Decreased prostate-specific membrane antigen levels in the seminal plasma of oligoasthenoteratozoospermic men.

Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a transmembrane glycoprotein with glutamate carboxypeptidase activity. However, its precise function in the prostate, prostasomes and seminal plasma with regard to male fertility remains unknown. This study was conducted to investigate the seminal plasma PSMA levels in fertile men and patients with oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT) and to analyse its association with sperm parameters. Twenty fertile men and twenty patients admitted at the urology clinic of our institution with the diagnosis of OAT were included in the study. Following semen analysis, seminal plasma was isolated from semen ejaculates. PSMA concentrations in the seminal plasma were determined by ELISA. The correlations between seminal PSMA concentrations and semen parameters were statistically analysed. Seminal plasma PSMA concentration was significantly lower in OAT patients compared to fertile controls (p < .01). In fertile men, PSMA concentration was significantly correlated with the sperm concentration (r = -.481, p < .05), whereas in the patient group no statistically significant correlation was found between the sperm parameters and seminal PSMA level. This is the first study in the literature to investigate PSMA levels in the seminal plasma from infertile men. Decreased levels of seminal plasma PSMA might suggest a role for compromised prostasome function in the pathogenesis of OAT syndrome.

Neurotrophic factors in bipolar disorders patients with manic episode

Background/aim: Neurotrophins are one of the most important molecule groups affecting cerebral neuroplasticity. The amount of evidence about the role of changes in neuroplasticity in the pathophysiology of bipolar disease is growing. Materials and methods: We measured serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-2, neuritin 1 (Nrn 1) in bipolar 1 manic episode patients (n = 45) and healthy control group. Results: When controlled for age, BMI and cortisol, it was found that the serum levels of BDNF, NGF, NT-3, VEGF and FGF-2 of bipolar manic episode patients were not statistically different compared to those of the control group. GDNF level and Nrn 1 levels were significantly lower (P = 0.003 and P = 0.025 respectively) while IGF-1 levels were significantly higher than the control group (P = 0.0001). ROC analysis was performed and the area under the the curve was calculated as 0.737, 0.766 for GDNF, IGF-1 respectively. Conclusion: The changes in the levels of GDNF, IGF-1 and Nrn 1 might be involved in pathopysiology of bipolar disorder, and GDNF, IGF-1 may be considered as state markers in bipolar manic episode.

Adipocytokines and ghrelin level of bipolar patients from manic episode to euthymic episode.

PURPOSE: Obesity and metabolic syndrome (MeS) are more frequently observed in bipolar patients than the general population. This may result from the differences of adipocytokines and ghrelin levels in bipolar disorder. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We evaluated the leptin, adiponectin, resistin and ghrelin levels in bipolar patients (n = 30) in manic episode and in a control group (n = 30). After treatment, the same patients were evaluated again during the euthymic episode. We also measured the insulin, glucose, insulin resistance (HOMA), trygliceride (TG), total cholesterol (TCHOL), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) in relation to the (MeS). RESULTS: When controlling for age, BMI and glucose, leptin levels were higher in the bipolar disorder manic episode group (BD-ME) and bipolar euthymic episode group (BD-EE) than the control group; resistin levels were higher in the BD-ME compared to the control group and it had a positive correlation with Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS). After treatment, ghrelin levels were higher in the BD-EE compared to the BD-ME group. There was no difference among the groups with respect to adiponectin. CONCLUSIONS: The present results point that high leptin, resistin and ghrelin levels may be involved in the early pathophysiological process which can lead to later obesity and MeS in patients with bipolar disorder.

Influence of α-tocopherol and α-lipoic acid on bisphenol-A-induced oxidative damage in liver and ovarian tissue of rats.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a commonly used material in daily life, and it is argued to cause oxidative stress in liver and ovarian tissue. α-Lipoic acid (ALA) and α-tocopherol (ATF), two of the most effective antioxidants, may play a role in preventing the toxic effect. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the beneficial effects of ALA, ATF, and that of ALA + ATF combination on oxidative damage induced by BPA. Female Wistar rats were divided into five groups (control, BPA, BPA + ALA, BPA + ATF, and BPA + ALA + ATF). BPA (25 mg/kg/day), ALA (100 mg/kg/day), and ATF (20 mg/kg/day) were administered for 30 days. The levels of serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT), liver malondialdehyde (L-MDA) and glutathione peroxidase (L-GPx), and ovarian malondialdehyde (Ov-MDA) and nitric oxide (Ov-NO) were significantly higher in the BPA-treated groups compared with the control group. The levels of AST and ALT decreased in the BPA + ALA, BPA + ATF, and BPA + ALA + ATF groups compared with the BPA group. Similarly, BPA + ALA or BPA + ATF led to decreases in L-MDA and Ov-MDA levels compared with the BPA group. However, the BPA + ALA + ATF group showed a significant decrease in L-MDA levels compared with the BPA + ALA group and the BPA + ATF group. The levels of L-GPx decreased in the BPA + ATF and the BPA + ALA + ATF groups compared with the BPA group. The administration of ATF and ALA + ATF significantly decreased the Ov-NO levels. This study demonstrates that BPA causes oxidative damage in liver and ovarian tissues. ALA, ATF, or their combination were found to be beneficial in preventing BPA-induced oxidative stress.

Decreased dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate levels in adolescents with post-traumatic stress disorder after single sexual trauma.

BACKGROUND: Recent evidence shows that the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis can be dysregulated in chronic sexual abuse victims with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesized that PTSD in adolescents exposed to a single sexual trauma may function as a chronic stressor leading to HPA-axis dysregulation. AIMS: The objective of this study was to assess dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) and cortisol levels in female adolescents |with single sexual trauma-related PTSD compared to healthy controls. METHOD: We assessed 20 female adolescent (age 12-18) single sexual trauma victims with PTSD from the Ondokuz Mayis University Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry between December 2013 and December 2014. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the Child Depression Inventory (CDI) and Child Posttraumatic Stress Reaction Index (CPSRI). Blood cortisol and DHEA-S were measured in 20 female adolescent sexual abuse victims with PTSD and 20 healthy adolescents after 12-h fasting using the chemiluminescence method. RESULTS: Compared to age-matched controls, female adolescent sexual abuse victims with PTSD had significantly lower DHEA-S levels (U = 70.00, Z = - 3.517, p = 0.01, r = 0.55). There was also a significant negative correlation between DHEA-S and CDI scores (Spearman r = - 0.522, p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Decreased DHEA-S levels and correlation with depressive symptoms are evidence for a dysregulated HPA-axis in female adolescent single sexual trauma victims with PTSD. Further research is now recommended with large patient groups in order to maximize generalizations.

Ischemia-modified albumin is not better than creatine kinase-MB and cardiac troponin I in predicting a cardiac injury in nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: The aims were to investigate the role of serum ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) and to evaluate the relationship between IMA and cardiac markers (creatine kinase myocardial isoenzyme [CK-MB] and cardiac troponin I [cTnI]) related to cardiac abnormalities in adult patients after nontraumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with nontraumatic SAH admitted to the emergency department and 20 healthy adults as the control group were included in the study. Ischemia-modified albumin, TNF-α, MPO, CK-MB, cTnI, and leukocyte count (white blood cell [WBC]) in the circulation were measured on admission. RESULTS: Ischemia-modified albumin, TNF-α, and MPO levels were higher by mean values of 11.6%, 9.5%, and 2.9%, respectively, in patients with SAH compared with control group. However, levels of these parameters were not statistically different between the groups (P > .05). However, WBC, CK-MB, and cTnI values were significantly higher in patients with SAH compared with healthy control (P < .001, P < .01, and P < .05, respectively). White blood cell and cTnI levels in the circulation were positively correlated with patients' clinical severity (r = 0.598, P = .001 and r = 0.461, P = .012, respectively). Ischemia-modified albumin has a poor diagnostic value in comparison with WBC, CK-MB, and cTnI tests to differentiate between patients after SAH and controls according to receiver operating characteristic curve. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that IMA is not better than CK-MB and cTnI in predicting a cardiac injury in patients after nontraumatic SAH.

Effect of 900 MHz radiofrequency radiation on oxidative stress in rat brain and serum.

The increasing use of mobile telephones raises the question of possible adverse effects of the electromagnetic fields (EMF) that these phones produce. In this study, we examined the oxidative stress in the brain tissue and serum of rats that resulted from exposure to a 900-MHz EMF at a whole body average specific absorption rate (SAR) of 1.08 W/kg for 1 h/day for 3 weeks. We also examined the antioxidant effect of garlic powder (500 mg/kg/day) given orally to EMF-exposed rats. We found that malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.001) and advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) (p < 0.05) increased in rat brain tissue exposed to the EMF and that garlic reduced these effects (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference in the nitric oxide (NO) levels in the brain. Paraoxonase (PON) was not detected in the brain. There was a significant increase in the levels of NO (p < 0.001) detected in the serum after EMF exposure, and garlic intake did not affect this increase in NO. Our results suggest that there is a significant increase in brain lipid and protein oxidation after electromagnetic radiation (EMR) exposure and that garlic has a protective effect against this oxidative stress.

Increased levels of lipid and protein oxidation in rat prefrontal cortex after treatment by lithium, valproic acid, and olanzapine.

Oxidative stress is widely accepted to contribute to the pathogenesis of several psychiatric diseases. Many antipsychotic drugs and mood stabilizers act through restoration of the dysregulated oxidative homeostasis in the brain. However, the long-term effect of these drugs per se in terms of their potential to interfere with the oxidative status in the brain remains largely controversial. The present study aimed to investigate the sole effect of three commonly used psychoactive drugs, lithium, valproic acid, and olanzapine, on lipid and protein oxidation status in the prefrontal cortex of healthy rats. A total of 80 adult male albino Wistar rats were used, and groups were treated with saline (control), lithium, valproic acid, or olanzapine daily for 30 days. Following sacrification, right prefrontal cortexes were dissected and homogenized. Lipid peroxidation (LPO) and protein oxidation (AOPP) assays were performed by ELISA. LPO levels were significantly higher in lithium and valproic acid-treated rats by 45% and 40%, respectively. Olanzapine treatment caused a mild 26% increase in LPO levels, but the effect was non-significant. Lithium, valproic acid, and olanzapine treatments significantly increased AOPP levels by 58%, 54%, and 36.5%, respectively. There was a strong positive correlation between the lipid peroxidation and protein oxidation levels. Our results call attention to the need to consider the pro-oxidative capacity of antipsychotic drugs per se and their potential to disturb the oxidative homeostasis in the brain during long-term medication for psychiatric diseases.

Increased growth hormone secretagogue receptor-1a (GHSR-1a) in hypothalamus during olanzapine treatment in rats.

Weight gain is the one of the most important factors which increases global burden of psychiatric disorder. Second-generation antipsychotics, olanzapine (Olz) and valproic acid (Vpa) in particular, are held responsible for weight gain. However, it is still uncertain how these drugs cause this. Thus, the rats selected for the experiment were randomly divided into 3 groups. The 1st group received only 0.5 ml saline solution intraperitoneally (n = 20, control group); the second group was given 200 mg / kg Vpa intraperitoneally (n = 20, Vpa group) and 2 mg / kg Olz was given intraperitoneally to the 3rd group (n = 20, Olz group) between 8 and 10 am for 30 days. We examined serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin, TNF-α, IL-6, ghrelin level and, the amount of ghrelin secreting cells in the stomach and growth hormone secretagogue receptor-1a (GHSR-1a, ghrelin receptor) expression in the hypothalamus. The hypothalamic GHS-1a receptor index was significantly higher in the Olz group compared with the control group and Vpa group (p = 0.036 and p = 0.016 respectively). Ghrelin immune positive cell index in stomach was statistically significantly lower in the Vpa group compared with the control and Olz groups (p = 0.028 and p = 0.013 respectively) There was no difference between the groups in terms of serum leptin, resistin, IL-6 and ghrelin levels. In the Vpa group, a statistically significant increase was found in serum adiponectin level compared with both the control group and the Olz group (p = 0009 and p = 0024 respectively) and, significant decrease was found in serum TNF-α level compared to Olz group (p = 0007). In conclusion, we found that the main cause of weight gain in Olz use was the increase in the number of hypothalamic ghrelin receptors. Investigating the mechanism by which Olz increases the number of ghrelin receptors may help to develop effective treatment strategies in preventing obesity in psychiatric patients.

The Effect of Biomarkers and Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter in Determining Mortality in non-Traumatic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

AIM: Although radiological methods are sufficient for the diagnosis of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), additional biomarkers are needed to predict prognosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of serum S100B protein, Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP) levels and, Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter (ONSD) on mortality and clinical severity in patients with spontaneous SAH. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty-six patients who were diagnosed with SAH after first evaluation in the emergency department (ED) were included in the study group; Forty-six patients who were admitted to the ED with headache of non-intracranial etiology, were included as the control group. Cerebral computed tomography (CT) images and peripheral blood samples were obtained from all patients; at the time of diagnosis and 24 h after diagnosis. Serum S100B protein and GFAP levels were measured from the blood samples and ONSD was measured on CT. RESULTS: Serum S100B protein and GFAP levels and, ONSDs at the time of diagnosis and 24 h after diagnosis were significantly higher in the study group (p < 0.05). Both GFAP levels and ONSD at the time of diagnosis and 24 h after the diagnosis were found to be related with increased mortality (p < 0.05). A similar association was found for serum S100B protein levels 24 h after the diagnosis, but not at the time of diagnosis (p = 0.540). CONCLUSION: Serum S100B protein and GFAP levels and, ONSD were increased in patients with spontaneous SAH. All parameters were found to be associated with increased mortality.

Increased Ghrelin Levels and Unchanged Adipocytokine Levels in Major Depressive Disorder.

OBJECTIVE: One of the hypotheses of the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) proposes that there is a relationship between adipocytokine and ghrelin levels and depression. METHODS: Patients with major depression with a BMI ≤25 kg/m2 between the ages of 11 and 18 years (n = 30) were compared with a healthy control group (n = 30). Both groups were evaluated across a pretreatment period (MD-PT) and an improved period (MD-I). We measured serum leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and ghrelin levels and other parameters related to metabolic syndrome, such as glucose, insulin, insulin resistance (homeostasis model assessment [HOMA]), triglycerides (TG), and total cholesterol (TCHOL). RESULTS: Leptin, adiponectin, and resistin levels did not differ across groups; however, ghrelin levels were increased in the MD-I group compared with the control and MD-PT groups (p < 0.05). HOMA levels were also higher in the MD-PT group than in the control group (p < 0.05). After treatment, there was no difference in this measurement. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between adipocytokines and major depression may be dependent on ghrelin levels as a result of antidepressant treatment and subsequent obesity.

Oxidative stress in bipolar and schizophrenia patients.

Oxidative stress has an important place in studies investigating the pathophysiology of psychiatric diseases. In spite of this fact, longitudinal studies are required to clarify the subject. Therefore, in this study, we examined lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, total oxidized guanine species, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total glutathione (GSH) levels in blood collected from adult bipolar patients (n=18) during manic and euthymic episodes, schizophrenic patients (n=18) during acute psychotic attack and remission phases and the control group (n=18). There was a significant increase in the level of lipid peroxidation in the bipolar disorder manic episode group (BD-ME) compared to control group. The level of protein oxidation was significantly higher in the schizophrenia acute psychotic attack group (SZ-APA) compared to the control group. The level of total oxidized guanine species was statistically higher in all psychiatric groups compared to the control group. There was no significant difference among the groups with regard to SOD and GSH. Consequently, we believe that lipid peroxidation may be effective in the pathogenesis of bipolar patients; that protein oxidation may be of importance in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and that total oxidized guanine species may be crucial in the pathogeneses of both psychiatric disorders.

Evaluation of body weight, insulin resistance, leptin and adiponectin levels in premenopausal women with hyperprolactinemia.

The effects of hyperprolactinemia on metabolic parameters are not clear and a few data evaluating adiponectin levels in prolactinoma and idiopathic hyperprolactinemia exist. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hyperprolactinemia on body weight, insulin resistance, beta cell function, and leptin and adiponectin levels in premenopausal women with hyperprolactinemia. Forty premenopausal women with prolactinoma or idiopathic hyperprolactinemia were compared to 41 age-matched healthy premenopausal women with regard to body weight, body mass index, waist and hip circumferences, waist to hip ratio, fasting plasma glucose, insulin levels, insulin resistance measured by homeostasis model assessment (HOMA)-insulin resistance index, beta cell function measured by HOMA-ß index, leptin and adiponectin levels. Plasma insulin levels and HOMA indexes (both insulin resistance and beta indexes) were significantly higher in hyperprolactinemic women. The other parameters were similar between both groups. There was a positive correlation between prolactin levels and fasting plasma glucose in hyperprolactinemic women. The results of this study showed that high prolactin levels may be associated with hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance in premenopausal women. This effect seems to be independent of body weight, leptin and adiponectin levels. High prolactin levels may directly stimulate insulin secretion from pancreas and directly cause hepatic and whole-body insulin resistance.

Oxidative stress induced by 1.8 GHz radio frequency electromagnetic radiation and effects of garlic extract in rats.

PURPOSE: We aimed to study the oxidative damage induced by radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) emitted by mobile telephones and the protective effect of garlic extract used as an anti-oxidant against this damage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 66 albino Wistar rats were divided into three groups. The first group of rats was given 1.8 GHz, 0.4 W/kg specific absorption rate (SAR) for 1 h a day for three weeks. The second group was given 500 mg/kg garlic extract in addition to RF-EMR. The third group of rats was used as the control group. At the end of the study, blood and brain tissue samples were collected from the rats. RESULTS: After the RF-EMR exposed, the advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP) levels of brain tissue increased compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Garlic administration accompanying the RF-EMR, on the other hand, significantly reduced AOPP levels in brain tissue (p < 0.001). The serum nitric oxide (NO) levels significantly increased both in the first and second group (p < 0.001). However, in the group for which garlic administration accompanied that of RF-EMR, there was no difference in serum NO levels compared with the RF-EMR exposed group (p > 0.05). There was no significant difference among the groups with respect to malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in brain tissue and blood samples (p > 0.05). Similarly, no difference was detected among the groups regarding serum paroxonase (PON) levels (p > 0.05). We did not detect any PON levels in the brain tissue. CONCLUSIONS: The exposure of RF-EMR similar to 1.8 GHz Global system for mobile communication (GSM) leads to protein oxidation in brain tissue and an increase in serum NO. We observed that garlic administration reduced protein oxidation in brain tissue and that it did not have any effects on serum NO levels.