Comparison of individuals doing sports in indoor and outdoor areas and sedentary individuals in terms of vitamin D, body fat content, and obesity values.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the body fat content, vitamin D, serum lipid levels, and obesity values of individuals doing sports indoors and outdoors and sedentary individuals. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The research was conducted as a case-control study. The case group consisted of 30 participants between the ages of 18-30 who did outdoor sports, the first control group consisted of 30 participants doing sports indoors, and the second control group consisted of 30 sedentary participants. Voluntary consent was obtained from the research group, which consisted of 90 participants in total. As inclusion criteria for the study, they were asked to be healthy, not have chronic diseases, to be doing sports outdoors or indoors, and as the control group, individuals who did not do sports. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire about their socio-demographic characteristics, vitamin D level, and factors affecting body fat ratio. RESULTS: 57.8% of the participants (52 participants) were male, and 42.2% (38 female) were female. The mean age of the study group was 22.26 ± 3.86. The body mass index (BMI) was 22.91 ± 4.06. Waist/hip ratio 0.76 ± 0.06. Serum values averages were as follows: calcium 11.74 ± 0.06, cholesterol 156.23 ± 32.34, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) 48.68 ± 12.45, magnesium 1.83 ± 0.14, phosphorus 3.52 ± 0.78, triglyceride (TGL) 120.76 ± 56.25, vit 25-OH 24.71 ± 1.35, parathormone (PTH) 48.24 ± 2.95. BMI was 21.03 ± 2.94 for those doing outdoor sports, 23.51 ± 3.31 for those who play sports in the indoor area, and 24.06 ± 5.22 for those who cannot do any sport, the difference was statistically significant (p = 0.001). Vitamin 25-OH was found to be 30.75 ± 11.54 in the outdoor sports, 21.59 ± 7.04 in the indoor sports 22.77 ± 3.16 in the non-sports groups and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.004). Total cholesterol levels were 150.63 ± 6.09 for those doing outdoor sports, 150.92 ± 4.56 for those doing indoor sports, and 169.61 ± 6.57 for non-athletes. Total cholesterol was significantly lower in those who do sports indoors and outdoors compared to those who do not (p < 0.02 and p < 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Sport has a positive effect on body mass index and serum cholesterol levels. Outdoor sports have a more positive effect on the vit 25-OH levels and serum lipid profile than indoor sports.

Effect of verapamil and lidocaine on TRPM and NaV1.9 gene expressions in renal ischemia-reperfusion.

BACKGROUND: To determine effects on calcium and sodium channels of Ca(2+) and Na(+) channel blockers in the present study, expression levels of TRPM1, TRPM2, TRPM3, TRPM4, TRPM5, TRPM6, TRPM7, TRPM8, and NaV1.9 genes were evaluated in kidney tissues after induced ischemia-reperfusion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty albino Wistar male rats were equally divided into 4 groups as follows: group I: control group (n = 10), group II: ischemia group (60 minutes of ischemia + 48 hours of reperfusion; n = 10), group III: ischemia (60 minutes of ischemia + 48 hours of reperfusion) + calcium channel blocker (n = 8), group IV: ischemia (60 minutes of ischemia + 48 hours of reperfusion) + sodium channel blocker (n = 8). RESULTS: When compared to ischemia group expression levels of TRPM2, TRPM4, TRPM6, and NaV1.9 in Ca(2+) and Na(+) channel blocker groups were increased, whereas that of TRPM7 was decreased. However, expression levels of TRPM1, TRPM3, TRPM5, and TRPM8 were not determined in kidney tissue. Histologically, the Ca(2+) channel blocker verapamil and the Na(+) channel blocker lidocaine inhibited the cell death in kidney tissue compared to control. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that verapamil and lidocaine significantly reduce the degree of ischemia-reperfusion injury due to effects to TRPM and Nav1.9 genes.

Hearing loss in patients with Behçet's disease: an audiological and transient evoked otoacoustic emission study.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate hearing loss in patients with Behçet's disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-four consecutive cases of Behçet's disease and 24 sex- and age-matched controls were included in this study. Pure tone and high frequency audiometric tests were performed and pure tone average hearing thresholds calculated for both groups. Transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing was also performed. RESULTS: Pure tone audiometry showed a sensorineural hearing loss in 15 of the Behçet's disease ears. Hearing thresholds were significantly higher in the study group than in the control group, on both pure tone frequency (except 0.5 kHz) and high frequency audiometry. Significant reductions in transient evoked otoacoustic emission amplitude were found at 1.4 and 2 kHz in the Behçet's disease patients. There were no significant differences in reproducibility, stimulus intensity or stability, comparing the Behçet's disease patients and controls. CONCLUSION: Significantly lower mid-frequency amplitudes were found in Behçet's patients on transient evoked otoacoustic emission testing.

Effect of phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor on hearing.

OBJECTIVE: Following a report of sudden hearing loss in a patient taking phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor, and a Food and Drug Administration announcement concerning this class of drugs, a study was planned to investigate if ototoxicity occurs in patients using phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor for erectile dysfunction. METHODS: Eighteen patients with erectile dysfunction who had been using phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitor were included in the study. Audiometric tests were performed on all patients, between the frequencies 250 and 16,000 Hz, before and 1, 5 and 72 hours after drug ingestion. RESULTS: Four patients showed a unilateral threshold decrease compatible with ototoxicity criteria; this change was reversible. A statistically significant difference in pre- versus post-drug hearing thresholds was observed in the right ear at 10,000 Hz (p = 0.008). There were no statistically significant hearing threshold differences at any other frequencies (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Although temporary ototoxicity was noted in four patients, we could not find any permanent, deleterious effect of phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitor on hearing thresholds.

Isoprene emission and primary metabolism in Phragmites australis grown under different phosphorus levels.

Aquatic plants are generally used for wastewater purification and phytoremediation, but some of them also emit large amounts of isoprene, the most abundant biogenic volatile organic compound. Since isoprenoid biosynthesis requires high amounts of phosphorylated intermediates, the emission may also be controlled by inorganic phosphorus concentration (Pi) in leaves. We carried out experiments to determine the emission of isoprene from Phragmites australis plants used in reconstructed wetlands to phytoremediate elevated levels of phosphorus contributed by urban wastes. Four groups of plants were grown hydroponically in water containing different levels of KH(2)PO(4). High levels of phosphorus in the water resulted in high Pi in the leaves. High Pi stimulated photosynthesis at intercellular CO(2) concentrations lower and higher than ambient, implying higher ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase (Rubisco) activity and higher ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate regeneration rates, respectively. However, isoprene emission was substantially lower at high Pi than at low Pi, and was not associated to photosynthesis rates at high Pi. This surprising result suggests that isoprene is limited by processes other than photosynthetic intermediate availability or by energetic (ATP) requirements under high Pi levels. Irrespective of the mechanism responsible for the observed reduction of isoprene emission, our results show that Phragmites plants may effectively remove phosphorus from water without concurrently increase isoprene emission, at least on a leaf area basis. Thus, Phragmites used in reconstructed wetlands for phytoremediation of urban wastes rich of phosphates will not contribute high loads of hydrocarbons which may influence air quality over urban and peri-urban areas.

The effect of repeated daily noise exposure on sound-conditioned and unconditioned guinea pigs.

Sound-conditioned and unconditioned guinea pigs were exposed every day for 10 consecutive days to noise exposure resulting in a temporary threshold shift (2767 Hz, 103 dB SPL, 5 min). The cubic distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) were followed at a constant L1 intensity of 60 dB SPL at 1.75, 2.8, 3.5, and 4.4 kHz for 90 min post-exposure. Four parameters (area under the curve, duration of loss, maximal loss, and time point for maximal threshold shift) were analyzed to determine the effect of repeated daily noise exposure for each group. The sound-conditioned group (1) was significantly less affected by overstimulation during the initial days of exposure compared to the unconditioned group and (2) gradually became more affected by overstimulation as the daily sessions progressed. The 'training effect' induced by sound conditioning gradually deteriorated after approximately 5 or 6 days of repeated stimulation. However, at day 10 the sound-conditioned group never had emissions that were worse than day 1 overstimulation for the unconditioned group. The unconditioned group, on the other hand, illustrated significantly greater threshold shifts during the initial days of overexposure and then demonstrated a gradual resistance to overstimulation during subsequent days.

Keipert syndrome in two brothers from Turkey.

Two brothers, 17 and 21 years of age, with depressed nasal bridge, prominent frontal bones, hypoplastic maxilla, mild sensorineural hearing loss, broad terminal phalanges and mild pulmonary stenosis are presented. These findings are similar to those of the syndrome described by Keipert et al. in 1973. To the best of our knowledge, this is only the second report of this syndrome.

Protection against noise trauma by sound conditioning in the guinea pig appears not to be mediated by the middle ear muscles.

The aim of this study was to test whether the middle ear muscles (MEM) play a significant role in the phenomenon of sound conditioning in guinea pigs. After inducing a temporary threshold shift by noise exposure (2767 Hz tone, 103 dB SPL, 5 min), the magnitude and duration of loss, as well as the rate of recovery of the amplitude of the distortion product emission was determined at 1.75, 2.2, 2.8, and 3.5 kHz followed for 90 min post-exposure for (1) a sound conditioned group with intact MEM, and (2) a sound conditioned group with paralyzed MEM. Significant differences were not found for any of the distortion product parameters tested. The results suggest that the MEM do not significantly contribute to protection against noise trauma by sound conditioning.

The use of molded tympanic heterograft (lamb peritoneum).

The molded heterograft tympanic membrane was applied to twenty-five ears during tympanoplasty. The advantages and disadvantages of the graft material are discussed. Although autograft use is the principal choice, we strongly believe that this heterograft technique may be an alternative for tympanic membrane grafting; especially in revision cases in which temporalis fascia has already been used.