Ischemia Modified Albumin and D-dimer in the Diagnosis of Testicular Torsion: An Experimental Model.

PURPOSE: We aimed to investigate the potential early diagnostic value of ischemia modified albumin (IMA) and D-dimer in testicular torsion. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 42 prepubertal Wistar-Hannover rats (26-30 days old, weighing 75-125 grams) were used in the study. They were randomly divided into 2 groups as torsion (21 rats) and control (21 rats). Both torsion and control groups were subdivided into three subgroups as 30th, 120th and 240th minutes. Intraperitoneal injection of 70 mg/kg ketamine (Ketalar, Pfizer, Istanbul, Turkey) plus 10 mg/kg of xylazine (Rompun, Bayer, Istanbul, Turkey) were used for general anesthesia. In the control group, scrotal incision was made and the left testis gently extracted. Then, intracardiac blood and testicular tissue were obtained at 30th, 120th and 240th minutes. In torsion group, testicular ischemia was achieved by rotating left testis 720° clockwise and maintained by fixing the testis. Blood and testicular samples were obtained at 30th, 120th and 240th minutes. All animals were sacrificed after completion of the study. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference between the IMA and D-dimer levels at 30th, 120th and 240th minutes of torsion group when compared with the control group (p = .001). When compared in terms of pathological changes at 30th, 120th and 240th minutes, significant difference was found for all 3 periods (p = 0.039, p = 0.014, p = 0.03, respectively). The D-dimer and IMA estimated torsion with reasonable accuracy [Area under the curve (AUC)= 0.771 (p = 0.003, 95% confidental interval: 0.620-0.922) and AUC = 0.706 (95% confidental interval: 0.549-0.863, p = 0.022), respectively. CONCLUSION: The elevated D-dimer and IMA serum levels observed in the experimental testicular torsion modelseem to have a potential role as a serum marker in the early diagnosis of testicular torsion.

Effect of probiotic supplementation on bacterial translocation in common bile duct obstruction.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of probiotics on bacterial translocation in the obstructive common bile duct with comparison to an enteral product containing arginine and glutamine. MATERIAL AND METHOD: In our study, 40 Sprague-Dawley rats each weighing 250-300 g were used. Animals in Group 1 (sham) were laparatomized and fed standard chow supplemented with physiologic saline at daily doses of 2 ml through orogastric tube for 7 days. Common bile ducts of the animals in the other groups were ligated with 3/0 silk sutures. Group 2 (control group) was fed standard chow supplemented with daily doses of 2 ml physiologic saline. Group 3 (probiotic group) was fed standard chow supplemented with a probiotic solution (Acidophilus plus) containing strains of Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum and Lactobacillus bulgaricus at a daily doses of 2 × 10(9) colony forming units (CFU). Group 4 (formula group) was fed only an enteral solution (Stresson Multi Fiber) containing glutamine, arginine and a medium-chain fatty acid at daily doses of 2 g/kg. At the end of the 7th day, all animals were relaparatomized, and to determine bacterial translocation, aerobic, and anaerobic cultures were obtained from the specimens of mesenteric lymph nodes, intestinal mucosa, and blood samples. Smear cultures prepared from caecum were examined to determine the number of CFU. Finally, for histological examination specimens were excised from terminal ileum, and oxidative damage was assessed in liver tissues. Afterwards all animals were killed. RESULTS: Moderately lesser degrees of bacterial translocation, and mucosal damage were seen in Groups 3, and 4 relative to Group 2 (p < 0.05). In Group 4, any difference was not seen in the number of cecal bacteria relative to baseline values, while in Group 3, significant decrease in cecal colonization was seen. Among all groups, a significant difference between levels of malondialdehyde, and glutathione was not observed. CONCLUSION: At the end of our study, we have concluded that both probiotics, and enteral diets which contain immunomodulators such as glutamine, and arginine alleviate bacterial translocation, and impairment of intestinal mucosa.