Role of pentoxifylline and iloprost in the prevention of ischemia-reperfusion injury in an experimental model of intestine ischemia-reperfusion in rats.

BACKGROUND: Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury can lead to multiple organ failure and death. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of pentoxifylline and iloprost administered before reperfusion in intestinal ischemia. METHODS: In total, 25 male Wistar Albino rats weighing 250-300 g were divided into five groups each comprising five subjects: control group (n=5), sham group (n=5, no I/R), I/R group (n=5, 45 min ischemia, and 120 min reperfusion), I/R + pentoxifylline group (n=5, 45 min ischemia following intraperitoneal 50 mg/kg pentoxifylline and 120 min reperfusion), and I/R + iloprast group (n=5, 45 min ischemia followed by intraperitoneal 2 mcg /kg iloprost and 120 min reperfusion). At the end of the experiment, ileum specimens were stained using hematoxylin-eosin and histopathologically evaluated using the Chiu score. Isometric contraction-relaxation responses were recorded using organ baths for contraction-relaxation responses. RESULTS: Pentoxifylline provided a significant improvement in response to histopathological and contraction-relaxation responses. Although iloprost provided recovery in reperfusion injury, it was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Our findings demonstrate that pentoxifylline may be promising in preventing small bowel ischemia-reperfusion injury. We concluded that further clinical and experimental studies for iloprost are needed.

The effects of wireless electromagnetic fields on the activities of carbonic anhydrase and acetylcholinesterase enzymes in various tissues of rats.

The purpose of our study is to assist in understanding the effects of wireless electromagnetic waves on carbonic anhydrase (CA) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzymes activities in the different tissues of the rats. For this purpose, two different groups each of which contains eight rats (n = 8) were formed as being control group and wireless electromagnetic wave-administered group. The rats were necropsied after 60 min from the injection of chemicals into the rats intraperitoneally. The different tissues of the rats were extracted. CA and AChE enzymes activities were measured for each tissue. All the experimental results were provided in mean ± S.D. Statistical significance was identified to be P < 0.05. It was observed that there were significant changes of enzyme activities in wireless-administered group in salivary gland, stomach, colon, liver, and striated muscle tissues.

Effect of intraperitoneal cetuximab administration on colonic anastomosis and early postoperative adhesion formation in a rat model.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the effect of intraperitoneal cetuximab administration on the healing of anastomosis and development of early adhesion formation in a rat model. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four female rats were used. A colon segment was resected and end-to-end anastomosis was performed. The rats were randomized into three groups after the performance of colonic anastomosis and received 10 mL of intraperitoneal solution including study drugs after closure of abdominal cavity: normal saline was administered to the normal saline group (n=8), cetuximab (400 mg/m(2)) was administered to the postoperative 1 group (n=8) 1 day after surgery, and cetuximab (400 mg/m(2)) was administered to the peroperative group (n=8) during surgery. RESULTS: The mean adhesion grade was 2.63±0.92, and 0.50±0.76 and 0.63±0.74 for control and test groups, respectively. Cetuximab reduced adhesion formation in test groups (p<0.05). When all groups were compared, it was found that vascular endothelial growth factor levels decreased significantly only in the abdomen (p<0.05). Hydroxyproline levels and anastomosis bursting pressure were examined, and a statistical difference was found between groups (hydroxyproline p<0.05, bursting pressure p<0.05). However, when postoperative 1 day group was compared with the control group, it was found that there was no difference between groups according to these parameters (p>0.05), but when peroperative group was compared with the control group a significant decrease was observed in both parameters. Histopathological healing score was also evaluated. No statistical difference between groups was found. CONCLUSION: Twenty-four hours later from the operation, intraperitoneal cetuximab therapy may be a safe and feasible treatment for metastatic colorectal patients.

Well-differentiated abdominal liposarcoma: experience of a tertiary care center.

BACKGROUND: We presented abdominal liposarcoma cases diagnosed and managed in a tertiary care center and also conducted a literature review on main features of this tumor. METHODS: Chart reviews of eight cases were conducted, and clinical, surgical, histopathological, and follow-up data were recorded. RESULTS: Overall, complete surgical resection was performed with adjacent organ resection in 25% of cases, and radiotherapy was not administered. Recurrence was developed in only one case and died after 2 years and 3 months, and other cases are under follow-up without recurrence. Histopatological examinations revealed findings of well-differentiated liposarcoma. CONCLUSIONS: According to our surgical experience, the surgical margin positivity may not be a determining factor for the survival of patients with well-differentiated liposarcoma, and in the absence of macroscopic invasion, adjacent organ resection may not be required. Radiotherapy may not be preferred when complete resection of abdominal mass was achieved.

Chemopreventive effects of hydatid disease on experimental breast cancer.

Breast cancer is one of the most common and letal cancers in all over the world. Since there have been significant improvements in treatment of breast cancer, there is still a big need for alternative approaches. In this study, we aimed to investigate protective role of hydatid disease against breast cancer. Twenty Wistar rats were divided into two groups of 10 rats each Group I (control) and Group II. In Group II intraperitoneal hydatidosis was performed. Then DMBA was applied to mammary tissues of all rats. Immunohistochemistry studies for Ki-67 and S-100 in the tumoral tissue sections of DMBA induced mammary tumor in rats were performed. TUNEL Assay was used to detect apoptotic cells of tumoral tissue. In vivo anticancer activity testing was carried out by preventing the tumorigenesis by DMBA in mammary tissue of rats. The expressions of the Ki-67 and S-100 protein decreased in rats who had Hydatid Disease (HD) (Group II), compared with the control rats (Group I). TUNEL positive cells were higher in rats with HD (Group II), compared with the control rats (Group I). In vivo studies showed that HD prevented the tumorigenesis by DMBA in mammary tissue of rats with 50 percent.In the light of the evidence the present study showed that HD may have chemopreventive effects on DMBA induced breast cancer.

Effects of NO/L-arginine pathway on gallbladder contractility in bile duct ligated guinea pigs.

BACKGROUND: Common bile duct ligation (CBDL) produces gallbladder distension and acute inflammation similar to that seen in human acute acalculous cholecystitis. CBDL in the guinea pig affects smooth muscle contractility. The aim of this study was to determine whether the nitric oxide-L-arginine pathway plays a role in the inflammatory process and abnormal gallbladder contractility that occur after CBDL. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Contractility of gallbladder muscle from CBDL and sham-operated guinea pigs was studied in vitro. Animals were treated with saline, aminoguanidine (AG), or an aminoguanidine + L-arginine combination (AG + L-Arg) in vivo. Potassium chloride, carbachol, and electric field stimulation (EFS) were used for contracting the gallbladder muscle strips or activating intrinsic nerves. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained slides of muscle strips were scored for inflammation. RESULTS: Contraction responses to carbachol and EFS were decreased significantly in CBDL guinea pigs compared with those in the sham-operated group. AG partly reversed the smooth muscle contractile response to carbachol and EFS, but did not reduce the inflammation score. Treatment with AG + L-arg did not reverse either the contraction response or the inflammation score. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that AG and AG + L-Arg treatments have no beneficial effect on inflammation in guinea pigs after CBDL, although AG significantly reversed the effect on muscle contractility (P < 0.05). This improvement was independent of inflammation and may be due to a decreased level of NO and its diminished relaxant effect.