The protective effect of ischemic preconditioning on rat testis.

BACKGROUND: It has been demonstrated that brief episodes of sublethal ischemia-reperfusion, so-called ischemic preconditioning, provide powerful tissue protection in different tissues such as heart, brain, skeletal muscle, lung, liver, intestine, kidney, retina, and endothelial cells. Although a recent study has claimed that there are no protective effects of ischemic preconditioning in rat testis, the protective effects of ischemic preconditioning on testicular tissue have not been investigated adequately. The present study was thus planned to investigate whether ischemic preconditioning has a protective effect on testicular tissue. METHODS: Rats were divided into seven groups that each contained seven rats. In group 1 (control group), only unilateral testicular ischemia was performed by creating a testicular torsion by a 720 degree clockwise rotation for 180 min. In group 2, group 3, group 4, group 5, group 6, and group 7, unilateral testicular ischemia was performed for 180 min following different periods of ischemic preconditioning. The ischemic preconditioning periods were as follows: 10 minutes of ischemia with 10 minutes of reperfusion in group 2; 20 minutes of ischemia with 10 minutes of reperfusion in group 3; 30 minutes of ischemia with 10 minutes of reperfusion in group 4; multiple preconditioning periods were used (3 x 10 min early phase transient ischemia with 10 min reperfusion in all episodes) in group 5; multiple preconditioning periods were used (5, 10, and 15 min early phase transient ischemia with 10 min reperfusion in all episodes) in group 6; and, multiple preconditioning periods were used (10, 20, and 30 min early phase transient ischemia with 10 min reperfusion in all episodes) in group 7. After the ischemic protocols were carried out, animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation and testicular tissue samples were taken for biochemical measurements (protein, malondialdehyde, nitric oxide) and histological examination. RESULTS: Although decreased tissue malondialdehyde levels were detected in the groups of 2, 3, 4, and 5 compared to group 1, significant decreases were observed in only group 2 and group 5 (p < .05). Nitric oxide levels were numerically decreased in all groups compared to the control group but was statistically significant only in group 5 (p < .05). Histopathological examination demonstrated that all groups subjected to ischemic preconditioning had less tissue damage than group 1 (p < .05). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that ischemic preconditioning provides tissue protection in testicular tissue.

Effects of maternal nicotine exposure during lactation on breast-fed rat pups.

BACKGROUND: Nicotine is known to be associated with adverse effects in infants and children. It is concentrated in breast milk and is absorbed by the infant. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on breast-fed rat pups of maternal nicotine exposure during lactation. METHODS: In the experimental group (n = 6), nicotine was given to lactating dams (2 mg/kg/day) after delivery and continued for 10 days during lactation. Control animals (n = 4) received saline for the same duration. The suckling rats were weighed and killed on postnatal day 10, and samples were taken from the lung, liver, kidney, spleen and small intestine for histopathological examination. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in the liver of the dam and the offspring. RESULTS: Histopathological changes in the liver of the nicotine-exposed group showed portal inflammatory infiltrate, ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes, and focal necrosis in the parenchyma. Thickening of alveolar walls because of interstitial inflammation was noted in the lungs. Histopathological examination of kidney, spleen and small intestine tissue did not reveal any abnormality. In the experimental group, SOD and CAT activities were significantly decreased (p <0.001) but MDA levels were significantly increased (p <0.001) compared with the control group. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that maternal nicotine exposure induces oxidative stress and causes detrimental histopathological changes in the lung and liver of lactating offspring.

Psychological evaluation of children with idiopathic constipation and their parents.

BACKGROUND: Constipation is one of the most common problems in childhood. In idiopathic constipation it is not possible to identify primary cause in every case. Child behavioral problems and disturbances in parent-child relationships have been cited as causes of constipation. Constipation is a source of anxiety to the child and to the family. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate psychological characteristics of constipated children and their parents. METHODS: Thirty-two otherwise healthy children with idiopathic constipation over 4 years old were prospectively evaluated between January 2002 and June 2003. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and Symptom Checklist-90 revised (SCL-90-R) were used to assess the psychological profiles of the children and the parents, respectively. Thirty children with inguinal hernia who had no constipation or other problems, and their parents were asked to complete the checklists as controls. The scores of the constipation group were compared statistically with those of the control group. RESULTS: In the constipation group there were 19 boys and 13 girls with a mean age of 7.3 years (4-14 years). All the patients responded to medical treatment. Constipated children and their parents were not found to have more behavior problems than the control group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Children with idiopathic constipation and their parents do not show significant behavioral and emotional problems. Their psychological profiles are not different from the general population.

Does maternal nicotine exposure during gestation increase the injury severity of small intestine in the newborn rats subjected to experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of maternal nicotine exposure during gestation on injury severity of small intestine in the newborn rats subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation and cold stress. METHODS: A total of 21 Sprague-Dawley pregnant rats were divided into 3 equal groups. The groups were labeled as group 1, control group; group 2, hypoxia-reoxygenation group; and group 3, nicotine-hypoxia-reoxygenation group. The rats of group 3 were exposed to nicotine via subcuticular injection for the last week of gestation (2 mg/kg/d). Newborn rats were collected immediately after birth to prevent suckling of maternal milk (40 rat pups in group 1, 43 rat pups in group 2, and 41 rat pups in group 3). Litters in groups 2 and 3 were stressed twice daily with asphyxia followed by cold (4 degrees C for 10 minutes) stress to induce hypoxic intestinal injury which is relevant to human necrotizing enterocolitis. Breathing 100% CO2 for 10 minutes in a chamber followed by 10-minute 100% O2 breathing was the asphyxia model repeated twice daily. After hypoxia-reoxygenation and cold stress, newborn rats were returned to their mother's cages. This protocol was repeated for the following 2 days, and the rat pups were decapitated on the third day. Using this protocol of asphyxia and cold stress, all of neonatal rats developed clinical and pathological signs of hypoxia-induced intestinal injury. The entire gastrointestinal tract was removed and examined macroscopically. A 2-cm section of distal ileum from each animal was taken for histopathological and biochemical examinations. Histological changes in ileal architecture were scored and graded from 1 to 5. The remaining intestinal tissues of the animals were used for lipid peroxidation analysis. RESULTS: Typical signs of hypoxia-induced intestinal injury were observed in the 2 experimental groups (groups 2 and 3) macroscopically. There were more grades 3 and 4 injuries in group 3 (P < .05). The malondialdehyde levels were elevated in groups 2 and 3 (P < .001). The malondialdehyde levels of the group 3 were also significantly higher than group 2 (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Maternal nicotine exposure during gestation results in higher grade histological injury in newborn rats subjected to hypoxia-reoxygenation and cold stress.

The effect of zinc therapy on damaged testis in pre-pubertal rats.

This experimental study was instituted to evaluate whether or not there is an effect of zinc aspartate administration on injured testes. Sixty prepubertal male Sprague-Dawley rats (weighing 180-240 g) were divided into six equal groups each containing ten rats. Group I was the control group. Rats in group II and group III which were blunt testicular trauma groups were subjected to right blunt testicular trauma to rupture the tunica albuginea. Just after this, animals in group III were given 30 mg/kg zinc aspartate intraperitoneally, and this treatment was continued for 30 days at a dose of 10 mg/kg per day. Animals in group IV and group V which were thermal injury groups were subjected to right thermal testicular injury with injection of boiling normal saline. After that, animals in group V were also treated with zinc aspartate as described in group III. Group VI was used as a sham group. After 30 days, both testes were removed and examined. Damage in ipsilateral testes was evaluated with histological scoring methods. Contralateral testes were evaluated with measurement of tubular diameter and percentage of spermatogenesis histologically. Ipsilateral testes from non-treated groups had much greater histological injury than treated groups ( p>0.05). Additionally, contralateral testes had no evidence of injury. As a consequence, after acute testicular injury that takes form in a variety of ways, immediate administration of zinc aspartate and its continuation for some period may prevent the progression of the injury and improves the healing process.

An overlooked association of brachial plexus palsy: diaphragmatic paralysis.

Diaphragmatic paralysis in newborns is related to brachial plexus palsy. It can be overlooked if thorough examination isn't done. We present a two-weeks-old baby with a birth weight of 3800 grams who had a left-sided brachial plexus palsy and torticollis with an undiagnosed left diaphragmatic paralysis even though he was examined by different physicians several times. The role of physical examination, the chest x-rays of patients with brachial paralysis and the treatment modalities of diaphragmatic paralysis due to obstetrical factors are discussed.