Placental bed apoptosis is increased in pregnant women with pre-eclampsia versus normotensive pregnant women.

We hypothesised that apoptosis in the placenta is increased in pregnant women whose pregnancies were complicated by pre-eclampsia as compared to normal pregnant women. Biopsy samples were obtained by punch biopsy from placental beds in 15 pre-eclamptic and 15 normotensive pregnant women during cesarean section. Apoptosis in syncytiotrophoblasts, syncytial cluster, extravillous cytotrophoblast, and decidual and stromal cells were evaluated by caspase-3, bax and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate nick end-labelling (TUNEL) immunohistochemical methods. A significant involvement was observed via caspase-3 and TUNEL methods in the syncytiotrophoblasts, syncytial cluster and extravillous cytotrophoblast cells of the pre-eclamptic group versus normotensive group (p < 0.001). Caspase-3 method found significantly increased involvement in the pre-eclamptic group versus normotensive group (p < 0.001). Although bax method found significantly increased involvement in syncytiotrophoblasts in the pre-eclamptic group versus normotensive group (p < 0.001), no significant difference was found between the groups in terms of involvement of other cell groups (p > 0.05). Apoptosis in the placental bed is increased in pre-eclamptic woman.

Effect of methylprednisolone on bone mineral density in rats with ovariectomy-induced bone loss and suppressed endogenous adrenaline levels by metyrosine.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, effect of methylprednisolone on bone mineral density (BMD) was investigated in rats with overiectomy induced bone lose and suppressed endogenous adrenalin levels, and compared to alendronate. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Severity of bone loss in the examined material (femur bones) was evaluated by BMD measurement. RESULTS: The group with the highest BMD value was metyrosinemetyrosine + methylprednisolone combination (0.151 g/cm(2)), while that with the lowest BMD was methylprednisolone (0.123 g/cm(2)). Alendronate was effective only when used alone in ovariectomized rats (0.144 g/cm(2)), but not when used in combination with methylprednisolone (0.124 g/cm(2)). In the ovariectomized rat group which received only metyrosine, BMD value was statistically indifferent from ovariectomized control group. CONCLUSIONS: Methylprednisolone protected bone loss in rats with suppressed adrenaline levels because of metyrosinemetyrosine.

Cerebral blood flow evaluation during the hypnotic state with transcranial Doppler sonography.

Cerebral blood flow was measured in normal waking (alert relaxed mental imagery) and hypnotic states. Mean flow velocity (Vm) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) was significantly increased in hypnosis (Condition II) from Condition I (5 minutes before hypnotic induction). Vm decreased in Condition III (hypnotic imagination). After hypnosis, Vm values returned to baseline. Pulsatility index values and resistive index values showed significant variations during sonographic monitoring between Conditions I and IV (5 minutes after the completion of hypnosis). Both values were significantly higher in Condition I than IV. These findings show that hypnotic status can modulate cerebral blood flow.

The effect of metyrosine/prednisolone combination to oophorectomy-induced osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a chronic disease characterized by a decrease in bone mineral density (BMD) and corruption of the microarchitectural structure of bone tissue. OBJECTIVE: It was investigated whether methylprednisolone had a favorable effect on osteoporotic bone tissue in Oophorectomy induced osteoporotic rats whose endogenous adrenaline levels are suppressed with metyrosine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bone Mineral Density, number of osteoblast-osteoclast, bone osteocalcin levels and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) measurements were performed. Obtained results were compared with that of alendronate. RESULTS: Oophorectomy induced osteoporosis was exacerbated by methylprednisolone. Alentronate prevented ovariectomised induced osteoporosis, but it couldn't prevent methylprednisolone +ovariectomised induced osteoporosis in rats. CONCLUSION: Combined treatment with methylprednisolon and metyrosine was the best treatment for preventing osteoporosis but metyrosine alone couldn't prevent osteoporosis in ovariectomised rats.

Effects of epinephrine and cortisol on the analgesic activity of metyrosine in rats.

Some endogenous hormones (epinephrine and cortisol) can change an individual's pain threshold. Propranolol is a non-selective ß adrenergic receptor blocker which antagonises the anti-inflammatory effect of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs via the ß1 and ß2 adrenergic receptors. The roles of epinephrine and cortisol were investigated in the analgesic activity of metyrosine in rats with reduced epinephrine levels induced by metyrosine. Pain threshold measurement was performed using an analgesimeter with different doses and the single or combined usage of metyrosine, prednisolone, metyrapone and propranolol in rats. Epinephrine and corticosterone levels were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography in metyrosineadministered rats. Metyrosine reduces the epinephrine levels without affecting the corticosterone levels, thereby creating an analgesic effect. It was determined that prednisolone did not have an analgesic effect in rats with normal epinephrine levels, but its analgesic activity increased with a parallel decrease in the epinephrine levels. Similarly, the combined use of prednisolone and metyrosine provided a stronger analgesic effect than that rendered by metyrosine alone. The strongest analgesic effect, however, was observed in the group of rats with the lowest epinephrine level in whom the metyrosine + prednisolone combination was administered. The findings of this study may be useful in severe pain cases in which the available analgesics are unable to relieve the individual's pain.