Investigation of postoperative erectile dysfunction in colorectal surgery patients and comparison of results.

BACKGROUND: Although surgical treatment is curative for colorectal cancers, erectile dysfunction (ED) is one of the complications that affect the patient quality of life. The present study aimed to evaluate sexual dysfunction in patients who underwent anterior resection (AR) and low AR (LAR) surgery secondary to rectosigmoid pathologies in our clinic, to analyze the effective variables, and to compare the results. METHODS: In the retrospectively designed study, male patients who underwent surgery for malignancy or other surgical pathologies in the General Surgery Clinic between January 2017 and December 2022 were examined. Female gender, patients under 18 years of age, and patients who refused to participate in the study were excluded. RESULTS: The high age of the patient increased the risk of severe ED in the postoperative period. However, surgical technique, alcohol use, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, and Clavien-Dindo class were not determinants in the presence of severe ED. CONCLUSION: ED is an emerging medical problem that affects patients who undergo colorectal surgery adversely both in social and psychological aspects. Discussions on the issue are still ongoing. Clinicians' concerns can be addressed in the future as the number of prospectively designed studies involving more homogeneous and larger populations increases.

Non-malignant left colon emergency surgery: evaluation of factors affecting clinical outcomes and complications.

BACKGROUND: Emergency colorectal resections hold a significant position in general surgical practice, and pathologies of the left colon are relatively common. This study was conducted to assess the outcomes of isolated left colon surgeries with benign etiologies, drawing on clinicopathological and biochemical data. METHODS: We carried out a retrospective review and statistical analysis of demographic, clinical, and laboratory data of patients who underwent left colon surgery at the general surgery clinic of a tertiary care hospital, excluding those with malignancy-related emergencies, from January 2017 to January 2022. RESULTS: The average age of the 48 patients in the study was 56.9±16.4 years. Complicated acute diverticulitis was the most frequent indication for emergency surgery (n=19, 39.6%). The Hartmann procedure was the surgical technique most often employed (n=30, 62.5%). The rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality within 30 days were 27.1% and 8.3%, respectively. Increased postoperative morbidity was linked to advanced age (mean 65.4±15.8 vs. 53.8±15.7, p=0.028), the preoperative administration of vasopressors, lower platelet counts, hypoalbuminemia (<3 mg/dl), and azotemia (blood urea nitrogen >20 mg/dl). There was no statistically significant correlation between comorbidities, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) scores, surgical methods, or other clinical data and postoperative outcomes. CONCLUSION: For emergency colorectal surgery pertaining to left colon pathologies, it is critical to conduct a comprehensive evaluation in the perioperative period, especially for elderly and hypotensive patients with renal function abnormalities and for those requiring vasopressors.

Can The Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) be used to predict mortality in patients with necrotizing fasciitis?

PURPOSE: This study aimed to determine the impact of mortality and morbidity indices on the diagnosis and prognosis of patients suffering from necrotizing fasciitis. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 41 patients (26 females, 15 males) with necrotizing fasciitis (NF). The SII (Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index) was computed using the formula SII = (P × N)/L, where P, N, and L measure the counts of peripheral platelets, neutrophils, and lymphocytes, respectively. This study evaluated the clinicopathological characteristics and follow-up information to assess the comparative effectiveness of SII, CCI (Charlson Comorbidity Index), and LRINEC (Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis) scores as mortality and morbidity indices for patients with NF. RESULTS: The optimal cut-off for SII was determined to be 455. The SII value in the group with mortality was significantly higher compared to the group without mortality (p < 0.05). The CCI value in the group with mortality was significantly higher than the group without mortality (p < 0.05). The SII and CCI values were found to be effective in distinguishing between patients who suffered mortality and those who did not. CONCLUSION: SII is a powerful tool for predicting mortality in patients with necrotizing fasciitis (NF). The SII index provides a novel, easily accessible, and inexpensive indicator for monitoring the progress and predicting the survival of patients with NF.

Investigation of factors that may potentially affect anxiety in patients undergoing esophagogastroduodenoscopy and evaluation of sedation effect.

BACKGROUND: As with any other invasive procedure, esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) may lead to considerable anxiety in patients. This study aimed to investigate and compare the effects of sedated and non-sedated procedures on anxiety in patients undergoing EGD and to better recognize patient groups at risk for anxiety. METHODS: In this prospective and 2-armed designed study, demographic data, including age, gender, comorbidities, height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and educational background, were collected. In this study, the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) was administered to each patient before they were brought to the endoscopy unit. Subsequently, each patient who underwent EGD was telephoned on the seventh day after the procedure and the BAI was administered a second time. RESULTS: Women population had higher pre-EGD and post-EGD BAI scores compared to men. No significant correlation was observed between educational background and BAI scores. Possible correlations between age, BMI, Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and BAI scores were examined. There was a weak correlation between BMI and pre-EGD and post-EGD BAI scores. A strong and positive correlation was observed between the pre-EGD BAI score and post-EGD BAI and difference in BAI scores between groups (ΔBAI). CONCLUSION: Endoscopic procedures may cause anxiety in patients as with all other invasive procedures. Patients' compliance with the procedure and having a lower level of anxiety are very significant for diagnostic and, if necessary, therapeutic success. In this study, the patient gender was evaluated as a predictor of anxiety level, whereas educational background was not a predictor.

In Vivo and in Vitro Regulatory Effect of Silibinin on Some Metabolic Enzyme Activities against Cobalt Induced Toxicity in Rats: A Biochemical Approach.

The study aimed to examine the in vivo inhibition effect of cobalt ion and silibinin on metabolic enzymes such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6PGD), glutathione reductase (GR), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) and their in vitro inhibition effect on 6PGD. Twenty-four Wistar Albino rats weighing approximately 250-300 g were used in the study. The rats were divided into 4 groups as group 1 (control): isotonic serum (0.5 mL i.p), group 2 (cobalt): (150 mg kg/day cobalt), group 3 (silibinin): (100 mg/kg/day silibinin), group 4 (cobalt + silibinin). As a result of the in vivo applications, a statistically significant decrease was observed in the activities of G6PD (p < 0.05), 6PGD (p < 0.05), GR (p < 0.05), and GST (p < 0.05) enzymes in the groups that were administered cobalt compared to the control group. It was also found that the activities of G6PD (p < 0.05), 6PGD (p > 0.05), GR (p > 0.05), and GST (p > 0.05) enzymes increased in groups that were administered cobalt + silibinin compared to the group that was administered cobalt. As for in vitro applications, it was found that different Co2+ ions inhibited 6PGD enzyme which was obtained as a result of purification with IC50 = 346.6 µM value, while silibinin increased 6PGD enzyme activity within the concentration range of 100-750 µM by 40%. As a result, it was found that cobalt ions had an inhibition effect on G6PD, GR, and GST enzymes, which are vitally important for living metabolism, in vitro and in vivo and inhibited 6PGD enzyme activity in vitro, and silibinin increased these enzyme activities in vivo and 6PGD enzyme activity both in vivo and in vitro and decreased the inhibition effect.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Hallux Metatarsophalangeal-Interphalangeal Joint Scale.

BACKGROUND: The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Hallux Metatarsophalangeal-Interphalangeal (AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP) scale is one of the most widely used outcome measures to evaluate hallux pathologies. This study aimed to translate the AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP scale into Turkish and investigate its psychometric properties. METHODS: The psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP (AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP-T) scale were tested in 66 patients with hallux pathologies (52 women; mean age, 47.64 ± 12.75 years). Cronbach's alpha was used to assess internal consistency. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to estimate test-retest. Construct validity was analyzed with the Turkish version of the Manchester-Oxford Foot Questionnaire (MOXFQ), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and 12-item Short-Form Health Survey(SF-12). RESULTS: The AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP-T scale had adequate internal consistency (α = 0.71) and test-retest reliability (ICC2,1 = 0.93 for pain, ICC2,1 = 0.97 for function, and ICC2,1 = 0.97 for total score). The AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP-T total score has a moderate to strong correlation with VAS-activity and MOXFQ (ρ = -0.77, P = .001; ρ = -0.69, P = .001, respectively). The weakest correlation was found between the AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP-T and the SF-12 mental component scale (ρ = 0.31, P = .01). CONCLUSION: AOFAS Hallux MTP-IP-T has sufficient reliability and validity to evaluate Turkish-speaking individuals with a variety of forefoot pathologies including the hallux. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: Level II.

The floating first metacarpal: A rare case.

A floating metacarpal is defined as the simultaneous dislocation of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and carpometacarpal (CMC) joints. Metacarpal dislocations are rare, and floating metacarpals with double dislocations are extremely rare. In this article, we present a very rare case of floating metacarpal in which the first MCP and CMC dislocations were found simultaneously and successfully treated with closed reduction, open reduction, and Kirschner wire fixation methods.

Fournier's Gangrene: Evaluation of Patient Outcomes Using Clinical Data and Prognostic Biomarkers.

OBJECTIVE: To find out the outcomes of Fournier's gangrene (FG) patients using clinical data and prognostic biomarkers based on the current literature. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of General Surgery, University of Health Sciences, Gulhane Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey, from January 2018, to January 2022. METHODOLOGY: Patients who were diagnosed with and treated for FG were included in the study. Patients younger than 18 years of age, those with missing hospital records and postoperative follow-up data, those with benign diseases related to the perianal or anal region, and those with other malignant diseases were excluded from the study. Patients' demographic, clinical, and laboratory data, including the calculated systemic immune-inflammation index (SII) and pan-immune-inflammation values (PIV) were obtained retrospectively from the medical records. Variables were analysed using SPSS statistics software, version 25.0. The value of p <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of twenty-four patients, 14 (58.3%) males and 10 (41.7%) females, were included in this study. No statistically significant correlations were found between the calculated indices and patients' clinical outcomes. The length of intensive care unit stay was strongly and positively correlated with age (r = 0.672 and p <0.001), and the length of hospital stay was moderately and inversely correlated with preoperative albumin levels (r = -0.584 and p = 0.003). CONCLUSION: SII and PIV had no statistically significant interactions with FG. KEY WORDS: Fournier's gangrene, Systemic immune-inflammation index, Pan-immune-inflammation value, Colostomy, Albumin.

A rare case of pantaloon hernia accompanied by strangulated ileal segment: Inguinal herniation of the bladder.

Mesanenin inguinal kanal içine herniasyonu nadir görülen bir klinik antitedir ve tüm inguinal hernilerin yaklasik %1-4'ünü olusturmaktadir. Genellikle yasli erkek hastalarda ve sag tarafta sik görülmektedir. Hastalar çogunlukla asemptomatik oldugundan, intraoperatif olarak tani almaktadir. Preoperatif süreçte taninin dogrulanmasi, olasi mesane yaralanmalarinin önüne geçebilmek adina önem teskil etmektedir. Biz de bu çalismamizda; akut mekanik intestinal obstrüksiyon ve strangülasyon semptomlariyla acil servise basvuran hastada, mesane herniasyonunun eslik ettigi nadir bir pantolon herni olgusunu literatür esliginde sunmayi amaçladik.

Acute appendicitis over the age of 50: The evaluation of the impact of clinical variables on operative and post-operative outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Studies reported higher mortality and perforation rates, marked increase in delay from symptom onset to hospital admission, significant complication rates, as well as excessive malignancy outcomes on histopathological examinations in patients older than 50 years of age with acute appendicitis. Herein, it was aimed to reveal the clinical, laboratory, and imaging findings that might affect the operative and post-operative findings in a population of patients over the age of 50 who were diagnosed with and operated for acute appendicitis. METHODS: Patients who were older than 50 years of age and operated for the diagnosis acute appendicitis between January 2017 and January 2020 in a single tertiary hospital were included in this retrospective study. Demographic data, comorbidities, laboratory and imaging findings, operative and post-operative results, surgical complications, as well as the histopathological evaluation of the excised materials of all patients were analyzed in detail. RESULTS: A total of 152 patients who were older than 50 years of age and who underwent emergent appendectomy with a median age of 59 were included in the study. It was demonstrated that the development of surgical complications was significantly associated with post-operative hospitalization at the intensive care unit (ICU) and the presence of 2 or more comorbidities preoperatively (p=0.006 and p=0.002, respectively). It was observed that the duration of total hospitalization was longer (p<0.001), pre-operative al-bumin levels were lower (p=0.017), and the rate of hospitalization at ICU during the follow-up period was higher (p=0.006) in patients with surgical complications. Pre-operative white blood cell counts appeared to be significantly increases in patients who had open appendectomy (p=0.047). Moreover, both the duration of pre-operative abdominal pain and pre-operative C-reactive protein levels was found to significantly correlate with the duration of hospitalization (p<0.001 and p<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSION: The management of acute appendicitis in late adulthood was suggested to be challenging both in terms of diagnosis and post-operative processes. Therefore, pre-operative clinical, laboratory, and imaging data obtained from these patients should be carefully and elaborately evaluated.

Is there any advantage in the use of absorbable sutures in congenital penile curvature surgery performed in childhood? / ¿Existe alguna ventaja de utilizar suturas absorbibles en la cirugía de curvatura de pene congénita realizada en niños?

Objective: To compare the long-term outcomes of corporeal plication using absorbable versus nonabsorbable sutures for the treatment of congenital penile curvature in childhood.Materials and methods: Forty seven children who underwent congenital penile curvature repair between 11 and 140 months of age were included in the study. All children were operated on using the incisional plication technique and were divided into two groups: Absorbable-polyglactine (PLG, n=23, 48.93%) and nonabsorbable-polypropilen (PP, n=24, 51.06%) according to the suture material used for plication. Surgical outcomes were compared between groups.Results: Mean follow-up period was 19.02±4.66 months. There was no significant difference between the mean age of the children in two groups included in the study (PLG=41.39±34.63 months vs PP=53.66±37.42 months, p=0.250). There was no significant difference in penile straightening degree between the two groups in the postoperative follow-up (PLG=27.39±6.88 vs PP=31.08±6.38, p=0.06). Similarly, there was no significant difference between two groups in terms of postoperative curvature recurrence (p=0.681). However, palpable suture knots in the plication area was significantly higher in the PP group in the postoperative period (25.0% vs 4.3%, p=0.047).Conclusion: The use of absorbable sutures in congenital penile curvature surgery in childhood has similar success rates with the use of nonabsorbable sutures and provides lower complications that are secondary to nonabsorbable sutures. (AU)

Objetivo: Comparar los resultados a largo plazo de la plicatura corpórea utilizando suturas absorbibles vs. no absorbibles para el tratamiento de la curvatura de pene congénita en niños.Materiales y métodos: Se incluyó en el estudio a 47 niños sometidos a reparación de curvatura congénita del pene de entre 11 y 140 meses de edad. Todos los niños fueron operados utilizando la técnica de plicatura incisional, dividiéndose en dos grupos: poliglactina absorbible (PLG, n = 23, 48,93%) y polipropileno no absorbible (PP, n = 24, 51,06%), en virtud del material de sutura utilizado para la plicatura. Se compararon los resultados quirúrgicos entre los grupos.Resultados: El periodo de seguimiento medio fue de 19,02 ± 4,66 meses. No se produjo diferencia significativa en cuanto a la edad media de los niños de los dos grupos incluidos en el estudio (PLG = 41,39 ± 34,63 meses vs. PP = 53,66 ± 37,42 meses, p = 0,250). No se produjo diferencia significativa en cuanto a enderezamiento del pene entre los dos grupos durante el seguimiento posoperatorio (PLG = 27,39 ± 6,88 vs. PP = 31,08 ± 6,38, p = 0,06). De igual modo, no existió diferencia significativa entre los dos grupos en términos de recidiva posoperatoria de la curvatura (p = 0,681). Sin embargo, los nudos palpables de sutura en la zona de plicatura fueron significativamente mayores en el grupo PP en el periodo posoperatorio (25 vs. 4,3%, p = 0,047).Conclusión: El uso de suturas absorbibles en la cirugía de curvatura congénita de pene en niños tuvo tasas de éxito similares con el uso de suturas no absorbibles, aportando menores complicaciones que las secundarias a las suturas no absorbibles. (AU)

Is there any advantage in the use of absorbable sutures in congenital penile curvature surgery performed in childhood?

OBJECTIVE: To compare the long-term outcomes of corporeal plication using absorbable versus nonabsorbable sutures for the treatment of congenital penile curvature in childhood. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty seven children who underwent congenital penile curvature repair between 11 and 140 months of age were included in the study. All children were operated on using the incisional plication technique and were divided into two groups: Absorbable-polyglactine (PLG, n=23, 48.93%) and nonabsorbable-polypropilen (PP, n=24, 51.06%) according to the suture material used for plication. Surgical outcomes were compared between groups. RESULTS: Mean follow-up period was 19.02±4.66 months. There was no significant difference between the mean age of the children in two groups included in the study (PLG=41.39±34.63 months vs PP=53.66±37.42 months, p=0.250). There was no significant difference in penile straightening degree between the two groups in the postoperative follow-up (PLG=27.39±6.88 vs PP=31.08±6.38, p=0.06). Similarly, there was no significant difference between two groups in terms of postoperative curvature recurrence (p=0.681). However, palpable suture knots in the plication area was significantly higher in the PP group in the postoperative period (25.0% vs 4.3%, p=0.047). CONCLUSION: The use of absorbable sutures in congenital penile curvature surgery in childhood has similar success rates with the use of nonabsorbable sutures and provides lower complications that are secondary to nonabsorbable sutures.

Impacts of some metal ions on glutathione s-transferase in the liver of Chalcalburnus tarichi: an endemic species of Lake Van.

Glutathione-S-transferase (GSTs) is a multifunctional enzyme that provides homeostasis by catalyzing the first step of the formation of mercapturic acid, the end product in detoxification metabolism. They can prevent reactive electrophilic compounds from harming the body by covalently binding the same type of compounds to each other. In this study, we determined the in vitro inhibitory effects of metal ions such as Cu2+, Cd2+, Ag+, and Co2+ on GST enzyme activity. For this aim, GST was purified from C. tarichi Pallas liver with 37.36% yield and 29.304 EU/mg specific activity using the chromatographic method. The Vmax values of liver GST were determined for CDNB and GSH to be 1.245 and 0.562 EU/mL, respectively, and the Km values were found 0.89 and 0.06 mM, respectively, using the Lineweaver-Burk plot. The effects of the metal ions at different concentrations on in vitro GST activity were studied. The IC50 values were determined for Cu+2, Cd+2, Ag+, and Co+2 as 0.163, 0.235, 0.00021, and 0.446 mM, respectively. The Ki constants were determined as 0.049 ± 0.009, 0.117 ± 0.031, 0.002 ± 0.0007, and 0.893 ± 0.3 mM, respectively. Ag+ showed the best inhibitory effect among the studied metal ions. Cd2+, Cu2+ and Co2+ showed a competitive inhibition mechanism, while Ag+ was noncompetitive.

Short-term outcomes of pregnant women with convalescent COVID-19 and factors associated with false-negative polymerase chain reaction test: A prospective cohort study.

AIM: To evaluate the clinical factors associated with false-negative RT-PCR results and to report the outcome of a cohort of pregnant women with COVID-19. METHODS: This cohort study was conducted in a tertiary referral pandemic hospital and included 56 pregnant women. A study including pregnant women with either a laboratory or clinical diagnosis for COVID-19 were included in the study. The primary outcome was clinical factors associated with false-negative RT-PCR results defined as a positive immunoglobulin M assessed by rapid testing in clinically diagnosed patients. Clinical outcomes of laboratory diagnosed patients were also reported. RESULTS: In total, 56 women with either RT-PCR or clinical COVID-19 diagnosis were included in the study. Forty-three women either had RT-PCR positivity or IgM positivity. The clinical outcome of these pregnancies was as follows: mean maternal age 27.7, immunoglobulin M positive patients 76.7%, RT-PCR positive patients 55.8%, maternal comorbidities 11.5%, complications in patients below 20 weeks 34.8%, complications in patients above 20 weeks 65.1%, elevated CRP 83.7%, lymphopenia 30.2%, time from hospital admission to final follow-up days 37 and stillbirth 8.3%. The proportion of women who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 immunoglobulin M was 100% in the RT-PCR positive group and 56.5% in the clinical diagnosis group (P = .002). The symptom onset to RT-PCR testing interval longer than a week (risk ratio: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.14-5.40, P = .003) and presence of dyspnoea (risk ratio: 0.38, 95% CI: 0.14-0.89, P = .035) were associated with false-negative RT-PCR tests. The area under the curve of these parameters predicting false-negative RT-PCR was 0.73 (95% CI: 0.57-0.89). CONCLUSIONS: Symptomatic women with a negative RT-PCR should not be dismissed as potential COVID-19 patients, especially in the presence of prolonged symptom onset-test interval and in women without dyspnoea.

Early surgical repair or conservative treatment? Comparing patients with penile fracture concerning long-term sexual functions.

BACKGROUND: To compare the patients who underwent early surgical repair of penile fracture, which is one of the urological emergencies, and patients who recovered with conservative treatment concerning long-term sexual functions. METHODS: The data of 42 patients who applied to our clinic with penile fracture between January 2010 and January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were categorized into two groups as early operated and followed-up conservatively. The preoperative and postoperative findings of the patients were compared with the International Erectile Function Scale (IIEF-6) scores in the long-term follow-up. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 35 (20-65) years and the median follow-up period was 52 (8-120) months. The postoperative mean IIEF-6 score of the patients was 22.98±6.52. There was no significant difference between the surgical and the conservative groups concerning postoperative complications (p=0.460). In the follow-up period, the presence of palpable plaque on the rupture area was significantly higher in the conservative group (p=0.041). However, there was no significant difference between the groups concerning IIEF-6 scores (p=0.085). CONCLUSION: Although there is no significant difference in long-term IIEF-6 scores between the two groups, the rate of palpable plaque formation is higher in patients followed-up conservatively. Therefore, early surgical repair should be considered in the foreground, especially in patients with a large rupture area.

Antibiotics as Inhibitor of Glutathione S-transferase: Biological Evaluation and Molecular Structure Studies.

BACKGROUND: The glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are family of enzymes that are notable for their role in phase II detoxification reactions. Antibiotics have been reported to have several adverse effects on the activity of the enzymes in mammals. AIM: The aim of this study was the structural and biochemical characterization of rat erythrocyte GST and understanding the effects of gentamicin, clindamycin, cefazolin, ampicillin and scopolamine butylbromide on the activity of human erythrocyte GST using rat as a model. METHODS: The enzyme was purified by GSH-agarose affinity chromatography. In vitro GST enzyme activity was measured at 25°C using CDNB as a model substrate. IC50 of drugs was measured by activity % vs compound concentration graphs. Lineweaver Burk graphs were drawn to determine the inhibition type and Ki constants for the drugs. The structure of the enzyme was predicted via Protein Homology/analogy Recognition Engine. RESULTS: In this study, GST was purified from rat erythrocyte with a specific activity of 6.3 EU/mg protein, 44 % yield and 115 fold. Gentamicin and clindamycin inhibited the enzymatic activity with IC50 of 1.69 and 6.9 mM and Ki of 1.70 and 2.36 mM, respectively. Ampicillin and scopolamine butylbromide were activators of the enzyme, while the activity of the enzyme was insensitive to cefazolin. The enzyme was further characterized by homology modeling and sequence alignment revealing similarities with human GST. CONCLUSION: Collectively, it could be concluded that gentamicin and clindamycin are the inhibitors of erythrocyte GST.

Radical Scavenging and Antiacetylcholinesterase Activities of Ethanolic Extracts of Carob, Clove, and Linden.

CONTEXT: Acetylcholine (ACh) breaks down in a very short time in diseases related to memory loss. It's a neurotransmitter involved in cholinergic transmission in the brain. Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) hydrolyzes ACh. When AChE is inhibited, the ACh levels increase in the cholinergic synapses. The investigation of natural AChE inhibitors with minimal side effects has become important. CONTEXT: Objective • This study intended to determine the total phenolic content, total flavonoid contents, radical scavenging activities, and antiacetylcholinesterase activities of ethanolic extracts of carob pods (ceratonia siliqua), clove buds (eugenia aromatica), and linden flowers (tilia cordata). CONTEXT: Design • The research team designed an in-vitro study. CONTEXT: Setting • The study took place at a biochemistry research laboratory where purification of enzymes and studies on their kinetic properties and inhibitions are carried out. CONTEXT: Outcome measures • The antioxidant properties of the extracts including the total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC), and free radical scavenging activities, were determined. The AChE enzyme was partially purified by DE-52 anion exchange chromatography from human erythrocytes. Besides, The AChE inhibitory properties of the ethanolic extracts were investigated. CONTEXT: Results • The TPCs of the carob pods, clove buds, and linden flowers were 46.78 ± 0.020, 103.57 ± 0.020, and 28.81 ± 0.031, mg GAE/L, respectively. The TFCs were 27.35 ± 0.021, 30.85 ± 0.017, and 32.12 ± 0.022 mg QE/L, respectively. While the extracts of carob pods and linden flowers inhibited AChE, with IC50s of 0.838 mg/ml and 0.156 mg/ml, respectively, clove buds didn't show inhibitory effect. CONTEXT: Conclusion • Although the clove buds had the maximum TPC; 1,1-diphenyl-2-picryl hydrazyl (DPPH); and 2,2'-azino-bis [3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid] (ABTS+) radical scavenging activity, it didn't show anticholinesterase activity.

The effects of chrysin and naringin on cyclophosphamide-induced erythrocyte damage in rats: biochemical evaluation of some enzyme activities in vivo and in vitro.

In recent years, there have been efforts to develop therapeutic agents that target metabolic enzyme systems in addition to existing treatment in possible cancer treatments. Cyclophosphamide (CYP) is an anticancer drug commonly used in various cancer treatments. Chrysin (CH) and naringin (NR) are natural flavonoids that possess many medicinal and pharmacological properties. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the effect of CH and NR against CYP-induced toxicity on some metabolic enzyme activities. For this purpose, 56 male rats were randomly divided into 8 groups in our in vivo study. The rats were pretreated with CH (25 and 50 mg/kg bw) and NR (50 and 100 mg/kg bw) for 7 days before administering a single dose of CYP (200 mg/kg bw) on the seventh day. According to the in vivo results of our study, it was observed that CH and NR regulated abnormal changes in CYP-induced enzyme activities. In addition, our in vitro study, G6PD enzyme was purified from rat erythrocyte using affinity chromatography. The effects of CH, NR, and CYP were investigated on the purified enzyme. It was determined that CH increased the enzyme activity, CYP ineffective on the enzyme activity, whereas NR inhibited the enzyme activity noncompetitively. Graphical abstract.

In vivo performance of near-infrared light transillumination for dentine proximal caries detection in permanent teeth.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this in vivo study was to confirm the detection of proximal caries using near-infrared light transillumination (NILTI) (DIAGNOcam) device, and to compare the diagnostic performance of the device with other caries detection methods, including visual examination using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System (ICDAS), bitewing radiography (BW), an LED-based device (Midwest Caries I.D.), and a laser fluorescence device (LFpen). METHODS: A total of 974 proximal surface of permanent posterior teeth from 34 patients (19 females and 15 males between the ages of 22-55) were evaluated in the present study. After clinical examination of each proximal surface by an experienced examiner, they were coded according to the ICDAS criteria and subsequently with BW, the NILTI, LED, and LFpen. The proximal dentin caries of 106 were opened based on the combination of visual, NILTI and radiographic assessment and validated; and were treated with restorative materials. The data were analyzed with descriptive statistics and calculation of the sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC). RESULTS: The highest sensitivity values were recorded from NILTI readings (99.1%), followed by BW scores (86.8%). The highest specificity values were recorded from ICDAS (100%). The best AUC values were found from the NILTI readings (0.97), followed by BW (0.93) and ICDAS (0.87). CONCLUSION: The NILTI device exhibited the best performance in terms of detecting proximal dentin caries.

Deciphering of The Effect of Chemotherapeutic Agents on Human Glutathione S-Transferase Enzyme and MCF-7 Cell Line.

BACKGROUND: Cancer is the disease that causes the most death after cardiovascular diseases all over the world these days. Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer among women and ranks the second among cancer-related deaths after lung cancer. Chemotherapeutics act by killing cancer cells, preventing their spread and slowing their growth. Recent studies focus on the effects of chemotherapeutics on cancer cells and new chemotherapy approaches that targeting enzymes that catalyze important metabolic reactions in the cell. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of chemotherapeutic agents, Tamoxifen and 5-FU, on MCF-7 cell line and human erythrocyte GST, an important enzyme of intracellular antioxidant metabolism. METHODS: In this study, it was investigated that the effect of chemotherapeutic agents, Tamoxifen and 5-FU, on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line and performed ROS analyzes. In addition, it was purified glutathione S-transferase (GST), one of the important enzymes of intracellular antioxidant mechanism, from human erythrocytes by using ammonium sulfate precipitation and glutathione agarose affinity chromatography, and investigated in vitro effects of chemotherapeutic agents, 5 - FU and Tamoxifen, on the activity of this enzyme for the first time. RESULTS: it was determined that Tamoxifen and 5-FU inhibited cellular viability and 5-FU increased intracellular levels of ROS, whereas Tamoxifen reduced intracellular levels of ROS. In addition, human erythrocyte GST enzyme with 16.2 EU/mg specific activity was purified 265.97-fold with a yield of 35% using ammonium sulfate precipitation and glutathione agarose affinity chromatography. The purity of the enzyme was checked by the SDS-PAGE method. In vitro effects of chemotherapeutics, 5-FU and Tamoxifen, on GST activity purified from human erythrocytes were investigated. The results showed that 5-FU increased the activity of GST in the concentration range of 77 to 1155 µM and that Tamoxifen increased the activity of GST in the concentration range of 0.54 to 2.70 µM. CONCLUSION: In this study, the effects of tamoxifen and 5-FU chemotherapeutic agents on both MCF-7 cell line and human GST enzyme were examined together for the first time. Our study showed that chemotherapeutic agents (5-FU and Tamoxifen) inhibited cellular viability and Tamoxifen reduced intracellular levels of ROS whereas 5-FU increased intracellular levels of ROS. In addition, 5-FU and Tamoxifen were found to increase the activity of GST enzyme purified from the human erythrocyte.