Neuroprotective effects of amantadine for experimental acute carbon monoxide poisoning.

OBJECTIVE: Amantadine is known to have a neuroprotective effect in many neurological diseases. This study aims at investigating the neuroprotective effect of amantadine in rats exposed to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were maintained under standard experimental laboratory conditions and randomized into 4 different groups of 7 each namely control, amantadine only, CO exposure, and amantadine + CO exposure. For immunohistochemical analysis, tissues taken from the prefrontal and hippocampal regions were taken into formalin and kept for at least one day. Afterward, the tissue was followed and blocked for paraffin blocking. N-Methyl D-Aspartate (NMDA) levels in homogenates were studied by the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) method. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities in the supernatants were studied with commercial kits. Nitric oxide (NO) and Asymmetric Dimethyl Arginine (ADMA) levels were studied by the ELISA method. Enzyme activity values were calculated by dividing the protein values in the supernatants and normalizing them. RESULTS: CAT, SOD, NMDA, ADMA, and NO levels were statistically significantly different between the groups (p < 0.05). According to post-hoc pairwise comparison test results, the values of the control and amantadine groups for CAT, SOD, NMDA, ADMA, and NO parameters were significantly higher than that of CO group. Similarly, values in the control and amantadine groups were considerably higher than values for the amantadine + CO group. NMDA values were significantly lower in group amantadine + CO than in CO group (p: 0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Apoptosis and endothelial damage after CO poisoning is a complex process, and amantadine administration has a limited contribution in preventing this process.

Preoperative Vitamin D levels and respiratory complications of general anesthesia.

AIMS: This research aims to investigate whether there is a correlation between the respiratory complications occurring in patients under general anesthesia and preoperative Vitamin D levels. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The study was a prospective observational study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study included 95 adult cases. The cases had total 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) levels identified in blood samples before the operation. Patients given routine general anesthesia and were assessed in terms of respiratory complications during anesthesia induction, extubation, anesthesia recovery, and the first 24-h postoperative. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: The Shapiro-Wilk test, Student's-t-test, one-way ANOVA test, Pearson correlation coefficient, and Chi-square tests were used. RESULTS: The mean 25OHD vitamin level identified in the preoperative period was 13.00 ± 6.57 ng/mL, with 25OHD vitamin levels found to be significantly low in female cases compared to male cases (P < 0.05). There was a statistically significant negative relationship between age and 25OHD vitamin levels identified (P = 0.045). When assessed in terms of surgery types, there was no significant difference found in Vitamin D levels in terms of surgery type. When examined for complications in the induction, extubation period, and postoperative recovery period, there was a significant difference identified between 25OHD vitamin levels and these complications (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: This research observed that patients with low preoperative 25OHD vitamin levels encountered respiratory complications related to general anesthesia more often. Especially, in the early postoperative period, there is a very significant difference between complications and low 25OHD vitamin levels.