Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) extract attenuates itraconazole-induced acute oxidative stress and hepatocellular injury in rats.

In the current study, the protective effect of a mistletoe extract (Helixor®, HLX) on Itraconazole (ITZ)-induced hepatocellular injury and acute oxidative stress in rats was aimed to be investigated by histological, biochemical and comet assay methods. Four groups a control group, an HLX group (5mg/kg/14days/intraperitoneally (ip)), an ITZ group (100mg/kg/14days/oral) and an HLX plus ITZ group (5mg/kg/14days/ip+100mg/kg/14days/oral) were all created from 32 female Wistar albino rats. At the end of the experiment, AST and ALT liver enzymes, total oxidant status (TOS) levels and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels, histopathological analysis and comet assay were carried out. Highest genotoxicity, higher levels of plasma AST and ALT, higher TOS, more degeneration of liver histopathology including hepatocyte degeneration, hepatocyte apoptosis and necrosis, portal/periportal inflammation, bile ductus hyperplasia and multinuclear giant cell formation were observed in ITZ group (p<0.05). As opposed to that, administration of HLX plus ITZ improved histopathological changes and DNA damage and showed a dramatic decrease in AST, ALT and TOS levels (p<0.05) and an increase in TAS level (p<0.001) when compared to ITZ group. This study showed that the antioxidant properties of HLX administration significantly decreased acute oxidative stress and hepatocellular damage in rats given ITZ.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy prevents subarachnoid hemorrhage-induced apoptosis and impaired contractility of the rabbit bladder.

AIM: To explore the effects of experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) on rabbit urinary bladder and to assess the potential protective effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). METHODS: A total of 15 male New Zealand white rabbits were divided randomly to one of three groups: group I was spared as the control group (n = 5), group II was exposed to SAH, received no treatment, and acted as the SAH group (n = 5) and group III was exposed to SAH and received five sessions of HBOT (started 12 hours after SAH induction and was given twice daily for the first 2 days and once on the third day) and acted as the treatment group (n = 5). At 72 hours after the SAH induction, bladders from all animals were removed for in vitro organ bath experiments and biochemical analyses. RESULTS: Isometric tension studies revealed that compared to group I, the contractile responses of the strips to carbachol in group II were significantly decreased whereas HBOT restored the contractile responses (P < .05). Caspase-3 and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activities of bladder tissues were significantly increased in group II when compared with group I, whereas caspase-3 and NOS activities were significantly decreased in the tissues of group III (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Subarachnoid hemorrhage stimulates apoptosis of the rabbit bladder and impairs the contractile response of the rabbit bladder to carbachol. HBOT creates a protective effect in rabbit bladder tissues and restores SAH-induced changes.

Protective effect of date extract on rat nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin, clinical, histological and antioxidant evidences.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effect of the date extract (Phoenix dactylifera) on certain biochemical parameters and total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index in nephrotoxicity induced by gentamicin. The rats used in the study were randomly selected and divided into 4 groups, each consisting of 8 rats: control group, date extract (DE) group, gentamicin (GEN) group, gentamicin+date extract (GEN+DE) group. Blood samples and kidney tissues were taken 24 hours after eight days of trial. Urea, Creatinine, BUN, Na, Cl and K analyzes on the serum samples were carried out in auto analyzer. One of the kidney tissues was examined histopathologically. The supernatant, which was obtained by homogenizing the other kidney tissue was used in TAS and TOS analyzes. OSI was calculated using the formula. Urea, Creatinine, and BUN levels were higher in the GEN group, when compared to the other groups (p<0.001), while Na (p<0.05), Cl and K levels (p<0.001) were lower than those of the other groups. When the control group and the GEN group were compared, it was observed that the level of TAS decreased in the renal tissue and the level of TAS increased in the GEN+DE group. It was determined that TOS (p<0.01) and OSI (p<0.001) levels increased in the GEN group and renal TOS and OSI levels decreased in the GEN+DE group when compared to the GEN group. In conclusion, when the histopathological changes in kidney tissue with antioxidant and oxidant status in nephrotoxicity with gentamicin are examined, it can be said that date extract with gentamicin attenuates nephrotoxicity caused by gentamicin and date extract protects the kidney.

[Methotrexate-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Rats: Protective Effect of Mistletoe (Viscum album L.) Extract].

BACKGROUND: The protective effect of mistletoe extract (Helixor®, HLX) against methotrexate (MTX)-induced acute oxidative stress and nephrotoxicity in rats was evaluated by histological and biochemical methods as well as the comet assay. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 32 female Wistar albino rats were divided into 4 groups: control group, HLX group (5 mg/kg body weight (bw), days 1-10, intraperitoneally (i.p.)), MTX group (10 mg/kg bw, days 7, 8, and 9, i.p.), and MTX + HLX group (10 mg/kg bw, days 7, 8, and 9, i.p. + 5 mg/kg bw, days 1-10, i.p.). At the end of the experiment, the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD), nitric oxide (NO), and myeloperoxidase (MPO) levels were measured, and a histopathological analysis and comet assay were carried out. RESULTS: MTX induced renal oxidative stress and nephrotoxicity in the rats. Pretreatment with HLX significantly improved the renal GSH-Px and SOD activities in the MTX + HLX group compared to the MTX group. The decrease in the NO and MPO levels in the rat groups pretreated with HLX was not significant. The histochemical evaluation revealed that HLX provided significant improvement in the MTX-induced renal degenerative changes, including tubule distension, interstitial inflammation, perirenal inflammation, glomerular congestion, glomerular degeneration, and parenchymal hemorrhage, in the MTX + HLX group compared to the MTX-administered group. According to the comet assay, pretreatment with HLX lowered the MTX-induced DNA damage in endogenous lymphocytes, although not significantly. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that HLX administration markedly reduced the MTX-induced acute oxidative stress and nephrotoxicity in rats through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on cerebral vasospasm: a vascular morphometric study in an experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage model.

This study was undertaken to investigate the preventive or therapeutic effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on cerebral vasospasm following experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). Twenty rabbits were assigned randomly to one of four groups. Animals in Group I were not subjected to SAH or sham operation (control group, n = 5). Animals in Group II were subjected to sham operation and received no treatment after the procedure (sham group, n = 5). Animals in Group III were subjected to SAH and received no treatment after SAH induction (SAH group, n = 5). Animals in Group IV were subjected to SAH and received five sessions of HBOT at 2.4 atmospheres absolute (ATA) for 2 h (treatment group, n = 5). Animals were euthanized by perfusion and fixation 72 h after procedures. Basilar artery vasospasm indices, arterial wall thicknesses, and cross-sectional luminal areas were evaluated. Statistical comparisons were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests. Mean basilar artery vasospasm index in the treatment group was significantly smaller than in the SAH group. Mean basilar artery wall thickness in the treatment group was significantly smaller than in the SAH group. Mean basilar artery cross-sectional luminal area in the treatment group showed an increase relative to the SAH group, but this difference remained statistically insignificant. Our results demonstrated that repeated application of HBOT at 2.4 ATA for 2 h attenuated vasospastic changes such as increased vasospasm index and arterial wall thickness. HBOT is thus a promising candidate for SAH-induced vasospasm. Further studies are needed to evaluate maximal effect and optimal application regimen.

Thalamomesencephalic ossified cavernoma presenting with Holmes' tremor.

BACKGROUND: Midbrain cavernoma associated with Holmes' tremor is a rare entity. Although there have been 4 other cases of Holmes' tremor caused by a cavernoma, this is the first case that was cured by surgical removal of the cavernoma. In addition, heavy ossification and Holmes tremor as a clinical presentation are 2 unusual features of the cavernoma. Possible mechanisms of these very rare entities are discussed in relation to the present report and relevant literature is reviewed. CASE DESCRIPTION: We present a case of 60-year-old woman with heavily ossified cavernoma of the thalamomesencephalic junction with neuroimaging and histologic features. The only manifestation was Holmes' tremor. The patient was operated on via posterior interhemispheric approach while in the sitting position. After the arachnoid folds of the quadrigeminal cistern were opened, the thin neural tissue on the surface of the dorsal midbrain was incised and the lesion was visualized and totally removed as a single piece. The tremor was almost completely suppressed. CONCLUSION: Ossified cavernoma is a rare entity but has a characteristic MRI appearance. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis of intracerebral hypointense lesions on both T1- and T2-weighted MR images because they are potentially curable by surgical removal.