Evaluation of the neuroprotective efficiency of sodium hydrosulfide in neonatal rats with the induced hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy model.

AIMS: Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy is one of the main causes of neonatal deaths. The objective of this study was to evaluate the neuroprotective effect of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS) in neonatal rats with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, as well as its effect on neuronal apoptosis through histopathological and biochemical tests. METHODS: Forty-seven-day­old rats with induced hypoxia­ischemia (HI) were randomly separated into four groups. Half an hour after the induction of hypoxic-ischemia, serum physiological (SF), 50 µmol/kg NaHS, or 100 µmol/kg NaHS were intraperitoneally given to the rats. RESULTS: Apoptotic cells in the brain tissue of rats in HI + NaHS 50 µmol/kg, and HI + NaHS 100 µmol/kg groups decreased compared to HI group (p = 0.00). While HI + NaHS 50 µmol/kg and HI + NaHS 100 µmol/kg groups yielded no difference in TNF-α, IL-6, and iNOS levels as compared to the HI group, an increase in NGF was detected in the 50 µmol/kg and 100 µmol/kg NaHS groups (p = 0.34, p = 0.24, p = 0.26, p = 0.026, p = 0.017). When TOS, TAS and OSI levels were compared, an increase in TAS and OSI and a decrease in TOS were observed in the treatment groups as compared to HI group. CONCLUSIONS: NaHS given to hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy model significantly decreased apoptosis in neurons and had a neuroprotective efficacy with an increase in NGF levels (Tab. 1, Fig. 3, Ref. 25).

Evaluation of therapeutic potential of intraperitoneal ozone gas in combination with insulin above cranial and spinal neuropathy in rats with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the therapeutic effect of ozone in combination with insulin on cranial and spinal neuropathy in rats with diabetes mellitus (DM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty adult male Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into the following six groups (n = 10): control (C), ozone (O), diabetic (D), ozone-treated diabetic (DO), insulin-treated diabetic (DI), and ozone, insulin-treated diabetic (DOI). DM was induced by a single intraperitoneal (ip) streptozotocin injection (60 mg/kg), followed by 3 IU (ip) insulin administration for 60 days. Next, 1.1 mg/kg (50 µg/ml) ozone was administered to the O, DO, and DOI groups for 60 days. After inducing diabetes, the total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) were measured; the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. The brain and spinal cord tissues were obtained for histopathological evaluation. This cross sectional study was conducted in Dumlupinar University Laboratory Animals Research Center e.g 11.03.2015 ‒ 15.05.2015. RESULTS: TAS was higher in the DO, DI, and DOI groups than in the D group. TOS and OSI were lower in the DO, DI, and DOI groups than in the D group. Little pathological alterations with degenerated axons and vascular congestion were observed in the DO, DI, and DOI groups compared with the D group. CONCLUSION: Ozone with insulin can stimulate the endogenous antioxidant defense mechanism in diabetic neuropathy, thereby preventing reactive oxygen species-induced damage and protecting against cranial and spinal neuropathies (Fig. 6, Ref. 29).

ADAM 33 gene V4 C/G rs2787094 polymorphism in psoriasis.

AIMS: Psoriasis is a common chronic inflammatory disease. A disintegrin and metalloproteinase 33 (ADAM33) gene is the first novel susceptibility gene for asthma. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of ADAM 33 gene V4 C/G rs2787094 polymorphism with the risk of psoriasis in the Turkish population. METHODS: ADAM33 gene polymorphism (V4 C/G rs2787094) was analyzed in 97 psoriasis patients and 50 healthy control subjects. This study was performed by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in ADAM33 genotype and allele distributions between psoriasis and control groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: ADAM33 V4 C/G rs2787094 polymorphism was not associated with psoriasis risk in the Turkish population. Larger studies with different ethnicities are needed to determine the impact of ADAM33 polymorphism on the risk of developing psoriasis (Tab. 3, Fig. 1, Ref. 16).

Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic effects of adropinin streoptozotocin-induced type 2 diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: To examine the effects of adropin on glucose and lipid metabolism in a rat model of Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: T2DM were established using high-fat diet and streptozocin (STZ; 35 mg/kg/b.w.). Seven days after STZ induction, diabetic rats were randomly treated with adropin (2.1 µg/kg/day intraperitonealy) for 10 days. The study involved the evaluation of biochemical parameters, including blood glucose, total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), aspartate transaminase (AST), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities. Additionally, Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin 6 (IL-6) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA gene expressions in pancreas tissue were determined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The serum levels of insulin and adropin were determined by ELISA. Treatment with adropin showed a significant reduction in blood glucose levels, HbA1c (%), HOMA-IR and increase in HOMA-ß, serum insulin levels. In addition, intraperitoneal adropin application can reduce serum levels of TC, TG, LDL-C, and increase level of HDL-C. Adropin also effectively ameliorated the alterations in TNF-α, IL-6 and iNOS mRNA expression. CONCLUSION: The present study indicates that the adropin possesses antidiabetic and antidyslipidemic effects in T2DM (Tab. 2, Fig. 3, Ref. 32).

Supplementation of apelin increase plasma levels of nesfatin-1 in normal and DOCA-salt hypertensive rats.

AIMS: We aimed to observe the effects of apelin supplementation on the plasma levels of nesfatin-1 in DOCA-salt hypertensive and normal rats. METHODS: For this purpose, 28 young Wistar albino male rats were divided into four groups; Control (C), Control + Apelin (C+A), Hypertension (HT) and Hypertension + Apelin (HT+A). Hypertension was induced by injection of DOCA-salt (25 mg/kg, s.c.) twice weekly, 4 weeks, whereas intraperitoneal apelin was administered (200 µg.kg-1) for 17 days. Plasma nesfatin-1 and apelin levels were measured with ELISA. Systolic blood pressure was monitored using a tail cuff system. The relationships between plasma nesfatin levels and blood pressure were assessed. RESULTS: Plasma nesfatin-1 levels was found lower in control animals compared to C+A, HT and HT+A groups (p = 0.002, p = 0.026 and p = 0.011, respectively). Systolic blood pressures were similar in the C and C+A groups, but systolic blood pressures of the HT and HT+A groups was found significantly higher than the C and C+A groups. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, apelin administration induced an increment of nesfatin-1 in normal rats and plasma levels of nesfatin-1 increase in DOCA-salt hypertension rats. But apelin addition in hypertension did not cause an extra increase in nesfatin-1 levels. This is the first report to investigate the effect of apelin administration on plasma nesfatin levels of normal and hypertensive rats (Fig. 2, Ref. 44).

Insulin-like growth factor-I gene polymorphism in acne vulgaris.

BACKGROUND: Acne vulgaris is a multifactorial disease of the skin. Several studies have shown that elevated levels of serum insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) correlate with overproduction of sebum and acne. Recently functional relationship between IGF-I (CA) polymorphism and circulating IGF-I levels in adults has been reported. AIMS: The aim of our study was to investigate for the first time whether IGF-I (CA) polymorphism might be involved in the pathogenesis of acne or not. METHODS: We included 115 acne patients and 117 healthy subjects to the study. The clinical grade of acne was assessed based on the Global Acne Grading System. Participants were questioned about diabetes mellitus, PCOS and other systemic disease. We searched for the IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism in this study. The IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism was performed by polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: We categorized the IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism area into three groups as lower than 192 bp, 192­194 bp and higher than 194 bp. We found that the frequency of genotype IGF-1 (CA) 19 gene was significantly different between control and acne patients (P = 0.0002). A significant association between IGF-I (CA) genotypes and severity of acne was found (P = 0.015). No significant difference was found between male and female patients (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that IGF-I (CA) 19 polymorphism may contribute to a predisposition to acne in Turkish patients.