Investigation of natural and artificial radioactivity levels in travertines of the Cappadocia region in Turkey.

This study determined natural and artificial radionuclide concentrations to evaluate natural radioactivity and health risk levels of nine travertines in the Yaprakhisar and Balkayasi regions in Turkey. The samples coded B1-M, B2, B5, B7, B8, and B10 represent waste derived from the Yaprakhisar travertines, as well as samples T5-M, T12, and Z1 travertines derived from Balkayasi. The levels of natural and artificial radionuclide concentrations (232Th, 40K, and 137Cs) were measured using a high-purity germanium (HpGe) detector system. The travertine activity ranged from 2.09 to 12.07 Bq kg-1 for 232Th, 4.21 to 13.41 Bq kg-1 for 40K, and 0.42-3.26 Bq kg-1 for 137Cs. The results showed that the activity concentration values for 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs were coherent with the travertine analysis results in the UNSCEAR, 2000; 2008 publications. The values obtained were lower than the average values in the UNSEAR reports. The radiological hazard parameters calculated in this study were absorbed gamma dose rate (D), radium equivalent activity (Raeq), annual gonadal dose equivalent (AGDE), exposure dose (ER), total annual effective dose (AEDEtotal), excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCRtotal), gamma representative level (GRL), internal hazard index (Hin) and external hazard index (Hex).

Protective effect of an L-type calcium channel blocker, amlodipine, on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity in rats.

Paracetamol (P), one of the most popular and commonly used analgesic and antipyretic agents, causes hepatotoxicity in overdoses. Amlodipine (AML), an L-type calcium channel blocker, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory activity by reversing the effect of calcium in the inflammation pathogenesis. In this study, the hepatoprotective activity of AML on P-induced hepatotoxicity was evaluated. Thirty male albino Wistar rats were divided into five groups: (1) control, (2) 2 g/kg of P, (3) 2 g/kg of P + 5 mg/kg of AML, (4) 2 g/kg of P + 10 mg/kg of AML, and (5) 10 mg/kg of AML. Some liver enzymes, oxidative parameters, cytokine mRNA expressions, histopathology, and immunohistochemical studies were performed in liver and blood samples. The serum levels of alanine aminotransferase and aspartate aminotransferase and the mRNA expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and transforming growth factor-beta in the liver tissues were significantly increased in the group treated with P. The superoxide dismutase and glutathione parameters decreased and malondialdehyde levels increased in the livers of the rats treated with P. All these parameters were increased with both doses of the AML similar to the control group. A histopathological examination of the liver showed that AML administration ameliorated the P-induced inflammatory liver damage. In immunohistochemical staining, the expression of TNF-α in the cytoplasm of the hepatocytes was increased in the P group but not in other treatment groups when compared to the control. In conclusion, AML treatment showed significant protective effects against P-induced hepatotoxicity by increasing the activity of antioxidants and reducing inflammatory cytokines.

The protective effect of the proteasome inhibitor bortezomib on the uterus of ovariectomized rats.

Bortezomib (BORT) is an anti-tumour agent that inhibits proteasome, which is responsible for the degradation of many intracellular proteins. Although some side-effects and chemotherapeutic effects of BORT are known, there has not been enough research regarding its effects on different tissues of proteasome inhibition in the senile period (post-menopausal). The aim of this study was to investigate the safety of using BORT during the post-menopausal period. The post-menopausal effects of BORT were investigated on ovariectomized (OVX) Spraque-Dawley rats. The female rats were separated into three groups: control, ovariectomized (OVX), and OVX + BORT. OVX and OVX + BORT groups consisted of six rats in each. BORT was administered intraperitoneally in a dosage of 0.2 mg/kg two days a week for four weeks after OVX. The uteri of the rats were investigated using morphometrical, histopathological, and immunohistopathological methods. A striking atrophy in the endometrium and myometrium was observed due to an estrogen deficiency in the OVX group. The partial protective effect of BORT administration was observed morphometrically and histopathologically. In immunohistochemical research, cytoplasmic NF-KB activity was observed in the presence of proteasome inhibition in the endometrium. In light of these findings, the limited protective effects of post-menopausal BORT administration are worth mentioning.