Investigation of the effects of in ovo taurine injection on hatching characteristics and stress reduction potential.

BACKGROUND: In ovo application is the process of administering some nutrients or components into the egg. The main purpose of this application is to ensure that some nutrients are provided to chicks with a short incubation period. Few studies were conducted with taurine in fertile eggs; especially, no observation of hatchability and chick quality has been found. In addition, taurine has an anti-stress impact that fights oxidative factors. OBJECTIVE: To assess the hatchability and chick quality after in ovo taurine administration. To determine the stress that may occur as a result of in ovo application and whether taurine has a stress-reducing effect. METHODS: A total of 1200 fertile eggs from a 34-week-old broiler breeder (Ross 308) flock were categorized into 4 groups with 75 eggs per replicate: control (uninjected), taurine group (0.30 mL dissolved taurine in distilled water), sham control (sterile distilled water) and perforation (eggs perforated and then waxed). On day 14 of incubation, an in ovo injection was administered to the albumen. Data on hatching parameters and hepatic HSP70 levels were obtained using relevant formulas and western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: Control chicks exhibited higher hatchability than other groups, with the taurine group showing the lowest hatchability. The HSP70 levels were the highest in the perforation group compared to the control group. An increase of 21.37% in the taurine group and 83.45% in the sham control group was observed compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that in ovo application may induce increased stress, whereas taurine may have positive effects in mitigating the stress caused by in ovo application.

Multiple regenerative nodular hyperplasia in the left infrarenal vena cava accompanied by Abernethy malformation.

The current study presents the case of a 19-year-old male patient who was detected with an increased alanine aminotransferase and aspartate transaminase levels during a preoperative evaluation of the right inguinal hernia operation and was later found to have Abernethy malformation accompanied by multiple regenerative nodular hyperplasia and left intra renal inferior vena cava. Regenerative nodular hyperplasia accompanying these two abnormalities is extremely rare and to the best of our knowledge, such a case has not been reported to date. Abdominal ultrasound (US) and color Doppler US, dynamic abdominal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and portography examinations were performed and a type 2 Abernethy malformation, partial malrotation of the inferior vena cava, and regenerative nodular hyperplasia were detected. We aimed to discuss the radiological signs of these two accompanying abnormalities with a literature review.

Nasopharyngeal carcinomas: prognostic factors and treatment features.

PURPOSE: We retrospectively evaluated the clinical, radiological and pathological features determining the prognosis of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Ankara Oncology Hospital, Turkey. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Two hundred and fifty-nine patients, 74 women and 185 males with nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated between 1993 and 2008. All imaging data including CT and MRI were reevaluated according to the criteria which determine parapharyngeal, oropharyngeal, nasal, skull-base (bone)/sinus, infratemporal fossa, orbit, intracranial involvements and lymph node metastasis by our radiologists. The patients were restaged using the AJCC 2002 classification with these new radiological findings and clinical data base. We evaluated prognostic factors using univariate Kaplan- Meier and multivariate Cox regression analyses. Gender, age (40-year cut-off), histology, T- and N-stage, tumor size, regional involvement, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy and response to therapy were studied as variables. RESULTS: Five-year disease-free and overall survival rates were 45 +/- 4 % and 72 +/- 3 % , respectively. We found that age, gender, WHO type, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy, N-stage and response to therapy were significant prognostic factors on disease-free survival and overall survival. In the chemo-radiotherapy group, we did not detect any survival difference between patients given four or fewer chemotherapy courses. CONCLUSIONS: Radiotherapy improved survival but chemotherapy, in the neoadjuvant and adjuvant setting, had no added effect to radiotherapy. N-stage and response to treatment were the most important independent predictors on survival. Age, gender, type, therapy and bone/sinus involvement were among the predictive factors on multivariate analysis, as well. KEY WORDS: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma - Prognostic factor - MRI - CT - Radiotherapy - Chemotherapy.