The investigation of melatonin effect on liver antioxidant and oxidant levels in fructose-mediated metabolic syndrome model.

OBJECTIVE: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) can be induced by the oxidative stress conditions caused by ingestion of large amounts of fructose. We investigated the possible protective effects of melatonin administration on liver tissues in fructose-fed rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-two rats were randomly divided into four groups; control, fructose, melatonin, and fructose plus melatonin. MetS was induced by a fructose solution (20% in tap water) and melatonin (20 mg/kg daily) was administered by oral gavage. Systolic blood pressures (SBP) were measured. After the end of the 8-week experimental period, serum lipid profile, glucose and insulin levels, tissue total oxidant status (TOS) and activities of paraoxonase (PON), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were measured. RESULTS: Fructose consumption significantly increased SBP, serum triglyceride and insulin levels and induced insulin resistance, confirming successful establishment of the MetS model. After fructose administration, the TOS levels and GSH-Px activities significantly increased in all groups compared to the control group. The PON activity in the fructose group significantly decreased compared to the control group. Melatonin supplementation, with or without fructose, increased PON activity. The SOD activity significantly increased in the fructose group compared to the control group, but significantly decreased in the melatonin group compared to the control and fructose groups. CAT activity was unchanged in all groups. CONCLUSIONS: GSH-PX and PON are important antioxidants for reducing oxidant stress. Melatonin might act as a prooxidant at the dose given in our experimental design when administered with fructose.

Elbow rehabilitation in traumatic pathology.

The elbow, intermediate joint of the upper limb, frequently undergoes to pathological events and is especially prone to stiffness. Rehabilitation plays an important role in recovering functional activities. For the rehabilitation team, this goal always represents a challenge, as the treatment has to be continuously modeled and calibrated on the needs of the individual patient, even many times during the same rehabilitation cycle. Containing the effects of immobilization, avoiding to excessively stress the healing tissues, satisfying specific clinical criteria before moving to the next rehabilitation stage, basing the rehabilitation plan on up-to-date clinical and scientific data that can be adapted to each patient and to his/her needs are the basic principles of the rehabilitation plan, which can be chronologically grouped into four rehabilitation stages. After summarizing the general principles of elbow treatment, the specific principles of rehabilitation after elbow fractures and elbow instability are presented, and then the rehabilitative approach to the most frequent and feared pathological conditions of the elbow, namely stiffness, is described.