01), but no correlation with breast weight. The mean number of ducts in the nipple duct bundle was 17.5. This is significantly higher than the number of ducts reported to open on the nipple surface. This discrepancy could reflect duct branching within the nipple or the presence of some ducts which do not reach the nipple surface. Smaller breast ducts (diameter < 0.5 mm) represent nearly 50% of the nipple ducts and could be a challenge to the ductoscopy technology.

Expression of steroid receptors in intact rat uterus, mammary gland, and liver treated with selective estrogen receptor modulators and conjugated equine estrogens.

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of conjugated equine estrogens (CEE) and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERM) (tamoxifen [TAM] and raloxifene [RAL]) on the expression of steroid receptors-estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR)-in intact rat uterus, mammary gland, and liver. A total of 24 female rats weighing 250 to 300 g were randomized into 4 groups. Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4 were respectively given conjugated equine estrogen, tamoxifen, raloxifene, and vehicle for a 28-day period. ER and PR expression was detected in tissues of the uterus, mammary gland, and liver. Uterine wet weight and serum estradiol levels were established for all groups. No statistical difference was observed between groups in the ER expression of mammary gland and liver and in the PR expression of uterus, mammary gland, and liver, but differences were noted in serum estradiol levels and uterine ER expression. Serum estradiol levels were lower in the TAM-treated group; differences between the TAM-treated group and the other groups were statistically important (P<.05). Uterine ER expression was greater in the CEE-treated group; differences between the CEE-treated group and the TAM- and RAL-treated groups were statistically important (P<.05). CEE or SERM versus vehicle treatment in controls did not seem to result in statistically important differences in ER and PR expression in intact rat uterus, mammary gland, and liver. Only ER expression in the uterus was found to be greater in the CEE-treated group than in SERM-treated groups.

A research on the level of urine neopterin to see if it may provide a vital clue for a provisional diagnosis of breast cancer in menopausal women.

OBJECTIVES: To search the relation between the level of neopterin in urine and breast cancer developed in menopause. METHODS: In this study, urine samples were collected from randomly selected menopausal and post-menopausal women who attended hospital, and from a control group. The participants were classified into two representative sample groups and a control group; 1st group: 30 menopausal and post-menopausal women whose ages varied from 45 to 80 and who suffered from breast cancer but had no viral infections, chronic inflammatory diseases and smoking habit; 2nd group: 30 menopausal and post-menopausal women aged between 48 and 63 with no complaint of any type of tumors, viral infections or chronic inflammatory diseases and with no smoking habit; 3rd group: A control group with 20 women aged between 20 and 28, who did not take part in sexual activities yet, and had no complaint of any type of tumors, viral infections or chronic inflammatory diseases and had no smoking habit. Urinalysis was carried out for each sample in order to measure the level of neopterin. RESULTS: The mathematical results of neopterin levels for the groups showed that group I was significantly higher than group II and III (P = 0.0001 ); group II was significantly higher than group III (P = 0.003 ). CONCLUSIONS: If the results of this study were not confounded by another factor, then can we deduce that this relationship can be used as a risk factor that should warrent further investigation of breast cancer during the care and treatment of menopausal women.

Secondary intestinal obstruction due to low-grade mucinous cystadenocarcinoma of the appendix.

Appendiceal mucoceles are a group of lesions in which the appendiceal lumen becomes distended with mucus. They may be associated with an unusual form of gelatinous ascites termed pseudomyxoma peritonei. We report herein a 77-year-old male patient with appendiceal mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and pseudomyxoma peritonei, whose initial symptoms were abdominal pain and distension and intestinal obstruction. He had a history of explorative laparotomy for an abdominal mass and ascites 14 months ago at another center. He was suffering from abdominal pain and intestinal obstruction on admission to the emergency service. We performed right colectomy and total resection of the mass which originated from the appendix. Pathologic examination of the specimen showed low-grade mucinous cystadenocarcinoma and pseudomyxoma peritonei. The postoperative period was uneventful.

Significance of serum vascular endothelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-I levels and nitric oxide activity in breast cancer patients.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is used to evaluate the angiogenic activity in breast carcinoma. Nitric oxide (NO) and insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) are also implicated in breast tumorigenesis, including angiogenesis. We measured serum VEGF, IGF-I and nitrate+nitrite levels in 38 patients with metastatic and 23 with nonmetastatic breast cancer and in 16 controls. Serum VEGF and IGF-I levels were higher in patients with metastatic disease than in those with nonmetastatic disease or in controls (P<0.001). Serum nitrate+nitrite levels were higher in patients with metastatic and nonmetastatic disease than in controls (P<0.001). Patients with visceral metastasis and local metastasis had higher serum VEGF and nitrate+nitrite levels than patients with bone metastasis (P<0.05). In the metastatic disease group, there was a positive correlation between serum VEGF levels and nitrate+nitrite levels (r=0.436, P<0.05). Within the group with nonmetastatic disease, premenopausal patients had higher serum IGF-I levels than did postmenopausal patients (P<0.001). NO may involve an angiogenic process that is stimulated by VEGF in breast carcinoma. Larger studies are required to clarify these suggestions.

Prognostic value of serum IL-18 and nitric oxide activity in breast cancer patients at operable stage.

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a multifunctional cytokine that was previously termed interferon-gamma-inducing factor. It has been suggested that serum IL-18 level may be used as a prognostic factor in some cancer types. Nitric oxide is a potent biologic molecule involved in the pathogenesis of cancer. In this study, we measured serum IL-18 and nitrate + nitrite levels in 56 patients with nonmetastatic breast cancer and 14 control subjects. Serum IL-18* and nitrate + nitrite** levels were significantly higher in patients with breast cancer when compared to the control subjects (*p < 0.05, **p < 0.001). Serum IL-18 levels were significantly higher in patients whose tumor size was greater than or equal to 5 cm when compared to patients whose tumor size was less than or equal to 2 cm (p < 0.05). Patients who were axillary lymph node negative (ALN) had lower serum IL-18 levels when compared to patients with positive ALN (p < 0.001). Serum IL-18 levels were significantly higher in patients with stage IIB or IIIA when compared to patients with stage I or IIA (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in serum nitrate + nitrite levels in terms of age, tumor stage, estrogen receptor, and menopausal and ALN status (p > 0.05). In conclusion, serum IL-18 level may be a useful marker to predict prognosis of patients with breast cancer in complete remission after surgery. Long-term follow-up is required to clarify this hypothesis.