White LED Light Exposure Inhibits the Development and Xanthophore Pigmentation of Zebrafish Embryo.

Circadian rhythm in all living organisms is disturbed continuously by artificial light sources and artificial lighting has become a hazard for public health. Circadian rhythm of melatonin maintains high levels of melatonin during the night and low levels during the day. N-acetyltransferase (arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase, AANAT) is one of the four enzymes required for melatonin synthesis and mtnr1ba is a melatonin receptor-encoding mRNA that is expressed widely in the embryonic brain. Pax7 has important roles during neural crest development and especially xanthophore pigmentation. Due to its diurnal nature, zebrafish provide a special opportunity for research on circadian rhythms that are regulated by melatonin. Here in this study, we showed that when compared with the white light control group, white LED light exposure resulted in loss of yellow pigmentation, decreased body length and locomotor activity, oxidant-antioxidant imbalance and decreased expressions of aanat2, mtnr1ba, and pax7 in zebrafish embryos. Histological analysis of this group revealed disorganization of the spaces among photoreceptor cells, decreased total retinal thickness and photoreceptor cell layer thickness compared with the control group. Artificial lighting pollution has the potential to become an important risk factor for different diseases including cancer especially for industrialized countries, therefore, more studies should be performed and necessary regulations should be made regarding this risk factor.

Tacrolimus-Eluting Suture Inhibits Neointimal Hyperplasia: An Experimental In Vivo Study in Rats.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Neointimal hyperplasia (NIH) remains one of the leading causes of graft failure after vascular anastomoses. Cytotoxic drugs, such as rapamycin and tacrolimus, have been shown to inhibit the development of NIH. In this study, the aim was to test the impact of a sustained releasing tacrolimus-chitosan-eluting suture on the development of NIH in a rat model. METHODS: After tacrolimus-chitosan coating of a 7/0 polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF) Trofilen® suture, the tacrolimus concentration on the coated suture and in vitro release trials were performed spectrophotometrically. Twelve Wistar rats were included. After midline laparotomy, a 7-8 mm longitudinal aortotomy in the infrarenal aorta was made and then closed by a bare 7/0 PVDF (group C, n = 6) and a 7/0 tacrolimus-chitosan coated PVDF suture (0.65 µg/cm tacrolimus [0.9 wt%] + 1.82 µg/cm chitosan [2.28 wt%]) (group T, n = 6). After 1 month, rats were sacrificed and aortotomy sites were examined histologically by ratio of intimal area (including neointima) and immunohistochemically by α-smooth muscle actin (ASMA) and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) immunostaining. The PCNA positive cells were indexed to total cell number and expressed as percentage. RESULTS: In vitro tacrolimus release tests for a 7/0 tacrolimus-chitosan coated PVDF suture were confirmed for 1 month without an initial burst release. Endothelialisation over the aortotomy line occurred in both groups. The area of neointima was significantly reduced in group T compared with group C (ratio 0.22 ± 0.12 vs. 0.42 ± 0.11; p = .017) 1 month post-operatively. Likewise, the percentage of PCNA immunostaining significantly decreased in group C compared with group T (3.83 ± 2.85% vs. 11.17 ± 7.78%; p = .026). The cells constituting NIH were positive for ASMA immunostaining. CONCLUSIONS: Tacrolimus-chitosan-eluting suture is shown to be an effective way to reduce NIH without interfering with normal endothelialisation.

Evaluation of the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors on bone mineral density: an observational cross-sectional study.

UNLABELLED: Sixty patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder and treated with either paroxetine, sertraline, or citalopram for at least 12 months were enrolled in this study, and the bone mineral density (BMD) of the patients was compared with that of 40 healthy volunteers. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) therapy in generalized anxiety disorder was found to be related with decreased BMD values. INTRODUCTION: The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effect of SSRI therapy on BMD in postmenopausal women diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and to identify the effects of the duration of disease and treatment on risk factors for osteoporosis. METHODS: Sixty patients diagnosed with GAD and treated with paroxetine, sertraline, or citalopram from the SSRI group for at least 12 months were enrolled. Social demographic features, the Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAS) results, and the Hamilton Depression Scale (HDS) scores of all the patients were assessed. The BMD of the patients was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) at the femoral and lumbar regions. The patients were divided into three groups which are the paroxetine, sertraline, and citalopram groups. The BMD of the patients was compared with that of 40 healthy volunteers. RESULTS: The L2-L4, total lumbar vertebrae, femoral intertrochanteric, total femoral Z-scores, and femoral Ward's region T-scores of the treatment group were lower than the median T- and Z-scores of the control group (p < 0.05). Of the treatment groups, the femoral neck, trochanteric and intertrochanteric T- and Z-scores, total femoral T- and Z-scores, and femoral Ward's T- and Z-scores of the sertraline group were significantly lower than the BMD values measured at the identical regions in the paroxetine and citalopram groups (p < 0.05).There was a significant negative correlation between the duration of treatment and the BMD values. CONCLUSION: SSRI therapy in GAD was found to be related with decreased BMD values. Further randomized controlled studies are warranted to determine whether SSRI use is a risk factor for osteoporosis; such studies should investigate these factors by performing BMD assessments before treatment.

Protective effects of black cumin (Nigella sativa) oil on TNBS-induced experimental colitis in rats.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis and treatment of ulcerative colitis remain poorly understood. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of black cumin (Nigella sativa) oil on rats with colitis. METHODS: Experimental colitis was induced with 1 mL trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) in 40% ethanol by intracolonic administration with 8-cm-long cannula under ether anesthesia to rats in colitis group and colitis + black cumin oil group. Rats in the control group were given saline at the same volume by intracolonic administration. Black cumin oil (BCO, Origo "100% natural Black Cumin Seed Oil," Turkey) was given to colitis + black cumin oil group by oral administration during 3 days, 5 min after colitis induction. Saline was given to control and colitis groups at the same volume by oral administration. At the end of the experiment, macroscopic lesions were scored and the degree of oxidant damage was evaluated by colonic total protein, sialic acid, malondialdehyde, and glutathione levels, collagen content, and tissue factor, superoxide dismutase, and myeloperoxidase activities. Tissues were also examined by histological and cytological analysis. Proinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1ß, and IL-6], lactate dehydrogenase activity, and triglyceride and cholesterol levels were analyzed in blood samples. RESULTS: We found that black cumin oil decreased the proinflammatory cytokines, lactate dehydrogenase, triglyceride, and cholesterol, which were increased in colitis. CONCLUSIONS: BCO, by preventing inflammatory status in the blood, partly protected colonic tissue against experimental ulcerative colitis.