Physiological aspect of apoptosis-regulating microRNAs expressions during fasting.

OBJECTIVE: Fasting is an activity that requires a certain calorie restriction without consuming food or drinks for a certain period of daytime. However, fasting triggers many complex events, including activating cellular stress response pathways, autophagy promotion, apoptosis pathways, and a change in hormonal balance. Among the many events affecting the regulation of apoptosis, the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) plays an important role. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the levels and importance of miRNA expression in fasting. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The expressions of 19 miRNAs regulating different pathways from saliva samples, isolated by matching healthy university students (n = 34) as group 1 (fasting for 17 consecutive hours) and group 2 (testing 70 minutes after meal consumption), were examined using the real-time PCR method. RESULTS: In fasting, modulation of apoptotic pathways by miRNAs triggers anti-pathogenic effects, and the adaptation of abnormal cells in the body decreases. For this reason, vital diseases, such as cancer, can be treated by preventing the proliferation and growth of cancerous cells by increasing programmed cell death due to the downregulation expression mechanism of miRNAs. CONCLUSIONS: Our study aims to improve the knowledge about the mechanisms and functions of miRNAs in various apoptosis pathways during fasting and may be a model for further future physiological and pathological studies.

A rare solitary fibrous tumour of the ascending mesocolon: a case report.

Solitary fibrous tumours are rare mesenchymal tumours which mostly arise from pleura. Such tumours occurring in the mesocolon are exceptionally rare. A 35-year-old man was referred to the general surgery department with a painless and nonpalpable mass in the right quadrant of the abdomen, which was detected incidentally on magnetic resonance imaging. The patient had no symptoms and the physical examination revealed no findings. The patient underwent surgical resection and excisional biopsy results revealed an intra-abdominal solitary fibrous tumour originating from the ascending mesocolon. He was discharged two days after surgery and remained disease-free at the end of the two-month follow-up period.