Inhaled nitric oxide as rescue therapy in severe ARDS cases due to COVID-19 pneumonia: a single center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Inhaled NO (iNO) has been recommended as rescue therapy in acute respiratory stress syndrome (ARDS) cases. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate the efficacy of iNO as a rescue therapy in patients with severe ARDS due to COVID-19. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 who were treated with iNO between March 2020 and January 2022 in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Inonu University. Patients' files were reviewed retrospectively, and demographic data, APACHE II and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores, initiation day of iNO and duration of iNO treatment, length of stay in hospital/ICU, blood biochemistry values, complete blood counts, inflammatory parameters, arterial blood gas values, lactate, PaO2/FiO2 ratios, anti-inflammatory drugs and outcome were recorded. RESULTS: Data from 16 patients were reached. iNO was given at a dose of 20 ppm continuously. The mean duration of treatment with iNO was 3.5 days. All patients took the prone position except a single patient. While all patients received steroid therapy, four patients received anti-cytokine therapy, and five patients received intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. All patients were in severe ARDS with a mean PaO2/FiO2 ratio of 58 before iNO therapy. A significant increase in PaO2/FiO2 values was detected with the use of iNO (p<0.05). While three patients (19%) were discharged from the ICU, thirteen patients died. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, it was determined that iNO applied as a rescue treatment in patients with severe ARDS improved oxygenation. Although the effect of iNO on survival was low, it may be interpreted as clinically significant considering the severity of the general clinical condition of the patients.

Management of mechanical ventilation in a morbidly obese patient with COVID-19-induced ARDS.

Coronavirus disease 2019-induced acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is more severe in morbidly obese patients. Mechanical ventilation differs between obese and non-obese patients. We examined these differences in an obese (body mass index = 47 kg/m2) 32-year-old patient followed up in our clinic. The patient was admitted to the intensive care unit due to respiratory failure. Recruitment maneuvers were performed in pressure-controlled ventilation mode. The optimal positive end-expiratory pressure was 25 cm H2O. The inspiratory pressure was adjusted to 45 cm H2O to provide a tidal volume of 6 ml/kg and driving pressure ≤ 15. The patient was discharged with full recovery.

Deposition of 137Cs and precipitation distribution in Vojvodina, Northern Serbia after the Chernobyl accident.

There is a dilemma whether the Chernobyl accident is the main source of this anthropogenic radionuclide in the region of Vojvodina, Northern Province of Serbia. The difference compared to the other dominant source of radiocaesium in the environment, the nuclear weapon tests, is lying in the local character of contamination due to accidents, which implies it's highly dependent on meteorological parameters, such as precipitation and wind in the area at that time. According to published data, the average value of surface contamination by radiocaesium on the territory of the former Yugoslavia after the Chernobyl accident was several times higher than the estimated contamination by nuclear testing (1945-1963). The main aim of this research is to explore possible correlations of the spatial distribution of precipitation from April 1986 to December 1987 with the deposition of radiocaesium in the surface soil to justify this claim in the absence of data on caesium deposition before the Chernobyl accident for the Vojvodina region. The database of 137Cs content in Vojvodina soil and precipitation for this region during the timeframe of interest were used. From a total of 245 precipitation stations in Vojvodina, 164 to 244 precipitation stations were selected for analysis in conditionals from different time scale aspects and data validation. The best correlation between amounts of total precipitation and 137Cs content in surface soil obtained for two rainy periods 2nd-5th and 7th-21st May 1986. Further cluster analysis separated four different regions according to 137Cs deposition and precipitation for the mentioned rainy period which could be applied in the field of soil erosion assessment on the local and regional level.

Optical coherence tomography-verified longer balloon inflation time may provide better stent apposition and optimal index parameters.

BACKGROUND: Incomplete stent expansion and inadequate apposition predispose to stent thrombosis following percutaneous coronary intervention. Recent studies have shown that increasing the duration of balloon inflation during stent employment was beneficial. Thus, the balloon inflation time required for optimal stent expansion and apposition in patients receiving second-generation drug-eluting stents (DES) were determined using optical coherence tomography (OCT). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between April 2014 and March 2015, 38 patients (28 men, 10 women; mean age 60.5 ± 11.4 years) with stable angina pectoris due to single significant de novo coronary artery stenosis were prospectively enrolled. All patients were administered aspirin and clopidogrel and received weight-adjusted intravenous unfractionated heparin. Images of basal lesions were obtained using the C7XR LightLab Dragonfly OCT catheter. RESULTS: Expansion and apposition parameters improved with increasing duration of balloon inflation (30 s or 60 s) with nominal pressure (12 atm). Mean lesion length was 19.8 ± 7.6 mm. Mean stent diameter and length were 2.8 ± 0.36 mm and 24.9 ± 7.6 mm, respectively. CONCLUSION: With deployment of a stent at nominal pressure with conventional duration, inadequate stent expansion and malapposition frequently occurred as detected by OCT; however, a balloon inflation duration of 60 s markedly improved stent expansion and apposition parameters without significant complications.

Effects of resveratrol on alpha-amanitin-induced nephrotoxicity in BALB/c mice.

Alpha-amanitin (α-AMA), the primary toxin of Amanita phalloides, is known to cause nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity. Resveratrol is an antioxidant that has shown efficacy in many nephrotoxicity models. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of resveratrol against the early and late stages of α-AMA-induced nephrotoxicity, compared to those of silibinin, a well-known antidote for poisoning by α-AMA-containing mushrooms. Mice kidney tissues were obtained from five groups: (1) α-AMA + NS (simultaneous administration of α-AMA and normal saline), (2) α-AMA + SR (simultaneous administration of α-AMA and resveratrol), (3) α-AMA + 12R (resveratrol administration 12 h after α-AMA administration), (4) α-AMA + 24R (resveratrol administration 24 h after α-AMA administration), and (5) α-AMA + Sil (simultaneous administration of α-AMA and silibinin). Histomorphological and biochemical analyses were performed to evaluate kidney damage and oxidant-antioxidant status in the kidney. Scores of renal histomorphological damage decreased significantly in the early resveratrol treatment groups (α-AMA + SR and α-AMA + 12R), compared to those in the α-AMA + NS group (p < 0.05). Catalase levels increased significantly in the α-AMA + SR group, compared to those in the α-AMA + NS group (p < 0.001). Early resveratrol administration within 12 h after α-AMA ingestion may reverse the effects of α-AMA-induced nephrotoxicity, partly through its antioxidant action, thereby suggesting its potential as a treatment for poisoning by α-AMA-containing mushrooms.

Effects of Nigella sativa oil on ovarian volume, oxidant systems, XIAP and NF-kB expression in an experimental model of diabetes.

We investigated the effects of Nigella sativa oil on ovary volume, nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB), X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) expression, and serum malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) levels in diabetic rats. We divided 21 adult female rats into three groups: controls, diabetics and diabetics + N. sativa oil. The diabetics + N. sativa oil group was given 0.2 mg/kg/day N. sativa oil 6 days/week for 4 weeks. NF-κB and XIAP expression was assessed in ovarian sections using immunohistochemistry. The right and left ovary volumes were calculated using stereology. We also measured serum MDA, SOD, TAS and TOS levels. We found that N. sativa oil reduced hyperglycemia, but not to control levels. N. sativa oil also exhibited antioxidant properties as demonstrated by reduced serum TOS and MDA levels, and increased SOD and TAS levels compared to controls. We found no significant difference in total ovarian volume, XIAP or NF-κB expression among the groups, which may be due to the short study period. Our findings suggest that N. sativa oil may be useful for reducing blood glucose levels and elevated oxidant activity in diabetic patients.

P3HT-graphene bilayer electrode for Schottky junction photodetectors.

We have investigated the effect of a poly (3-hexylthiophene-2.5-diyl)(P3HT)-graphene bilayer electrode on the photoresponsivity characteristics of Si-based Schottky photodetectors. P3HT, which is known to be an electron donor and absorb light in the visible spectrum, was placed on CVD grown graphene by dip-coating method. The results of the UV-vis and Raman spectroscopy measurements have been evaluated to confirm the optical and electronic modification of graphene by the P3HT thin film. Current-voltage measurements of graphene/Si and P3HT-graphene/Si revealed rectification behavior confirming a Schottky junction formation at the graphene/Si interface. Time-resolved photocurrent spectroscopy measurements showed the devices had excellent durability and a fast response speed. We found that the maximum spectral photoresponsivity of the P3HT-graphene/Si photodetector increased more than three orders of magnitude compared to that of the bare graphene/Si photodetector. The observed increment in the photoresponsivity of the P3HT-graphene/Si samples was attributed to the charge transfer doping from P3HT to graphene within the spectral range between near-ultraviolet and near-infrared. Furthermore, the P3HT-graphene electrode was found to improve the specific detectivity and noise equivalent power of graphene/Si photodetectors. The obtained results showed that the P3HT-graphene bilayer electrodes significantly improved the photoresponsivity characteristics of our samples and thus can be used as a functional component in Si-based optoelectronic device applications.

Vitamin E and selenium treatment of monocrotaline induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Monocrotaline (MCT) is a hepatotoxic pyrrolizidine alkaloid that is derived from plants; exposure may occur by consumption of contaminated grains, herbal teas and medicines. MCT can cause liver damage. We investigated the antioxidant effects of selenium (Se) and vitamin E against the toxic effects of MCT. Female Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: a control group, an MCT group, an MCT + Se group, and an MCT + vitamin E group. Liver tissues were harvested, fixed, processed to paraffin and sections were cut. Anti-von Willebrand factor (vWF) immunohistochemistry, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL), and hematoxylin and eosin staining were performed. Serum and liver tissue glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels were measured. Histopathological and TUNEL data showed significantly increased liver damage in the MCT group compared to controls. Histopathological and TUNEL staining indicated significant improvements in the MCT + vitamin E and MCT + Se groups compared to the MCT group. MCT significantly reduced the serum GSH level and GPx activity, and liver GPx activity. Biochemical data indicated a significant improvement in serum GSH level in the MCT + vitamin E group compared to the MCT group. We suggest that vitamin E and Se afford limited protection against MCT hepatotoxicity.

The local nature of incompressibility of quantum Hall effect.

Since the experimental realization of the integer quantum Hall effect in a two-dimensional electron system, the interrelation between the conductance quantization and the topological properties of the system has been investigated. Assuming that the two-dimensional electron system is described by a Bloch Hamiltonian, system is insulating in the bulk of sample throughout the quantum Hall plateau due to a magnetic field induced energy gap. Meanwhile, the system is conducting at the edges resembling a 2+1 dimensional topological insulator without time-reversal symmetry. Here, by our magneto-transport measurements performed on GaAs/AlGaAs high purity Hall bars with two inner contacts we show that incompressible strips formed at the edges result in Hall quantization, even if the bulk is compressible. Consequently, the relationship between the quantum Hall effect and topological bulk insulator breaks for specific field intervals within the plateaus. The measurement of conducting bulk, strongly challenges all existing single-particle theories.

Effects of curcumin on methyl methanesulfonate damage to mouse kidney.

Methylmethane sulfonate (MMS) is an alkylating agent that may react with DNA and damage it. We investigated histological changes and apoptosis caused by MMS and the effects of curcumin on MMS treated mouse kidneys. Twenty-four mice were divided into four equal groups: controls injected with saline, a group injected with 40 mg/kg MMS, a group injected with 40 mg/kg MMS and given 100 mg/kg curcumin by gavage, and a group given 100 mg/kg curcumin by gavage. MMS caused congestion and vacuole formation, and elevated the apoptotic index significantly, but had no other effect on kidney tissue. Curcumin improved the congestion and vacuole formation caused by MMS and decreased the apoptotic index. Curcumin administered with MMS appears to decrease the deleterious effects of MMS on the kidney.

Anomalous resistance overshoot in the integer quantum Hall effect.

In this work we report on experiments performed on smooth edge-narrow Hall bars. The magneto-transport properties of intermediate mobility two-dimensional electron systems are investigated and analyzed within the screening theory of the integer quantized Hall effect. We observe a non-monotonic increase of Hall resistance at the low magnetic field ends of the quantized plateaus, known as the overshoot effect. Unexpectedly, for Hall bars that are defined by shallow chemical etching the overshoot effect becomes more pronounced at elevated temperatures. We observe the overshoot effect at odd and even integer plateaus, which favor a spin independent explanation, in contrast to discussion in the literature. In a second set of the experiments, we investigate the overshoot effect in gate defined Hall bar and explicitly show that the amplitude of the overshoot effect can be directly controlled by gate voltages. We offer a comprehensive explanation based on scattering between evanescent incompressible channels.

The role of adenosine receptors on amitriptyline-induced electrophysiological changes on rat atrium.

We investigated the role of adenosine receptors in amitriptyline-induced cardiac action potential (AP) changes in isolated rat atria. In the first group, APs were recorded after cumulative addition of amitriptyline (1 µM, 10 µM and 50 µM). In other groups, each atrium was incubated with selective adenosine A(1) antagonist (8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX), 10(-4) M) or selective adenosine A(2a) receptor antagonist (8-(3-chlorostyryl) caffeine, 10(-5) M) before amitriptyline administration. Resting membrane potential, AP amplitude (APA), AP duration at 50% and 80% of repolarization (APD(50) and APD(80), respectively), and the maximum rise and decay slopes of AP were recorded. Amitriptyline (50 µM) prolonged the APD(50) and APD(80) (p < 0.001) and the maximum rise slope of AP was reduced by amitriptyline (p < 0.0001). Amitriptyline reduced maximum decay slope of AP only at 50 µM (p < 0.01). DPCPX significantly decreased the 50-µM amitriptyline-induced APD(50) and APD(80) prolongation (p < 0.001). DPCPX significantly prevented the effects of amitriptyline (1 µM and 50 µM) on maximum rise slope of AP (p < 0.05). DPCPX significantly prevented the amitriptyline-induced (50 µM) reduction in maximum decay slope of AP (p < 0.001). The selective adenosine A(1) receptor antagonist prevented the electrophysiological effects of amitriptyline on atrial AP. A(1) receptor stimulation may be responsible for the cardiovascular toxic effects produced by amitriptyline.

Effects of BQ-788 on amitriptyline-induced cardiovascular toxicity.

OBJECTIVE: We investigated both the effects of the endothelin type B (ETB) receptor antagonist, BQ-788, on amitriptyline-induced cardiotoxicity and the role of ETB receptors on amitriptyline-induced cardiovascular depression. METHODS: Male Wistar rats were anaesthetized with urethane/chloralose. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR) and QRS duration were recorded. Toxicity was induced by amitriptyline infusion (0.94 mg/kg per min) until the 50% inhibition of MAP. In the first protocol, 5% dextrose or BQ-788 bolus was administered to control or experimental group animals, respectively. In the second protocol, after incubation with BQ-788 or 5% dextrose, amitriptyline was infused. RESULTS: Amitriptyline caused a significant decrease in MAP, prolonged QRS duration and decreased HR for both the groups. BQ-788 administration improved MAP (5, 10 and 15 min), shortened the prolonged QRS (5 and 10 minutes) and increased HR (5, 10 and 15 min) compared with dextrose group. While all the amitriptyline-infused rats survived in BQ-788 group, all the amitriptyline-infused rats died within 20 min in dextrose group. In the second protocol, BQ-788 incubation did not cause any statistically significant change in amitriptyline-induced cardiovascular depression. CONCLUSION: BQ-788 may have beneficial effects in amitriptyline-induced cardiovascular changes via a physiologic antagonism. ETB receptor antagonists may be the promising antidotes for the cardiovascular toxicity with hypotension and bradycardia.

Efficacy of alfuzosin and sildenafil combination in male patients with lower urinary tract symptoms.

Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and erectile dysfunction (ED) are frequently encountered in ageing males. We compared the efficacy of alfuzosin 10 mg alone or in combination with sildenafil 50 mg in the treatment of LUTS due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. One hundred male patients older than 45 years were randomized to two groups containing 50 patients each; one group receiving alfuzosin 10 mg and the other group alfuzosin 10 mg combined with sildenafil 50 mg. International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life (QoL), maximum flow rate (Q(max)), prostate volume and post-void residual urine were evaluated. The mean age was 60.2 ± 17.8. Mean data of evaluated parameters in both groups at the end of 3rd month compared with baseline values are given respective order as; 5.1 (26.8%) and 5.8 (28.2%) points decreases in IPSS; 1.6 (41.1%) and 1.8 (45%) points decreases in QoL; and 3.4 (29.6%) and 3.4 (33%) points increases in Q(max) . The outcomes of our study cannot be interpreted in such a way to report that alpha blocker-PDE5 inhibitor combination has a better efficacy than alpha blocker treatment alone in patients with LUTS.

Evaluation of caustics and household detergents exposures in an emergency service.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyse the caustic and household detergent exposure cases were admitted to the Department of Emergency Medicine at Dokuz Eylul University Hospital (EMDEU) between 1993 and 2008. METHODS: Age, sex, reason of exposure, clinical signs, rate of endoscopy in oral exposures, treatment attempts, length of hospital stay and outcome were evaluated. A chi-square test was used to analyse statistical differences. RESULTS: Caustic exposures accounted for 8.5% (1160 cases) and 4.1% (1988 cases) of all poisonings in children and adults, respectively. Female/male ratio of caustic exposure poisonings was 0.8. Most of the exposures were unintentional (158, 86.8%). Intentional exposures were common in cases between 19 and 29 years old (χ(2) = 25.685, p < 0.001). The most common caustic substance was alkaline (106, 58.3%) followed by acidic (47, 25.8%) and other household detergents (28, 15.4%). Vomiting (35.7%), nausea (14.8%) and sore throat (13.1%) were the most common clinical signs. The patients who had endoscopy, the most frequent finding was first-degree damage (58.7%). A 48-year-old man died from intentional hydrochloric acid ingestion. CONCLUSION: Because of the large number of unintentional caustic exposures, parent education is very important to decrease the caustic exposures in children.

Evaluation of TGF beta1 expression and comparison the thickness of different aorta layers in experimental diabetes.

BACKGROUND: It was aimed to investigate the effects of experimental diabetes on TGF beta1 expression and tunica intima and media thickness in abdominal and thoracic aorta. METHODS: Fourteen three months old female rats were divided into two groups, non-diabetic and streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic group. Hematoxylin-Eosin and Verhoeff's Van Gieson elastic staining and TGF beta1 immunohistochemistry staining were performed. Abdominal and thoracic intima and media thickness of aortas were measured with the oculometer. RESULTS: Evaluation of intima and media thickness measurements showed no significant statistical differences between non-diabetic and diabetic groups. TGF beta1 expression increased significantly in thoracic diabetic (TD) group. CONCLUSION: The 60 day duration of diabetes is not sufficiently enough time for the development of pathological changes that could lead to thickening in aortic intima-media layers. TGF beta1 expression was negative in the abdominal aorta that can predispose to the development of atherosclerosis, which could develop overtime. This finding may be interpreted as an appropriate basis for the development of atherosclerosis. In the thoracic aorta TGF beta1 may coordinate cellular events such as tissue repair (Fig. 5, Ref. 23).

Effects of iloprost and piracetam in spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rabbit.

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental Study. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to investigate the neuroprotective effects of iloprost and piracetam on spinal cord ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in the rabbit. SETTINGS: The Experimental Research Center of Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey. METHODS: A total of 24 rabbits were divided into four groups of six rabbits each, as follows: group 1 (n = 6) sham, laparotomy only; group 2 (n = 6) I/R; group 3 (n = 6) I/R+iloprost; and group 4 (n = 6) I/R+piracetam. I/R was established in groups 2, 3 and 4. Subsequently, they were followed up neurologically for 24 h until the rabbits were killed; biochemical and histopathological examinations of samples from the spinal cord were carried out. RESULTS: Neurological examination results were significantly better in the iloprost and piracetam groups compared with the I/R group (P < 0.05). Neuroprotection was achieved with iloprost and piracetam by suppressing malondialdehyde (P < 0.05), increasing glutathione peroxidase activity (P < 0.05) and decreasing the xanthine oxidase level. In histopathological assessment, iloprost and piracetam groups were statistically different from the I/R group in terms of the number of apoptotic neurons in gray matter and white matter, as well as in terms of degenerated neurons and glial cells (P < 0.05). No statistical difference was determined between the four groups in the number of degenerated glial cells (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: This study has shown that iloprost and piracetam have neuroprotective effects in I/R injury both neurologically and histopathologically because of inhibition of lipid peroxidation.

Effect of glucagon on amitriptyline-induced cardiovascular toxicity in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of glucagon on cardiovascular parameters in anesthetized rat model of tricyclic antidepressant overdose. Toxicity was induced by infusion of amitriptyline 0.94 mg/kg/min until a 40-45% of reduction in mean arterial pressure was observed. Amitriptyline infusion rats were then randomized into three groups. Control group of rats (group 1) received a bolus of 5% dextrose followed by the continuous infusion of dextrose, whereas treatment groups received 1 mg/kg (group 2) or 2 mg/kg (group 3) bolus doses of glucagon followed by continuous infusion (0.1 mg/kg/min) of glucagons for 60 min. Mean arterial pressure, heart rate, and electrocardiogram were recorded. Amitriptyline caused a significant decrease in mean arterial pressure and a prolongation in QRS, yet it did not change the heart rate. High-bolus dose of glucagon (2 mg/kg) followed by glucagon infusion significantly increased mean arterial pressure at 40, 50, and 60 min (P < 0.05) and shortened the prolonged QRS at 50 and 60 min (P < 0.05) when compared with control group. There was also a significant increase in heart rate. In conclusion, bolus doses followed by a continuous infusion of glucagon were found to be effective in reversing the hypotension and QRS prolongation in the rat model of amitriptyline toxicity. Further studies are needed to reveal the exact mechanism of the proposed effect.

First-order and second-order statistical analysis of 3D and 2D image structure.

In the first part of this article, we analyze the relation between local image structures (i.e., homogeneous, edge-like, corner-like or texture-like structures) and the underlying local 3D structure (represented in terms of continuous surfaces and different kinds of 3D discontinuities) using range data with real-world color images. We find that homogeneous image structures correspond to continuous surfaces, and discontinuities are mainly formed by edge-like or corner-like structures, which we discuss regarding potential computer vision applications and existing assumptions about the 3D world. In the second part, we utilize the measurements developed in the first part to investigate how the depth at homogeneous image structures is related to the depth of neighbor edges. For this, we first extract the local 3D structure of regularly sampled points, and then, analyze the coplanarity relation between these local 3D structures. We show that the likelihood to find a certain depth at a homogeneous image patch depends on the distance between the image patch and a neighbor edge. We find that this dependence is higher when there is a second neighbor edge which is coplanar with the first neighbor edge. These results allow deriving statistically based prediction models for depth interpolation on homogeneous image structures.

The effects of prophylactic zinc and melatonin application on experimental spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury in rabbits: experimental study.

STUDY DESIGN: Experimental study. OBJECTIVES: To determine the neuroprotective effects of zinc and melatonin on spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injuries of rabbits. SETTING: The Experimental Research Centre of Selçuk University, Konya, Turkey. METHODS: Twenty-four male rabbits underwent spinal cord ischemia by clamping the thoraco-abdominal aorta for 20 min. Twenty minutes before the aortic clamping, animals received zinc, melatonin or a combination of both. Neurological examination of the animals was performed three times during reperfusion period. The animals were killed 24 h after reperfusion. Spinal cord samples were taken for biochemical and histopathological evaluation. RESULTS: Pre-treated animals with zinc, melatonin or combination displayed better neurological outcomes than the I/R group (P<0.05). Zinc, melatonin and combined treatment prevented spinal cord injury by reducing apoptosis rate (P<0.05) and preserving intact ganglion cell numbers (P<0.05). Zinc pre-treatment protected spinal cord by preventing malondialdehyde (MDA) formation (P=0.002), increasing glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity (P=0.002) and decreasing xanthine oxidase enzyme activity (P=0.026) at molecular level. Melatonin treatment also resulted with MDA formation (P=0.002), increased GPx activity (P=0.002) and decreased xanthine oxidase activity (P=0.026). CONCLUSION: The results of the study showed that prophylactic zinc and melatonin use in spinal cord I/R not only suppressed lipid peroxidation by activating antioxidant systems but also had significant neuroprotective effects by specifically improving the neurological and histopathological situation.