Protective Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid against 5-Fluorouracil-Induced Gastrointestinal Mucositis in Rats.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is extensively utilized in multivitamin formulas and anti-aging products. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potential protective benefits of ALA on 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-induced gastrointestinal mucositis in Wistar albino rats. Tissues from the stomach, small intestine, and large intestine were excised, and blood sera were obtained to identify biochemical indices such as TNF-α, IL-1ß, MDA, GPx, SOD, MMP-1, -2, -8, and TIMP-1. A histopathological study was also performed. The results revealed mucositis-elevated TNF-, IL-1, MDA, MMP-1, -2, -8, and TIMP-1 levels in both tissues and sera, and these values dropped dramatically following ALA treatment. Reduced SOD and GPx activities in mucositis groups were reversed in ALA-treated groups. The damage produced by mucositis in the stomach and small intestine regressed in the ALA-treated group, according to histopathological evaluation. Consequently, the implementation of ALA supplementation in 5-FU therapy may act as a protective intervention for cancer patients with gastrointestinal mucositis. In light of the findings, ALA, a food-derived antioxidant with pleiotropic properties, may be an effective treatment for 5-FU-induced gastrointestinal mucositus, and prevent oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue damage in cancer patients receiving 5-FU therapy.

Effect of kefir on increased apoptosis in liver and kidney in cisplatin toxicity / Efecto del kéfir sobre el aumento de la apoptosis en el hígado y los riñones en la toxicidad del cisplatino

SUMMARY: Cisplatin is a chemotherapeutic agent inducing liver and kidney damage. In this study, we intended to investigate the impact of kefir beverage, an essential probiotic and functional food, on liver and kidney damage induced by cisplatin. Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: Control, Cisplatin (single dose of 7 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), Kefir (2 ml/d, 7 d, oral gavage), and Cisplatin+Kefir (CK). At the end of day 7, animals were euthanized. Blood, kidney, and liver tissue samples were collected. For both tissues, biochemically ALT, AST, Urea, Creatine; histomorphologically, hematoxylin-eosin, Masson's Trichrome, and immunohistochemical staining of caspase-3, a marker of apoptosis, were performed. Serum urea and creatinine levels of the Cisplatin group were significantly higher than the Control group (p<0.05). In the CK group, kefir consumption decreased urea and creatinin levels approached to Control and Kefir groups. Cisplatin resulted in higher ALT and AST activities, indicating hepatocellular damage, compared to the Control group (p<0.05). Kefir consumption decreased ALT activities approached to both the Control and Kefir group. Histomorphological observations were in agreement biochemical results. In liver and kidney tissues, structural damage was observed with an increase in collagen fibers in the Cisplatin group, and Caspase-3 activity was immunohistochemically higher than in the other groups. In the CK group, collagen fiber increase, structural damage, and Caspase-3 activities were less than in the Cisplatin group. Kefir consumption alleviated liver and kidney damage. However, more research is required to understand such effect of kefir better.

RESUMEN: El cisplatino es un agente quimioterapéutico que induce daño hepático y renal. En este estudio, intentamos investigar el efecto del kéfir, un alimento funcional y probiótico esencial, en el daño hepático y renal inducido por el cisplatino. Se dividieron ratas albinas Wistar en cuatro grupos: control, cisplatino (dosis única de 7 mg/kg, intraperitoneal), kéfir (2 ml/día, 7 días, sonda oral) y cisplatino + kéfir (CK). Al final del día 7, los animales fueron sacrificados. Se recolectaron muestras de sangre, riñón y tejido hepático. Se determinó ALT, AST, Urea y Creatina; Para el análisis histomorfológico, se realizaron tinciones con hematoxilina-eosina, tricrómico de Masson y para inmunohistoquímica, caspasa-3, un marcador de apoptosis. Los niveles séricos de urea y creatinina del grupo de cisplatino fueron significativamente más altos que los del grupo de control (p<0,05). En el grupo CK, el consumo de kéfir disminuyó los niveles de urea y creatinina acercándose a los grupos Control y Kéfir. El cisplatino resultó en actividades más altas de ALT y AST, lo que indica daño hepatocelular, en comparación con el grupo Control (p<0.05). El consumo de kéfir disminuyó las actividades de ALT tanto en el grupo Control como en el de Kéfir. Las observaciones histomorfológicas coincidieron con los resultados bioquímicos. En tejidos hepáticos y renales se observó daño estructural con aumento de fibras colágenas en el grupo de Cisplatino, y la actividad de Caspasa-3 fue inmunohistoquímicamente mayor que en los otros grupos. En el grupo de CK, el aumento de las fibras colágenas, el daño estructural y las actividades de Caspasa-3 fueron menores que en el grupo Cisplatino. El consumo de kéfir mejoró el daño hepático y renal. Sin embargo, se requiere más investigación para comprender mejor el efecto del kéfir.

The relationships between the myocardial bridge and ramus interventricularis paraconalis characteristics in lamb and sheep.

The myocardial bridge (MB) is an anomaly that the myocardial fibres cover on a segment of the subepicardial coronary arteries or their branches in domestic animals and humans. The aim of the present study was to determine the relationships between the characteristics of the MB and ramus interventricularis paraconalis at three levels in lambs and adult sheep. Thirty-three hearts (16 lambs and 17 sheep) were used to determine the MB (length, angle and thickness) and vessel (vessel diameter and thicknesses of tunica intima et media of ramus interventricularis paraconalis) characteristics. Independent-samples t test was applied to compare variables between lambs and sheep. Spearman's correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationships between bridge and vessel characteristics at three bridge levels. Length, angle and thickness of myocardial bridges were not significantly different between the lambs and sheep (p > .05). The mean length, angle and thickness were 24.9 ± 16.1 mm, 113.7 ± 11.2° and 1,098 ± 555 µm in 33 hearts, respectively. In lambs, the mean vessel diameters were 1,930 ± 742 µm (1,534-2,325 µm), 1,247 ± 665 µm (893-1,601 µm) and 865 ± 172 µm (774-957 µm) at the pre-bridge, bridge and post-bridge levels, respectively. In sheep, the mean vessel diameters in the same order were 1,861 ± 1,068 µm, 1,337 ± 308 µm and 1,287 ± 549 µm. The bridge prevalence was 100% in the samples examined. In conclusion, coronary arterial diseases related to myocardial bridge should not be expected in sheep for veterinary cardiology practice. It may also be concluded that the cross-breeds of the Awassi and Chios sheep may be useful in experimental studies related to myocardial bridge surgery.

Interrenal cell zonation in the adrenal gland of the goose (Anser anser).

The adrenal medulla in mammalian species is surrounded by a cortex that contains three distinct layers, whereas the cortex and medulla are intermingled in poultry species. The objective of the present study was to determine the distinct zonation changes in the adrenal cortex of geese in various ages using both electron and light microscopy. Adrenal glands were obtained from French Geese (Anser anser) under deep ether anesthesia at posthach day 1, 5, 10, 21 and 30 (n= 5 per day). The cytoplasm of interrenal cells located beneath the adrenal capsule (sub-capsular zone, SCZ) were stained lighter than that of interrenal cells located inside the adrenal gland (inner zone, IZ) and contained several vacuoles for each sampling day. Additionally, unlike IZ cells, SCZ cells contained nuclei that were various shapes and surrounded by irregularly arranged membranes, lipid droplets which were not surrounded by a membrane, mitochondria with mostly shelf-like cristae. The arrangement of SCZ cells appears similar to that of zona glomerulosa and also the arrangement of IZ cells to that of zona fasciculata of mammalian adrenal cortex, suggesting the significant signs of zonation in goose adrenal cortex.

Are glands present in goose pancreatic ducts? A light microscope study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to investigate the histological structure of goose pancreatic ducts. DESIGN: Tissue samples from the lobes and ducts of the pancreas were dissected under deep ether anesthesia. INTERVENTIONS: Sections were stained using Crossmon's connective tissue method for general observations and Gomori's method for pancreatic islet cells. RESULTS: The glands were found intermittently inside the connective tissue of the ducts starting from the interlobular ducts to the point where the pancreas emptied its contents into the duodenum as well as inside the muscular layer of the pancreatic ducts. Those glands contained centro-acinar cells and also had the same staining features as the acinus. CONCLUSIONS: To our knowledge, this was the first report of the presence of glands in the ducts of goose pancreas.

The histological observations on the large intestine of the goose (Anser anser) during the pre- and post-hatching periods.

The development of the cecum and colon in the goose was investigated during the period from the 15th to 28th day of the incubation and from 1 to 30 days of age after hatching by light microscopy. By day 15 of the incubation, in the cecum and colon, the lumen was surrounded by pseudostratified epithelium. The previllous ridges appeared at 15th and 17th days of the incubation in the colon and ceca, respectively. At the base of previllous ridges, the epithelium changed into a simple prismathic epithelium at 15th and 17th days of the incubation in the colon and cecum, respectively. The villi appeared at the 21st days of the incubation. The crypts and goblet cells appeared on the first day after hatching. In the pre-hatching period, the lamina muscularis mucosa was present only in the colon. The submucosa consisted of loosely aggregated connective tissue in the pre-hatching period. In the post-hatching period, it consisted of a very thin layer of connective tissue. Its presence was only obvious where the cells of the submucosal nerve plexus or occasional large blood vessels considerably increased its thickness. The nerve plexus corresponding to the Auerbach's plexus of the mammalian intestine and submucosal nerve plexus appeared by 15th days of the incubation. From the 15th to 28th day of incubation, the tunica muscularis consisted of circular smooth muscle cells in the ceca. On the 28th day of the incubation a thinner longitudinal muscle layer added to the circular muscle layer. In the colon there was an outer longitudinal and a thicker circular muscle layer.