Effects of Nimodipine and Nigella sativa on Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis in Serum and Brain Tissue of Rats with Experimental Head Trauma.

AIM: To investigate whether Nimodipine (N) and Nigella sativa (NS) oil have protective, antioxidant effects in brain injury caused by experimental head trauma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty albino Wistar rats were randomly divided into 5 groups that underwent experimental head trauma. Oxidative parameters were compared in the serum and brain tissue of the different groups. In addition, apoptosis and caspase-3 immunoreactivity were evaluated by histopathological examination. RESULTS: Serum total antioxidant status (TAS) levels were significantly increased in N and N+NS groups when compared with controls (p=0.001, p < 0.01). Tissue TAS levels were significantly higher in the NS and N+NS groups compared to controls (p=0.001, p < 0.01). Total oxidant status levels in the brain tissue were significantly higher in the NS group than in the control group (p=0.021). CONCLUSION: N and NS were shown to significantly reduce the occurrence of oxidative stress in secondary brain injury due to head trauma. We also found that apoptosis levels decreased in response to N, NS and N+NS treatments after head trauma.

The Healing Effects of Thymoquinone and Dexpanthenol in Sciatic Nerve Compression Injury in Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Functional healing of peripheral nerve injuries is still difficult. In this study, potential healing effects of thymoquinone and dexpanthenol in sciatic nerve compression injury (SCI) were investigated. Method: Twenty-four male Wistar albino rats which were applied compression injury to their sciatic nerves were randomly separated into four groups as following: "control" group contained six rats administered no pharmacological agent; "TMK" group consisted of six rats administered 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal thymoquinone once a day for one week; "DXP" group contained six rats administered 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal dexpanthenol once a day for one week; and "TMK-DXP" group consisted of six rats administered separately 10 mg/kg intraperitoneal thymoquinone and 50 mg/kg intraperitoneal dexpenthanol once a day for one week. Four weeks later from SCI, sciatic nerve function index (SFI) was applied before sacrifice of all rats, and then their crushed sciatic nerves were histopathologically examined, in terms of "Schwann cell count", "axon and myelin degeneration", "axon shape/size differences", "fibrosis", and "neovascularisation". Results: "Schwann cell count" (p = 0.011), "axon and myelin degeneration" (p = 0.001), "axon shape/size differences" (p = 0.011), and "fibrosis and neovascularisation" (p = 0.026) scores were different between the control and TMK-DXP groups. SFI scores were different between the control and TMK groups (p = 0.002), between the control and TMK-DXP groups (p < 0.001), and between the DXP and TMK-DXP groups (p = 0.029). Conclusions: This study results revealed that these pharmacological agents used alone had no histopathological healing effect in rats with SCI, but thymoquinone could improve walking function. However, thymoquinone and dexpanthenol used together had a significant histopathological and functional healing effect.

The Effects of Microdecompression on Patients with Lumbar Degenerative Spinal Stenosis with or without Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.

AIM: To investigate the mid-term efficacy of bilateral decompression with a unilateral approach (BDUA) on symptoms and quality of life of in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), with low grade (with percentage slip < 25%) degenerative spondylolisthesis or without spondylolisthesis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included patients who underwent BDUA due to one or two-level LSS related to degenerative spondylosis and/ or degenerative spondylolisthesis. Pre- and postoperative data of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and walking distance were compared. RESULTS: Evaluation was made up of a total of 53 patients, comprising 32 males and 21 females with a mean age of 60.6 ± 9.0 years. Compared with the preoperative data, VAS, ODI and walking distance improved significantly in all patients at the 3-year follow-up examination. Furthermore, a significant improvement was determined in the clinical parameters of patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis, with no worsening of slip and no requirement for instrumentation. Moreover, when patients were separated into two groups according to age, as elderly ( > 60 years) and adult ( < 60 years), similar improvements were seen in both groups. CONCLUSION: BDUA could be quite effective in reducing pain, improving quality of life and walking distance with no worsening of the grade or degree of slipping.

High risk of pituitary dysfunction due to aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: a prospective investigation of anterior pituitary function in the acute phase and 12 months after the event.

OBJECTIVE: Recent investigations have provided evidence for a high prevalence of pituitary dysfunction in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH). However, apart from one study, all of the previous data were obtained from retrospective studies. To our knowledge there is no previously reported study in which pituitary function was investigated in the same patients immediately after SAH and 12 months later. The aim of this study was to understand the prevalence and progression of anterior pituitary hormone deficiencies both in the acute phase of SAH and 12 months after the event. PATIENTS AND DESIGN: Twenty-two SAH patients (11 men, 11 women) were included in the study. Pituitary function was evaluated in the early acute phase (within 24 h of admission) and after 12 months. RESULTS: Pituitary hormone deficiencies in the acute phase were as follows: 31.8% had gonadotrophin, 22.7% had ACTH and 22.7% had GH deficiencies. At 12 months after SAH: 0.0% had gonadotrophin, 13.6% had ACTH and 36.4% had GH deficiencies. Overall, after 12 months, pituitary hormone deficiencies recovered in 15 (68.2%) patients and new-onset pituitary hormone deficiencies were present in nine (40.9%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: GH deficiency (GHD) was the most common pituitary deficit at 12 months after SAH and the majority of the patients (87.5%) had isolated GHD. During the 12-month follow-up, pituitary function was found to either improve or worsen in a considerable number of patients.

A Comparison of Bilateral Decompression via Unilateral Approach and Classic Laminectomy in Patients with Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A retrospective Clinical Study.

AIM: Bilateral decompression via unilateral approach is one of the minimally invasive methods used for degenerative spinal stenosis. The aim of this retrospective study was to observe the clinical and radiological results of classic laminectomy and bilateral decompression via unilateral approach applied for lumbar stenosis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 40 patients who underwent surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis with different techniques was reviewed retrospectively. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the surgical technique. In the first group, patients underwent classic laminectomy, while in the second group patients underwent bilateral decompression via unilateral approach. Preoperative and postoperative computed tomography section areas of both groups were examined. Visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to evaluate low back and leg pain in preoperative and postoperative 1, 6, and 12 months. The two groups were compared in respect of surgery time and bleeding. RESULTS: In both groups, postoperative low back and leg pain VAS scores declined compared to the preoperative condition. Low back pain VAS scores were lower at postoperartive 1, 6, and 12 months. The bleeding was higher in the 1st group, whereas the surgery time was higher in the 2nd group. CONCLUSION: Bilateral decompression through unilateral approach is an effective method without instability effect, which provides sufficient decompression in the degenerative stenosis and increases patient comfort in the postoperative period.