Circulating levels of interleukin-18 in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is strongly associated with obesity and diabetes mellitus. IL-18 is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. Our aim was to investigate the relationship of IL-18 with adiponectin and liver histology in subjects with NAFLD who had no additional disorder such as morbid obesity, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. METHODS: Plasma levels of IL-18 and adiponectin were measured by ELISA in 96 male subjects with NAFLD [n = 65 for non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and n = 31 for simple steatosis (SS)]. RESULTS: IL-18 levels were not different between the two groups (p = 0.89). There was no significant association of IL-18 with adiponectin, insulin resistance and histopathological findings. Adiponectin was lower in the NASH group compared to the SS group (p = 0.02) and it was found to be negatively correlated with hepatic steatosis and fibrosis (r = -0.442, p < 0.001 and r = -0.292, p = 0.02, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that circulating IL-18 levels are not altered in male subjects with NAFLD. These results suggest that in the absence of metabolic risk factors, IL-18 per se may not be involved in the pathogenesis of NASH and SS.

Plasma total homocysteine concentrations in a Turkish population sample.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to determine the reference of plasma total homocysteine levels from a Turkish population and to investigate the relationship of plasma total homocysteine levels with sex and age groups. DESIGN AND METHODS: Plasma total homocysteine levels were measured in 2257 Turkish individuals (1381 men and 876 women) aged 1-90 years. Plasma total homocysteine concentrations were determined using high performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detector. RESULTS: The mean plasma total homocysteine level was significantly higher in men (mean, 10.6 micromol/L) than in women (mean, 8.7 micromol/L), P < 0.001. The mean plasma total homocysteine levels for the 1-10, 11-20, 21-30, and 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, and 61-70, 71-80, 81-90 age groups, were 6.5, 9.6, 10.1, and 10.4, 10.5, 10.9, and 11.3, 12.7, 14.6 miromol/L in men and 7.1, 7.6, 7.5, and 7.8, 8.7, 9.4, and 10.3, 11.2, 13.3 micromol/L in women, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate the significance of sex- and age-associated differences of plasma total homocysteine levels in Turkish subjects. Plasma total homocysteine levels were increasing with age and men were found to have higher levels than women, as is found in other populations.

Synthesis, characterization and nonlinear absorption of novel octakis-POSS substituted metallophthalocyanines and strong optical limiting property of CuPc.

In this study, the preparation of some novel metallophthalocyanine (MPcs) complexes substituted with octakis(mercaptopropylisobutyl-POSS) functional group was achieved. By the reaction of [1-(3-mercapto)propyl-3,5,7,9,11,13,15-isobutylpentacyclo[9.5.1.1(3,9).1(5,15).1(7,13)]octasiloxane 1 with 4,5-dichloro-1,2-dicyanobenzene 2 in THF as the solvent in the presence of K2CO3 as the base, the phthalonitrile derivative 3 was synthesized. Compound 3 reacted with CoCl2 x 6H2O in ethylene glycol to furnish a novel cobalt(II) phthalocyanine . The tetramerization of 3 with urea and CuCl in the absence of solvent gave the novel Cu(II) phthalocyanine 4; while with Zn(OAc)2 x 2H2O in dry DMF gave the novel zinc(ii) phthalocyanine 6. The structures of the target compounds were confirmed by elemental analysis, UV/VIS, IR, MALDI-TOF MS and 1H NMR spectra. Nonlinear absorptions of MPcs in chloroform solution were investigated by using Z-scan measurement technique with 4 ns pulses at 532 nm wavelength. While CuPc 5 showed very high nonlinear absorption, MPcs 4 and 6 did not show considerable nonlinear absorption. Investigations of optical limiting properties of 5 revealed that this material is a very good candidate for optical limiting applications.

Synthesis, characterization, and electrical, electrochemical and gas sensing properties of a novel ball-type four t-butylcalix[4]arene bridged binuclear zinc(II) phthalocyanine.

1,3 dimethoxy-4-t-butylcalix[4]arene has been used to synthesize a novel ball-type dimeric zinc(II) phthalocyanine, [Zn2Pc2(tbca)4] that exhibits mixed-valence behaviour and non-Arrhenius type dependence of conductivity.