Cold Pressor Test Induces Significant Changes in Internal Jugular Vein Flow Dynamics in Healthy Young Adults.

BACKGROUND The cold pressor test (CPT), which has long been used to test autonomic functions by causing sympathetic excitation, increases systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate and causes coronary vasodilation within physiological limits in healthy individuals. This study aimed to evaluate internal jugular vein (IJV) flow parameters using the CPT with systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate in 40 healthy volunteers aged 18-40 years. MATERIAL AND METHODS The volunteers' IJV diameter, blood flow peak velocity, and volumetric flow values were recorded. Then, their right hands were immersed in a bucket of cold water maintained at 1°C up to the wrist level. At the end of the first minute (CPT-1), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rhythm, IJV diameter, peak velocity, and volumetric flow measurements were performed again. RESULTS Systolic and diastolic blood pressure values were significantly higher at CPT-1 compared to baseline values (P<0.001, P<0.001). Heart rate and peak velocity values also showed a significant increase at CPT-1 compared to baseline values (P<0.001, P=0.001). While diameter values showed a significant decrease compared to baseline, volumetric flow rate values showed a significant increase at CPT-1 (P=0.003, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Sympathetic nervous system activation triggered by CPT increases IJV volumetric flow and flow velocity in healthy young individuals, and sympathetic nervous system activation causes a venoconstrictive effect in the IJV.

Novel formulations ameliorate osteoarthritis in rats by inhibiting inflammation and oxidative stress.

The study tested new oral plant-based formulations (F) on rats with monosodium iodoacetate (MIA)-induced osteoarthritis, measuring inflammation, antioxidant levels, paw size, stride, and analyzing knee joint images. Fifty-six female Sprague Dawley rats were allocated into 8 groups: (1) Control, (2) MIA (OA induced with MIA), (3) MIA + F1 [curcuminoids+gingerols+acetyl-11-keto-ß boswellic acid (AKBA)], (4) MIA + F2 (curcuminoids+Withania glycosides+AKBA), (5) MIA + F3 (curcuminoids+total withanolides+AKBA), (6) MIA + F4 (curcuminoids, AKBA), (7) MIA + UCII (type II collagen), and (8) MIA + GCHON (Glucosamine Chondroitin). Treatments F1 to F4 reduced right joint diameter and improved stride length and paw area in OA rats. Despite improvements with treatments F1 to F4, there was no significant difference between these groups (p > .05). In OA animals, F1 to F4 treatments decreased MDA levels and increased antioxidant enzymes activities (p < .001). This was done by reducing levels of inflammatory markers and enzymes like IL-1ß, IL-6, MMP-8, TNF-α, CRP, COMP, and LOX-5, while increasing the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. In conclusion, these plant-based treatments significantly reduced osteoarthritis severity, slowed disease progression by reducing inflammation, and protected joints from damage, showing a protective effect in rats with induced osteoarthritis, likely due to their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Anatolian medicinal plants as potential antiviral agents: bridging traditional knowledge and modern science in the fight against COVID-19 and related viral infections.

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was the cause of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19), commonly known as the coronavirus pandemic. Since December 2020, COVID-19 vaccines have been extensively administered in numerous countries. In addition to new antiviral medications, the treatment regimen encompasses symptom management. Despite sustained research efforts, the outbreak remains uncontrolled, with affected patients still lacking proper treatment. This review is a valuable asset for researchers and practitioners aiming to delve into the yet unexplored potential of Anatolian flora in the fight against COVID-19 and other viral infections. Numerous medicinal plants in Anatolia, such as thyme, sage, cannabis, oregano, licorice root, and Origanum sp., contain bioactive compounds with proven antiviral properties that have been used in the region for centuries. The rich legacy of traditional Anatolian medicine (TAM), has significantly influenced modern medicine; thus, the profusion of medicinal plants native to Anatolia holds promise for antiviral drug development, making this review essential for researchers and practitioners.

Rational Design, Synthesis, and Computational Investigation of Dihydropyridine [2,3-d] Pyrimidines as Polyphenol Oxidase Inhibitors with Improved Potency.

Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is an industrially important enzyme associated with browning reactions. In the present study, a set of ten new dihydropyridine [2,3-d] pyrimidines (TD-Hid-1-10) were synthesized and was found to be proven characteristically by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, IR, elemental analysis, and assessed as possible PPO inhibitors. PPO was purified from banana using three-phase partitioning, achieving an 18.65-fold purification and 136.47% activity recovery. Enzyme kinetics revealed that the compounds TD-Hid-6 and TD-Hid-7 are to be the most potent inhibitors, exhibiting mixed-type inhibition profile with IC50 values of 1.14 µM, 5.29 µM respectively against purified PPO enzyme. Electronic structure calculations at the B3LYP/PBE0 level of theories using def-2 SVP, def2-TZVP basis sets with various molecular descriptors characterized the electronic behavior of studied derivatives TD-Hid-1-10. Molecular electrostatic potential (MEP) and reduced density gradient analyses of RDG-NCI provided insights into charge distributions and weak intermolecular interactions. Docking study simulations predicted binding poses within crucial amino acid sequence in the 2y9x enzyme's active site, which is typically similar in sequence to the PPO form is not allowed. Ligands were analysed in terms of binding energies, inhibitor concentrations (mM) and various molecular interactions such as H-bonds, H-carbon, π-carbon, π-sigma, π-sigma, π-π T-shaped, π-π stacked, π-alkyl, Van der Waals and Cu interactions. The lowest binding energy (-7.83 kcal/mol) and the highest inhibitory effect (1.83 mM) were shown by the ligand Td-Hid-6, which forms H-bonds with Met280 and Asn260, exhibits π-sigma interactions with His61 and π-alkyl interactions with Val283. Other ligands also showed different interactions with various amino acids; for example, the Td-Hid-1 ligand formed H-bonds with His244 and showed π-sigma interactions with His244 and Val283.

Effects of the Cold Pressor Test on Popliteal Vein Diameter, Flow Velocity, and Blood Flow in the Lower Limb in 60 Healthy Individuals.

BACKGROUND In various situations such as pain, exposure to hot or cold, and mental stress, where physiological stress occurs, the increased excitatory response in the sympathetic efferent neurons leads to an increased return of blood flow from the peripheral veins to the right atrium. The cold pressor test (CPT) is based on the effects of a cold stimulus that activates afferent sensory pathways to trigger a sympathetic response, resulting in an increase in blood pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of the cold pressor test on popliteal vein diameter, flow velocity, and blood flow in the lower limbs in 60 healthy individuals. MATERIAL AND METHODS We included 30 men and 30 women age 18-40 years. Baseline vein diameter, flow velocity, and blood flow of the left popliteal vein were measured by Doppler ultrasound, then the left hand was immersed in a bucket of cold water. After immersing the hand in cold water for 1 minute (CPT-1), 3 measurements of vein diameter, flow velocity, and blood flow were taken again, and their averages were calculated. RESULTS In the study, data obtained from the individuals were statistically analyzed. At CPT-1, venous diameter and flow values showed significant increase compared to baseline (P=0.001, P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS In healthy volunteers, CPT increases venous flow in the popliteal veins. However, our study did not provide evidence for the hypothesis that the increase in venous return is due to venoconstriction mechanisms.

Rabbit muscle pyruvate kinase activators: Synthesis, molecular docking and theoretical studies of N-substituted sulfonamide derivatives.

Pyruvate kinase (PK) activators have potential therapeutic applications in diseases such as sickle cell anemia. In this study, N-Substituted sulfonamide derivatives of 1,4-dihydropyridines were synthesized and evaluated as PK activators in vitro and using molecular docking studies. The compounds were synthesized by reacting dicarbonyl compounds with ammonium acetate, 5-nitrobenzaldehyde, and alumina sulfuric acid (ASA), followed by reduction and sulfonylation. The structures of the compounds were analyzed using spectroscopic techniques. DFT calculations provided insights into the electronic properties. Molecular docking of the compounds into the active site of PK showed favorable binding interactions. ADME evaluation indicated suitable solubility, BBB permeation, and lack of CYP450 inhibition. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of new hybrid 1,4-dihydropyridine substituted sulfonamides as PK activators for further development. According to AC50 values, the compound (DTSF7, 0.97µM) is about 100-fold higher affective than the clinically used sulfonamide compound (AC50 = 90µM) for PK.

Beneficial effects of a novel polyherbal formulation on the skeletal muscle antioxidant status, inflammation, and muscle-signaling proteins in exercised rats.

Background/aim: Exhausting exercise can damage muscle tissue due to free radical interactions. It is hypothesized that the increase in free radicals following muscle injury, either due to oxidative damage to biomolecules or the activation of inflammatory cytokines, may lead to secondary muscle damage. This study investigated the effects of a novel joint health formula (JHF) containing bisdemethoxycurcumin-enriched curcumin, 3-O-Acetyl-11-keto-beta-boswellic acid-enriched Boswellia (AKBA), and Ashwagandha on exhaustion time, grip strength, antioxidant status, and muscle-signaling proteins in exhaustively exercised rats. Materials and methods: Twenty-eight rats were divided into four groups: Control (C), exercise (E), E + JHF 100 (100 mg/kg), and E + JHF 200 (200 mg/kg). Results: An increase in time to exhaustion and grip strength was recorded with JHF supplementation in a dose-dependent manner (p < 0.0001). In addition, serum and muscle lactate dehydrogenase, malondialdehyde, myoglobin, creatine kinase, and lactic acid concentrations were decreased in the groups supplemented with JHF, particularly at the high dose of JHF (200 mg/kg) (p < 0.0001 for all). JHF supplementation also increased antioxidant enzyme activities and suppressed the production of inflammatory cytokines compared to the exercise group (p < 0.0001). Moreover, JHF reduced the levels of PGC-1α, p-70S6K1, MAFbx, MuRF1, and p-mTOR proteins in muscle tissue compared to the exercise group (p < 0.05), being more effective at high doses. Conclusion: These findings show that JHF might reduce muscle damage by modulating antiinflammatory, antioxidant, and muscle mass regulatory pathways in exhausted training rats. At the same time, JHF improved exercise performance and grip strength.

Bovine carbonic anhydrase (bCA) inhibitors: Synthesis, molecular docking and theoretical studies of bisoxadiazole-substituted sulfonamide derivatives.

This paper describes the in vitro inhibition potential of bisoxadiazole-substituted sulfonamide derivatives (6a-t) against bovine carbonic anhydrase (bCA) after they were designed through computational analyses and evaluated the predicted interaction via molecular docking. First, in silico ADMET predictions and physicochemical property analysis of the compounds provided insights into solubility and permeability, then density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed to analyse their ionization energies, nucleophilicity, in vitro electron affinity, dipole moments and molecular interactions under vacuum and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) conditions. After calculating the theoretical inhibition constants, IC50 values determined from enzymatic inhibition were found between 12.93 and 45.77 µM. Molecular docking evaluation revealed favorable hydrogen bonding and π-interactions of the compounds within the bCA active site. The experimentally most active compound, 6p, exhibited the strongest inhibitory activity with a theoretical inhibition constant value of 9.41 nM and H-bonds with Gln91, Thr198, and Trp4 residues and His63 Pi-cation interactions with His63 residues. Overall, the study reveals promising bCA blocking potential for the synthesized derivatives, similar to acetazolamide.

Early prediction of gallstone disease with a machine learning-based method from bioimpedance and laboratory data.

Gallstone disease (GD) is a common gastrointestinal disease. Although traditional diagnostic techniques, such as ultrasonography, CT, and MRI, detect gallstones, they have some limitations, including high cost and potential inaccuracies in certain populations. This study proposes a machine learning-based prediction model for gallstone disease using bioimpedance and laboratory data. A dataset of 319 samples, comprising161 gallstone patients and 158 healthy controls, was curated. The dataset comprised 38 attributes of the participants, including age, weight, height, blood test results, and bioimpedance data, and it contributed to the literature on gallstones as a new dataset. State-of-the-art machine learning techniques were performed on the dataset to detect gallstones. The experimental results showed that vitamin D, C-reactive protein (CRP) level, total body water, and lean mass are crucial features, and the gradient boosting technique achieved the highest accuracy (85.42%) in predicting gallstones. The proposed technique offers a viable alternative to conventional imaging techniques for early prediction of gallstone disease.

Anatomy in the metaverse: Exploring student technology acceptance through the UTAUT2 model.

The impact of technology on educational domains has been a subject of research for many years. Therefore, understanding how students perceive and utilize technologies for educational purposes is crucial. Especially in a critical subject like anatomy education, it is essential to employ various models to determine students' technology acceptance and usage levels. One of these models is the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology-2 (UTAUT2). In this study, the acceptance and usage levels of metaverse technology by students in the context of anatomy education in the metaverse environment have been investigated within the framework of the UTAUT2 model. The study was conducted with students from the Department of Midwifery at the Faculty of Health Sciences during the fall semester of the 2022-2023 academic year. After 6 weeks of anatomy education in the metaverse environment, the student's acceptance and usage levels of metaverse technology were assessed using the UTAUT2 scale. The collected data were analyzed using the partial least squares structural equation modeling method. The research has revealed the technology acceptance and usage levels of students who utilized metaverse technology in anatomy education. According to the obtained results, it has been observed that social influence affects behavioral intention, facilitating conditions influence behavioral intention, and habit variable affects behavioral intention, while habit, in turn, influences usage. Other variables explain behavioral intention with a proportion of 75.30%, whereas other variables explain usage behavior with 54.90%. Upon analyzing the responses to the UTAUT2 scale, it has been concluded that there is the highest level of participation in hedonic motivation. In contrast, the habit variable has the lowest participation level. The findings of this study have enabled the identification of the impacts of metaverse technologies on anatomy and health education. These results will likely contribute to improving the utilization of metaverse technologies in anatomy and health education.

Effects of Whey Protein Combined with Amylopectin/Chromium on the Muscle Protein Synthesis and mTOR Phosphorylation in Exercised Rats.

This study aimed to examine the impact of varying doses of whey protein (WP) and amylopectin/chromium complex (ACr) supplementation on muscle protein synthesis (MPS), amino acid and insulin levels, and the rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways in exercised rats. A total of 72 rats were randomly divided into nine groups: (1) Exercise (Ex), (2) Ex + WPI to (5) Ex + WPIV with various oral doses of whey protein (0.465, 1.55, 2.33, and 3.1 g/kg) and (6) Ex + WPI + ACr to (9) Ex + WPIV + ACr with various doses of whey protein combined with 0.155 g/kg ACr. On the day of single-dose administration, the products were given by oral gavage after exercise. To measure the protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR), a bolus dose of deuterium-labeled phenylalanine was given, and its effects were evaluated 1 h after supplementation. Rats that received 3.1 g/kg of whey protein (WP) combined with ACr exhibited the most significant increase in muscle protein synthesis (MPS) compared to the Ex group (115.7%, p < 0.0001). In comparison to rats that received the same dose of WP alone, those given the combination of WP and ACr at the same dosage showed a 14.3% increase in MPS (p < 0.0001). Furthermore, the WP (3.1 g/kg) + ACr group exhibited the highest elevation in serum insulin levels when compared to the Ex group (111.9%, p < 0.0001). Among the different groups, the WP (2.33 g/kg) + ACr group demonstrated the greatest increase in mTOR levels (224.2%, p < 0.0001). Additionally, the combination of WP (2.33 g/kg) and ACr resulted in a 169.8% increase in 4E-BP1 levels (p < 0.0001), while S6K1 levels rose by 141.2% in the WP (2.33 g/kg) + ACr group (p < 0.0001). Overall, supplementation with various doses of WP combined with ACr increased MPS and enhanced the mTOR signaling pathway compared to WP alone and the Ex group.

The efficacy of abbreviated breast MRI protocols using 1.5 T MRI in the preoperative staging of newly diagnosed breast cancers.

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of abbreviated breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols using 1.5 T MRI in the preoperative staging of newly diagnosed breast cancers. METHODS: Eighty patients who underwent 1.5 T MRI between August 2014 and January 2018 for the preoperative staging of breast cancer were evaluated retrospectively. Three separate abbreviated breast MRI protocols (AP) were created from a full protocol, and the images were evaluated independently by two radiologists. AP1 included axial fat-saturated T2 weighted and diffusion-weighted (DW) images, while subtracted axial fat-saturated T1 weighted images were obtained 2 min after contrast administration in AP2. Finally, AP2 and DW images were evaluated in AP3. Lesion location, number, and size, and presence of axillary lymphadenopathy were evaluated in each protocol. Pathological data (lesion quadrant, lesion size, and presence of axillary metastases) from the 80 patients were compared with the abbreviated protocols and full diagnostic protocol. RESULTS: The best correlation with the full protocol for detecting the lesion quadrant, number of lesions, and presence of axillary lymphadenopathy was achieved with AP3 for both readers (κ = 0.954, 0.954 for the lesion quadrant, κ = 0.971, 0.910 for the number of lesions, and κ = 0.973, 0.865 for the axillary lymphadenopathy). The evaluation time in all abbreviated protocols was shorter than for the full protocol (p < 0.05). Comparing the abbreviated protocols with pathological data for both readers, the best correlation for detecting the lesion quadrant, number of lesions, and presence of axillary lymphadenopathy was achieved with AP3 (κ = 0.939, 0.954 for the lesion quadrant, κ = 0.941, 0.879 for the number of lesions, and κ = 0.842, 0.740 for axillary lymphadenopathy, respectively). CONCLUSION: Abbreviated breast MRI protocols can provide sufficient diagnostic accuracy in the preoperative staging of breast cancer, with shorter imaging and evaluation times.

Evaluation of pea/rice and amylopectin/chromium as an alternative protein source to improve muscle protein synthesis in rats.

BACKGROUND: A preclinical study reported that the combination of an amylopectin/chromium complex (ACr) of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) significantly enhanced muscle protein synthesis (MPS). This study was conducted to determine the effects of the addition of ACr complex to a pea/rice (PR) protein on MPS, insulin, muslin levels, and the mTOR pathway in exercised rats. METHODS: Twenty-four rats were divided into three groups: (i) exercise (Ex); (ii) Ex + PR 1:1 blend (0.465 g/kg BW); (iii) Ex + PR + ACr (0.155 g/kg BW). On the day of single-dose administration, after the animals were exercised at 26/m/min for 2 h, the supplement was given by oral gavage. The rats were injected with a bolus dose (250 mg/kg BW, 25 g/L) of deuterium-labeled phenylalanine to determine the protein fractional synthesis rate (FSR) one h after consuming the study product. RESULTS: The combination of PR and ACr enhanced MPS by 42.55% compared to the Ex group, while Ex + PR alone increased MPS by 30.2% over the Ex group (p < 0.0001) in exercised rats. Ex + PR plus ACr significantly enhanced phosphorylation of mTOR and S6K1 (p < 0.0001), and 4E-BP1 (p < 0.001) compared to the Ex (p < 0.0001). PR to ACr also significantly increased insulin and musclin levels (p < 0.0001) in exercised rats. Additionally, compared to Ex + PR alone, Ex + PR + ACr enhanced mTOR (p < 0.0001) and S6K1 (p < 0.0001) levels. CONCLUSION: These data suggested that PR + ACr may provide an alternative to animal proteins for remodeling and repairing muscle by stimulating MPS and mTOR signaling pathways in post-exercised rats. More preclinical and clinical human studies on combining pea/rice and amylopectin/chromium complex are required.

High-resolution diffusion-weighted imaging compared with conventional diffusion-weighted imaging and dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with regard to image quality and assessment of breast cancer morphology

PURPOSE: To evaluate the image quality and tumor morphology depiction ability of high resolution (HR) diffusion- weighted imaging (f-DWI) in comparison to conventional DWI (c-DWI) and dynamic contrast- enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) in the primary breast cancer setting. METHODS: The f-DWI, c-DWI, and DCE-MRIs of 160 malignant breast masses were evaluated retrospectively by two independent radiologists. Data on image quality [sharpness, distortion, and perceived signalto- noise ratio (SNR)], apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value, lesion size, and tumor morphology (shape, margin, and internal pattern) obtained on f-DWI, c-DWI, and DCE-MRI were compared. Consistency between the readers and imaging methods for morphological parameters was analyzed. RESULTS: The ADC values measured on f-DWI were significantly lower than those measured on c-DWI for both readers (P < 0.001 for each), whereas mean lesion size was significantly larger in c-DWI than in f-DWI and DCE-MRI for both readers (P < 0.001 for each). Higher consistency values were obtained for f-DWI compared with c-DWI when correlated with DCE-MRI for each morphological parameter. The least distorted images were obtained using DCE-MRI compared with c-DWI and f-DWI for both readers, whereas the highest distortion scores were obtained using c-DWI. Sharpness and perceived SNR scores were rated as significantly higher for f-DWI and DCE-MRI images compared with c-DWI by both readers (P < 0.001 for all). The concordance between c-DWI and DCE-MRI was fair to slight (κ = 0.15 to 0.41), whereas concordance between f-DWI and DCE-MRI was significantly better (κ = 0.68 to 0.87) for each reader and for all morphological parameters (P < 0.001). The highest concordance between the readers was achieved in margin assessment (κ = 0.87 to 0.89) regardless of the MRI method, followed by shape and internal pattern parameters (κ = 0.63 to 0.79). CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that f-DWI produces higher-quality images than c-DWI, enabling the morphological features to be identified in similar detail to that offered by HR DCE-MRI. Accordingly, f-DWI, as a method that highly correlates with DCE in determining the morphological characteristics of breast cancers, seems to have potential in the evaluation of breast tumors in patients for whom the use of contrast media is contraindicated.

Assessment of breast mass morphology with diffusion-weighted MRI: Beyond apparent diffusion coefficient.

BACKGROUND: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is a noncontrast-enhanced MRI technique. There are new promising studies on the use of DWI as a part of the enhanced or unenhanced abbreviated breast MRI protocols. PURPOSE: To evaluate the ability of breast DWI in the assessment of mass morphology and determine the contribution of this morphologic evaluation in their characterization. STUDY TYPE: Retrospective. POPULATION: In all, 213 consecutive women were breast MR imaged and had a later confirmed diagnosis. FIELD STRENGTH/SEQUENCE: Breast dynamic contrast-enhanced-MRI (DCE-MRI) and DWI at 1.5T. ASSESSMENT: After Institutional Review Board approval, two radiologists first independently, and later in consensus, evaluated the visibility and morphology of the 143 malignant, 70 benign masses on DWI and DCE-MRI in separate sessions, blindly. Shape, margin, and internal pattern of the masses were evaluated according to BI-RADS lexicon. Apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) and tumor size were measured by one radiologist. STATISTICAL TESTS: Consistency between imaging methods and readers was evaluated with Cohen's kappa statistics. Multivariate analysis was applied to find the best predictors of malignancy. RESULTS: Tumor visibility on DWI was high to moderate in at least 88% of cases. Consistency between DWI and DCE-MRI was substantial (kappa ≥0.757) for shape and margin and moderate (kappa = 0.505) for internal pattern. Interobserver agreement was substantial to moderate for all morphologic parameters (kappa ≥0.596). Morphology evaluated on DWI provided 83-84% accuracy in discriminating malignant from benign masses. ADC alone provided 90-91% accuracy. Both morphologic parameters and ADC were significantly associated with malignancy on multivariate analysis and provided 91-93% accuracy. DATA CONCLUSION: DWI might be used not only for ADC evaluation but also for the morphological evaluation of breast masses to characterize them. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 3 Technical Efficacy: Stage 2 J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2018;48:1668-1677.

Contribution of diffusion-weighted imaging to conventional MRI for detection of haemorrhagic infarction in ovary torsion.

BACKGROUND: To assess the role of DWI in differentiation haemorrhagic ovary infarction from non-haemorrhagic one. METHODS: For this prospectively designed study, of 117 female patients who presented with acute lower quadrant pain and underwent MRI for suspicion of ovary torsion, results of only 29 patients (mean age, 24.7; SD, ±5.7; age range, 18-37), with surgical and pathological confirmation of adnexal torsion, were included to the study. All patients underwent DWI after conventional MRI. Quantitative and qualitative analysis of both the torsed and contralateral normal ovary were performed. Results of conventional MRI and DWI were noted. RESULTS: At operation 15 patients were found to have haemorrhagic infarction while 14 had non-haemorrhagic infarction. Of the 29 patients, 17 torsed ovaries could be salvaged in a viable state. We found statistically significant correlation of the ADC values, between haemorrhagic and non-haemorrhagic ovary infarction. The ADC values were significantly lower in patients with haemorrhagic infarction than non-haemorrhagic ones (p < 0.001). Using an ADC threshold of 1.27, the sensitivity of DWI for haemorrhagic infarction was 0.93 and specificity 0.85. CONCLUSION: DWI may be used with a significant success for the preoperative diagnosis of haemorrhagic infarction. This may be alerting for pre-emptive surgery in avoiding serious complications and preventing irreversible structural damage of the ovary.

Ingested capsaicinoids can prevent low-fat-high-carbohydrate diet and high-fat diet-induced obesity by regulating the NADPH oxidase and Nrf2 pathways.

OBJECTIVE: Capsaicinoids (CAPs), most commonly found in chili peppers, have a multitude of pharmacological and physiological effects, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. In the present study, we set out to investigate the hypothesis that CAPs mitigate obesity in rats and the possible mechanisms thereof. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were divided into six groups, including control (±10 mg CAPs/kg body weight [BW]), low-fat-high-sucrose diet (±10 mg CAPs/kg BW), and high-fat diet (±10 mg CAPs/kg BW). Blood samples and liver and aortic tissues were taken at the end of the study. RESULTS: CAPs supplementation significantly reduced hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia (P<0.001) and ameliorated oxidative damage by reducing malondialdehyde concentrations in serum and liver and by increasing total antioxidant capacity in serum induced by the low-fat-high-sucrose and high-fat diets (P<0.001 for all). CAPs also depressed levels of NFκB p65, gp91phox, and p22phox, essential components of NADPH oxidase, in the aorta of rats. However, levels of Nrf2, Sirt1, and endothelial nitric oxide synthase were significantly increased in the aorta. CONCLUSION: CAPs may at least partially reduce adverse effects due to high-fat diet and sucrose consumption through regulation of energy metabolism, oxidative stress, and proteins involved in vasoprotection.

Granular cell tumor of the urinary bladder.

Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are extremely rare neoplasms of the bladder. In the literature, there are only a few reported cases. We present a GCT case with clinical, radiological, histomorphological, immünohistochemical findings and its differential diagnosis.

Arginine Silicate Inositol Complex Accelerates Cutaneous Wound Healing.

Arginine silicate inositol (ASI) complex is a composition of arginine, silicon, and inositol that has been shown to have beneficial effects on vascular health. This study reports the effects of an ASI ointment on wound healing in rats. A full-thickness excision wound was created by using a disposable 5 mm diameter skin punch biopsy tool. In this placebo-controlled study, the treatment group's wound areas were covered by 4 or 10 % ASI ointments twice a day for 5, 10, or 15 days. The rats were sacrificed either 5, 10, or 15 days after the wounds were created, and biopsy samples were taken for biochemical and histopathological analysis. Granulation tissue appeared significantly faster in the ASI-treated groups than in the control groups (P < 0.05). The mean unhealed wound area was significantly smaller, and the mean percentage of total wound healing was significantly higher in ASI-treated wounds than in the control wounds. Hydroxyproline, collagen, and matrix metalloproteinases were measured in the granulated tissue and found to be affected. Inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), collagen, matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB), and various cytokines (TNF-α and IL-1ß) measured in this study showed a significant fall in expression level in ASI-treated wounds. The results suggest that topical application of ASI ointment (especially 4 % concentration) has beneficial effects on the healing response of an excisional wound.