Anti-Inflammatory, Antioxidant and Neuroprotective Effects of Niacin on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats.

AIM: To study the effects of niacin, a water-soluble vitamin, on inflammation, oxidative stress and apoptotic processes observed after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 25 Wistar albino male rats were randomly divided into control (n=9), TBI + Placebo group (n=9), TBI + niacin (500 mg/kg; n=7) groups. Mild TBI was performed under anesthesia by dropping a 300 g weight from a height of 1 meter onto the skull. Behavioral tests were applied before and 24 hours after TBI. Luminol and lucigenin levels and tissue cytokine levels were measured. Histopathological damage was scored in brain tissue. RESULTS: After mild TBI, luminol and lucigenin levels were increased (p < 0.001), and their levels were decreased with niacin treatment (p < 0.01-p < 0.001). An increased score was obtained with trauma in the tail suspension test (p < 0.01), showing depressive behavior. The number of entries to arms in Y-maze test were decreased in TBI group compared to pre-traumatic values (p < 0.01), while discrimination (p < 0.05) and recognition indices (p < 0.05) in object recognition test were decreased with trauma, but niacin treatment did not change the outcomes in behavioral tests. Levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 were decreased with trauma, and increased with niacin treatment (p < 0.05). The histological damage score was increased with trauma (p < 0.001), and decreased with niacin treatment in the cortex (p < 0.05), and hippocampal dentate gyrus region (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Niacin treatment after mild TBI inhibited trauma-induced production of reactive oxygen derivatives and elevated the anti-inflammatory IL-10 level. Niacin treatment ameliorated the histopathologically evident damage.

Evaluation of toxic effects of dapagliflozin on reproductive system in diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Dapagliflozin (DAPA), sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, is an insulin-independent antidiabetic drug used to control hyperglycaemia by promoting glucose excretion from the kidney. Its adverse effects include orthostatic hypotension, dehydration and urinary tract and genital infections caused by glycosuria. DAPA is subjected to constant additional monitoring, as drugrelated adverse reactions are frequently updated in line with the results of case studies, clinical trials and in vivo studies. Some antidiabetic drugs have shown potential harmful effects on the male reproductive system; however, the effects of DAPA have not been sufficiently studied in this capacity. Aiming to fill this gap in the literature, the present work investigates the toxic effects of DAPA on the male reproductive system. METHODS: Diabetes was induced using streptozotocin (STZ) in adult male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats. DAPA (10 mg/kg) was administered by gavage to the diabetic rats over 28 days, after which the animals were sacrificed. The biochemical, morphological and histological examinations were performed on testicle, sperm and plasma samples. RESULTS: As a result of this study, we observed reproductive system damage in the form of induction of apoptosis in the seminiferous tubules, changes in testis and sperm parameters and oxidative damage, alongside the development of diabetes in test animals. With the exception of sperm morphological damage, the changes observed in diabetic animals treated with DAPA were similar to those of the control group. Improvements were observed in histological, hormonal and proliferative parameters in the DAPA group compared to the DC group. DISCUSSION: Even if DAPA is found to have antioxidant effects, it may raise abnormal sperm counts through a mechanism completely independent of these effects and thus may not have a significant toxic effect on the male reproductive system.