Effects of fullerenol nanoparticles on kidney tissue in sevoflurane­treated rats.

AIM: The aim of this study is to demonstrate whether fullerenol C60 protects renal injury in sevoflurane­administered rats. METHOD: Rats (n: 24) were randomly divided into four groups: Control (Group C), Fullerenol C60 (Group F), Sevoflurane (Group S), Fullerenol C60-Sevoflurane (Group FS). Thirty minutes before the procedure, Fullerenol C60, 100 mg/kg, was administered intraperitoneally. Sevoflurane (2.3 %) was applied for 3 hours to rats in S and FS groups. Biochemical and histopathological parameters were analyzed in renal tissue samples. Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests were used in statistical analyzes. RESULTS: Malondialdehyde (MDA) level and catalase (CAT) enzyme activity in Group S were significantly higher than that in all other groups. Paraoxanase (PON) enzyme activity in Group S was significantly lower than in Groups C and FS. The histopathological examination showed that vascular vacuolization and hypertrophy (VVH) and lymphocyte infiltration (LI) were significantly higher in the Group S compared to the Group C. CONCLUSION: Renal histopathology revealed that the administration of Fullerenol C60 prior to sevoflurane inhalation reduced oxidative stress and partially corrected the damage caused by anesthesia. We concluded that Fullerenol C60 has a renal protective effect in rats when administered before sevoflurane anesthesia (Tab. 2, Fig. 4, Ref. 40).

Vitamin C ameliorates high dose Dexmedetomidine induced liver injury.

BACKGROUND: We investigated whether vitamin C has protective effects on rat liver tissue treated with different dexmedetomidine doses. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Thirty five wistar albino rats were randomly divided into 5 groups (Control (0.9% NaCl intraperitoneally (i.p.), Dexmedetomidine 5 µg.kg(-1) (i.p.), Dexmedetomidine 5 µg.kg(-1) i.p. plus Vitamin C (100 mg.kg(-1)), Dexmedetomidine 10 µg.kg(-1) i.p. and Dexmedetomidine 10 µg.kg(-1) i.p. plus Vitamin C (100 mg.kg(-1)). Histopathological liver injury, superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and tissue Malondialdehyde levels were investigated. RESULTS: Hepatocyte degeneration was significantly higher in D10 group than those in other study groups (p < 0.0001, p = 0.002, p < 0.0001, p = 0.005, respectively). Similarly, liver tissue sinusoidal dilatation and hepatocyte necrosis were significantly higher in D10 group than those in other groups (p < 0.0001, p < 0.0001, p = 0.002, p < 0.0001 and p < 0.0001, p = 0.046, p < 0.0001 and p = 0.002, respectively). Tissue MDA levels in D10 group were significantly higher than those in control, D5+Vit C and D10+Vit C groups (p = 0.028, p = 0.004, p = 0.031, respectively). SOD enzyme activity in D10 group was significantly lower than in control, D5+Vit C and D10+Vit C groups (p < 0.0001, p = 0.023 and p = 0.031, respectively). CONCLUSION: High dose dexmedetomidine can induce hepatic injury and oxidative stress in rats while pre-treatment with vitamin C may be effective in protecting liver tissue against this newly recognized undesirable dexmedetomidine effect (Tab. 2, Fig. 5, Ref. 30).

The mast cells in semen: their effects on sperm motility.

This study was conducted to evaluate any possible association between mast cells and sperm concentration, morphology, and motility. The study comprised 400 patients who had applied for semen analysis. To evaluate mast cells, 6 smear slides were prepared for each subject and stained with 1% toluidin blue-pyronine (pH 4). The slides revealing any mast cells were labeled as mast+. Concentration and motility was evaluated through a Makler chamber. Kruger's strict criteria were used in morphometric analysis. The mean age of 86 mast+ cases (21% of total patients) was 31+/-6.7; progressive sperm motility rate was 33+/-21.2. The mean concentration was 32+/-30.2 x 10(6)/mL, and normal sperm percentage was 11.8+/-6.5. Progressive sperm motility rate in the mast- cases were 53+/-25. The mean age of mast cell+ patients was higher than that of mast cell- patients (t=3.57, p<.001), while they had lower sperm concentration (p>.05) and lower normal morphologic sperm rate (t=2.26, p<.024), compared to mast cell- patients. The relation between mast cell+ and mast cell- cases and sperm progressive motility was statistically significant (t=6.44, p<.001). It was concluded that sperm parameters were negatively affected by mast cells.

Oocyte membrane maturation and oocyte-sperm relationship: transmission electron microscopy study.

The success of in vitro maturation (IVM) depends greatly on the acquisition of immature oocytes. Immature oocytes in prophase I (PI) and metaphase I (MI), aspirated after controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, were incapable of fertilization, leading to a lower fertilization rate. Therefore, they must be evaluated on a fine structure level for their in vitro maturation (IVM) processes and their relationship with sperm. Oocyte membrane maturation and oocyte-sperm relationship were studied using transmission electron microscopy. A total of 55 human oocytes obtained from 20 patients at various times and 83 oocytes obtained from the dissected ovarians of female Wistar rats were used for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) evaluation. Despite being in either prophase I and metaphase I or in metaphase II, the oocytes were not fertilized after 48 h of incubation. At the various stages of maturation between PI and MII, the number and the size of microvilluses on the oocyte membrane increased as MII approached and decreased after full maturation. Oocyte activation was related to oocyte membrane maturation and has an effect on the oocyte sperm penetration.