Soranus of Ephesus (98-138 ad) and his contributions on human embryology, paediatrics and obstetric knowledge.

This study describes the life and works of Soranus of Ephesus (98-138 AD) who was born in Ephesus in Asia Minor and he practiced medicine in Alexandria and Rome in the Roman period (1st/2nd century AD). Although the majority of his writings have been lost, his surviving popular scientific textbook, a four-volume treatise on "Gynecology", describes ancient medical practice regarding human embryology, paediatrics and obstetrics.

Vitamin E protection from testicular damage caused by intraperitoneal aluminium.

Different forms of Aluminium (Al) are environmental xenobiotics that induce free radical-mediated cytotoxicity and reproductive toxicity. Vitamin E (alpha -tocopherol) is an antioxidative agent that has been reported to be important for detoxification pathways. This study was thus aimed at elucidating the protective effects of vitamin E towards aluminium toxicity on the histology of the rat testis. Al (5 mg/kg body weight) was administered intraperitoneally in 2 ml saline, either alone or immediately before vitamin E (500 mg/kg body weight), at a different point of abdomen, and the alterations in the testis tissue were analyzed histologically. Seven treated animals were sacrificed for each group, with the testes removed and examined histologically. In the Al-treated group, the germinal epithelium of the seminiferous tubules was thinner in places and spermatids were almost absent; sperm numbers were low and there were no sperm in the lumen. In the Al plus vitamin E rats, there were large numbers of spermatids and sperm in the seminiferous tubule lumen. In the vitamin E alone group, a normal histology was seen. Electron microscopically, in the Al-treated group there were irregularities in the nuclear membrane, some damaged mitochondria, a decrease in the number of ribosomes, and an increase in the number of lysosomes in the sertoli cell cytoplasm. In the primary spermatocyte cytoplasm, there was an increase in the rough endoplasmic reticulum. In the Al plus vitamin E group, the spermatogeneic cells and the sertoli cell cytoplasm showed an almost normal appearance. The ultrastructure of the testis in the vitamin E alone group showed a normal appearance. In conclusion, vitamin E antagonizes the toxic effects of Al at the histological level, thus potentially contributing to an amelioration of the testis histology in the Al-treated rats. The associated biochemical parameters merit further investigation.

The effect of zymosan and the protective effect of various antioxidants on fracture healing in rats.

AIM: To investigate the effects of free oxygen radicals and various antioxidants on bone healing after experimental formation of fracture. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifty male rats were used and divided into five groups (ten rats in each). The right forelimbs of the rats were broken by bimanual compression method. One hour before this procedure, 5 ml/kg of intraperitoneal (i.p.) physiologic saline were given to the control Group 1. All 40 rats in the experimental Groups 2, 3, 4 and 5 were treated with i.p. zymosan at a dosage of 100 mg/kg to induce the production of free radicals by stimulating NADPH oxidase in polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Zymosan induction was stopped on the fifth post-fracture day. In addition to the zymosan, i.p. 1 g/kg/day of dimethyl sulfoxide were given to the animals in Group 3, 50 mg/kg/d of Ginko biloba Extract (EGb 761) in Group 4 and 500 mg/kg/day of vitamin C in Group 5. Radiographs of the fractures of all animals were obtained to assess callus formation, remodeling and bridging bone formation under ether anesthetics on postfracture day 7, 14 and 21. All rats were euthanized on day 22, and sections of the radius and ulna were examined both histologically with light and electron microscopy and ultrastructurally. Statistical analysis was made with Kruskal-Wallis variance analyze test and comparison between groups was performed by Dunn's multiple comparison test. RESULTS: An impairment of bone healing was observed in Group 2 inducted with purely zymosan. Variable results were obtained for bone healing in the groups treated with various antioxidants. There was very significant difference of fracture healing between Groups 1 and 2 both histologically and radiologically (P < 0.001). There was significant difference between Groups 2 and 5 radiologically (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Free oxygen radicals demonstrate a negative effect on fracture healing and vitamin C (an antioxidant) partially prevents the negative effect of zymosan on fracture healing.

Histological and ultrastructural evidence for protective effects on aluminium-induced kidney damage by intraperitoneal administration of alpha-tocopherol.

The nephrotoxic actions of aluminium (Al) arise from its accumulation in the kidneys, with the resultant degeneration of the renal tubular cells. It has been suggested that Al generates reactive oxygen species that cause the oxidative deterioration of cellular lipids, proteins, and DNA. To test this hypothesis, we have here investigated the potential for a protective role of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) during short-term exposure of rats to Al. Al was administered intraperitoneally either alone or in combination with vitamin E at a different point of abdomen, and the alterations in the kidney tissue were analyzed histologically. The results reveal that significant light microscopical and ultrastructural damage is caused by Al, whereas with the immediate coadministration of vitamin E, there is a protective effect against this damage to the kidney tissue. In Al-alone group, the glomeruli and proximal tubuli and the Bowman capsules had swellings, adherence, hemorrhage, increase in mesangial matrix, and marked interstitial tissue fibrosis, indicating severe damage. In the Al and vitamin E immediate coinjected group, renal tubule cells were almost of a normal appearance. A slight stenosis was seen in the capsular area in the Malpighi corpuscules. The tubular organization and the cytoplasmic basophilia were also much the same as in the control group, with the lumen clearly visible in most of the cortical tubuli. The results highlight the need to reduce exposure to Al, with particular attention being paid to the known sources of Al. At the same time, the maintenance of a diet that is rich in vitamin E should be beneficial in the alleviation of Al toxicity.

Transmission electron microscopy study of the effects of cadmium and copper on fetal rat liver tissue.

During the entire period of their pregnancies, three groups of adult pregnant Wistar albino rats were provided with tap water (control; group I) or with tap water containing 10 mg/kg CdCl2 (group II) or 10 mg/kg CdCl2 plus 10 mg/kg CuSO4 (group III). At term, the animals were sacrificed and the fetal livers were removed and examined under electron microscopy. The liver tissue of the fetuses in maternal groups II and III showed degenerative changes to their hepatocytes. In group II, the smooth endoplasmic reticulum tubules showed dilatation, and the mitochondria showed a dense matrix. In group III, some mitochondrial degeneration was also seen, with a diluted matrix and mitochondrial dilatation. There were also more heterochromatic nuclei and an increased number of ribosomes. None of these histopathological changes were present in the fetal liver samples from the maternal group I control animals.

Amelioration of aluminium-induced liver damage by vitamin E.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of aluminium sulphate on the microscopic morphology of the liver and on vitamin E amelioration of aluminium-induced liver damage. METHODS: Rats were injected intraperitoneally with aluminium sulphate alone or aluminium sulphate together with vitamin E, with saline injected rats used as the control group. The study took place in Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine in 2005. RESULTS: The rats exposed to aluminium showed morphological changes in addition to previously reported biochemical changes in the liver. The anti-oxidant vitamin E significantly diminished the liver damage seen due to aluminium. CONCLUSION: There is an apparent protective effect of vitamin E on parenteral aluminium exposure.

[Comparison of the effects of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine and indomethacin on tuberculous arthritis: an experimental study in rats]. / Tuberküloz artritini engellemede NG-monometil-L-arginin ve indometazinin birlikte veya tek tek kullanimdaki etkinligi.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated therapeutic effects of NG-monomethyl-L-arginine (NMMA), a nitric-oxide synthase inhibitor, and indomethacin in a rat model of tuberculous arthritis. METHODS: Eighty male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five equal groups. In the first group (controls) normal saline solution was injected into the right knee joints of the rats. In the remaining groups, tuberculous arthritis was induced in the right knee joints of the rats via injection of 0.1 ml of a solution prepared from Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains. No treatment was given to the second group. The third and forth groups were assigned to receive oral indomethacin and intraperitoneal NMMA, respectively, while the fifth group received a combination thereof. The occurrence of arthritis was evaluated in four rats in each group on the 3rd, 7th, 14th, and 21st days after induction of arthritis. The rats were then subjected to scintigraphic imaging with Tc99 and focal activity involvement was analysed. The ratio of joint to soft tissue was calculated quantitatively. Following sacrifice with ether anesthesia, nitrate/nitrite levels were measured via Griess reaction in the bone tissue adjoining the knee. The knee joints were histopathologically examined. RESULTS: The severity of arthritis in the NMMA group decreased by one point on the 14th day. On Day 21, arthritis score was zero in rats receiving a combination of indomethacin and NMMA. Scintigraphic examination revealed increased uptake activity on the 3rd and 7th days, whereas no uptake activity was seen on the 21st day in the group receiving both indomethacin and NMMA. Histopathologically, chronic inflammatory infiltration disappeared on Day 21 in rats receiving either NMMA alone or in combination with indomethacin. During the experiment, four rats in the second group and two rats in the third group died from sepsis. Nitrate measurements of the fifth group on Day 21 showed approximate values to those of the control group (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: The combined use of indomethacin and NMMA seems to be more efficacious in reducing negative effects of tuberculous arthritis on the joint.