Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effect of thymoquinone in an acute Pseudomonas prostatitis rat model.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of thymoquinone (TQ) to improve acute bacterial prostatitis (ABP) induced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 42 male Wistar albino rats were divided into 7 groups as follows: control, ABP (24, 48, and 72 h), and TQ-ABP (24, 48, and 72 h). The prostate tissue samples were assayed for prostate tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels, and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activities. Sections were examined for characteristic histological changes, and a histological scoring system was used. RESULTS: When the ABP groups given TQ (24, 48, and 72 h) were compared to the ABP groups not given TQ, the levels of MDA and NO and the GPX activity were found to be significantly lower in the groups given TQ. Concerning SOD values, the TQ-ABP-72 group was lower in comparison with the ABP-72 and control groups, but statistically higher than the TQ-ABP-48 group (p < 0.05). Concerning CAT activity, only the TQ-ABP-72 and ABP-72 groups had a significant difference with the control group. TQ improved prostate histology significantly only in the TQ-ABP-24 group compared to the ABP-24 group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our study demonstrated for the first time that ABP induced by P. aeruginosa had an oxidative effect on prostate tissue and could regress following TQ administration as shown with the biochemical and histological findings.

Microscopic venous invasion is associated with disease free and cancer free survival in renal cell carcinoma.

AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the significance of microscopic venous invasion (MVI) as a prognostic factor for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: The present study included 220 patients with non-metastatic RCC who underwent radical nephrectomy (RN). MVI was defined by the presence of a cancer cell in blood vessels based on microscopic examination of hematoxylin-eosin stained specimens. The impact of MVI on disease progression and survival after 37 (6-190) months of median follow-up and its correlation with known clinicopathological features were studied. Survival analyses using Kaplan-Meier and log-rank models for univariate comparisons and Cox proportional hazards model for multivariate analyses were performed. RESULTS: MVI was found in 68 patients (30.8%), and of these, 26 (38.2%) developed a tumor recurrence and 16 (23.5%) died of cancer progression, whereas only 18 (11.8%) of the remaining 152 patients without MVI presented with disease-recurrence and 8 (5.3%) died of cancer. In the multivariate analysis, MVI (P=0.014) Fuhrman's grade (P=0.028), and sarcomatoid differentiation (SD) (P=0.01) were the factors predicted a decreased disease-free survival (DFS). Meanwhile, MVI (P=0.04) and SD (P=0.029) were also found to be predictor of cancer specific survival (CSS) with necrosis (P=0.037) in multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: The present study showed that MVI is associated with the vast majority of the adverse pathological features related with RCC. Furthermore, it was found to be an independent clinical prognostic factor for DFS and CSS.

Response surface optimization of pH and ionic strength for emulsion characteristics of egg yolk.

Effects of pH (3.5, 4.5, 6.0, 7.5, and 8.5) and ionic strength (0.05, 0.15, 0.30, 0.45, and 0.55 M NaCl) on emulsion capacity, emulsion stability (ES), apparent yield stress of emulsion (AYS), and emulsion density (ED) of egg yolk were studied by using a model system. Ionic strength and pH had significant (P < 0.01) effects on the emulsion characteristics of egg yolk. Their interaction effects also have been found significant on ES, AYS, and ED. Predicted solutions of ES, emulsion capacity, and ED were minimum. The critical point of ES was determined to be at pH 6.08 and an ionic strength of 0.49 (M NaCl). Predicted solution for AYS was a maximum, which was determined to be at pH 6.04 and an ionic strength of 0.29 (M NaCl). Optimum values of pH and ionic strenght were 4.61 to 7.43 and 0.10 to 0.47, respectively.

Model system evaluations of the effects of different levels of K(2)HPO(4) NaCl and oil temperature on emulsion stability and viscosity of fresh and frozen turkish style meat emulsions.

The effects of different levels of K(2)HPO(4), NaCl, and the effects of oil temperature used in the evaluation of emulsion stability and viscosity of fresh and frozen beef (fat level adjusted with tail fat from sheep) was studied by utilizing a model system. Emulsion stability (ES) and emulsion viscosity (EV) of frozen meat tissue were both decreased, by 3·6% and 10·5% respectively, when compared to fresh meat. ES was decreased by 4·0% and 3·7% at 5°C and 11°C oil temperature respectively when compared to 21°C. While EV decreased 12·2% at 11°C compared to 21°C, it did not show any statistically significant (P < 0·01) change at 5°C oil temperature. ES and EV were elevated with the addition of phosphate and increasing phosphate levels. These increases for ES were 3·9% and 3·7% with 0·50% and 0·75% phosphate levels respectively, when compared to the 0·00% phosphate control group. Also, the increases for EV were 22·3% and 27·0% with 0·50% and 0·75% phosphate levels respectively, compared to the 0·00% phosphate control group. The alteration of the ES was not statistically P < 0·01) significant for the 0·50% phosphate level when compared to the 0·75% phosphate level. The ES decreased 1·1% for a 3·0% salt level when compared to a 2·5% salt level, and there was statistically (P < 0·05) no effect on the EV.