The effects on peripheral nerve damage of the application of local and systemic erythropoietin.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the histopathological and biochemical effects of topical and systemic administrations of erythropoietin (EPO) on crush and transection type peripheral nerve injuries in an experimental rat model. METHODS: 128 male Wistar-Albino rats were allocated to 8 groups according to the route of administration of EPO (local/systemic) and type of peripheral nerve injury (crush/transection). groups were compared with respect to histopathological examination and number of axons as well as levels of IL-1ß, IL-6, and IL-10. RESULTS: Groups receiving EPO either locally or intraperitoneally revealed less scar tissue formation index, lower number of inflammatory cells, reduced number of perineural fibroblasts and increased number of axons (p < 0.001 for all). Levels of IL-1ß and IL-6 were lower and IL-10 levels were higher in groups receiving EPO locally or intraperitoneally (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Iatrogenic nerve injury has remained an area with few therapeutic options. Our results indicated that local and systemic applications of EPO might have a promising potential therapeutic agent for crush or transection type of peripheral nerve injuries. Dose, route of administration and indications should be elucidated in further prospective, randomized, controlled trials (Tab. 3, Fig. 4, Ref. 32).

Effects of dietary oleuropein supplementation on growth performance, serum lipid concentrations and lipid oxidation of Japanese quails.

An in vivo experiment was conducted to compare the effects of dietary supplementation with oleuropein and/or α-tocopheryl acetate on growth performance, serum lipid concentrations and lipid oxidation of Japanese quail meat during refrigerated storage. Performance and slaughtering parameters were not affected by dietary treatments. The diets supplemented with oleuropein at the levels of 150 or 200 mg/kg were more effective in delaying lipid oxidation in breast and thigh meats compared with the control diet. The dietary inclusion of neither vitamin E nor oleuropein at different levels did not significantly affect the fatty acid compositions of the breast meat compared with the control diet. The diets supplemented with oleuropein at the levels of 150 or 200 mg/kg had significantly the highest polyunsaturated fatty acid and omega-3 fatty acid contents in thigh meat compared with the vitamin E diet. The ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 FAs in thigh meat of quails fed diet supplemented with vitamin E at the level of 200 mg/kg was equivalent to those of quails fed the diets supplemented with oleuropein at the levels of 100 and 150 mg/kg. The results showed that the dietary oleuropein supplementation at 150 mg/kg level may be used in quail diets enriched with the polyunsaturated fatty acids of vitamin E as a natural antioxidant.

Comparison of the use of conventional, hydrophilic and gel-lubricated catheters with regard to urethral micro trauma, urinary system infection, and patient satisfaction in patients with spinal cord injury: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Management of the lower urinary tract is crucially important in patients with spinal cord injuries in order to prevent damage to the upper urinary tract and to preserve renal function. AIM: This study was designed to compare the use of standard polyvinyl chloride (PVC), hydrophilic-coated, and gel-lubricated non-hydrophilic catheters with regard to urethral micro trauma, urinary system infection, and patient satisfaction in patients with spinal cord injuries. Study design. Randomized, controlled study. SETTING: University hospital, inpatient clinic. POPULATION: Twenty-five male patients with spinal cord injuries. METHODS: The patients were asked to use 3 different types of catheters. The selection of catheter order was determined randomly, and all 3 catheters were used for 6 weeks consecutively. All patients were assessed at the beginning of treatment and at weeks 6, 12, and 18, in terms of urethral cytology, urinalysis, urine culture, and patient satisfaction (Visual Analog Scale, VAS). RESULTS: Ten patients completed the study. Regarding the urethral trauma evaluation, urethral cell counts were reduced with gel-lubricated non-hydrophilic catheter use (P<0.05), increased with PVC catheter use (P<0.05), and showed no change with hydrophilic-coated catheter use (P>0.05). The number of leucocytes in the urine sediment was significantly reduced after gel-lubricated catheter use (P<0.05). There was significantly less microhematuria with hydrophilic-coated and gel-lubricated non-hydrophilic catheter use compared with PVC catheter use (P<0.05). There were no significant differences among catheters with respect to symptomatic urinary tract infection and microbiological analysis of urine culture (P>0.05). The mean VAS was better with the gel-lubricated non-hydrophilic catheter than with the other two catheter types (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: The hydrophilic-coated catheter and especially the gel-lubricated non-hydrophilic catheter reduce trauma to the urethral surfaces and enable easy and comfortable catheterization. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The hydrophilic and gel-lubricated catheters represent an attractive alternative to standard PVC catheters for urological rehabilitation in patients with spinal cord injuries.