Comparison of myotoxic effects of levobupivacaine, bupivacaine and ropivacaine: apoptotic activity and acute effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines.

We investigated the myotoxic effects of bupivacaine, ropivacaine and levobupivacaine on rat skeletal muscle and compared its apoptotic activity and acute effects on pro-nflammatory cytokines. We divided 40 Wistar albino rats into four equal groups. Rats were injected intramuscularly with 0.5% bupivacaine (group B), 0.5% ropivacaine (group R), 0.5% levobupivacaine (group L) or 0.9% normal saline (group SF). Animals were sacrificed on the second day after the injection. TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 levels were examined in muscle tissue using immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence. Apoptotic cells were visualized by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. We found that levobupivacaine caused the lowest TNF-α, IL-1 and IL-6 expression levels, while the bupivacaine group caused the highest level compared to the other two agents. The greatest number of apoptotic cells was found in the bupivacaine group. Bupivacaine was more myotoxic than other anesthetic agents and increased apoptosis. The number of TUNEL positive apoptotic cells was lowest in the SF group. The greatest IL-1 immunoreactivity was found in the bupivacaine group. Bupivacaine and ropivacaine produced greater IL-6 expression than the SF group. Bupivacaine and ropivacaine caused greater TNF-α expression than the SF group, whereas the immunoreactivity of TNF-α was similar in the bupivacaine and ropivacaine groups.

Assessment of femoral neck fractures in the elderly with respect to morphology and mineral density.

BACKGROUND: Femoral neck fractures are among the major orthopaedic problems seen in the elderly and the annual mortality rate is high. The calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P) ratio can be used as an indicator of osteoporosis. The purpose of this study is to investigate the microarchitectural structure of the fractured regions of femoral head as well as bone mineral density in female and male patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The bone tissues taken from the fractured regions of 10 male and 9 female patients were examined with a scanning electron microscope. Electron probe microanalyses were carried out to measure mineral ratios. RESULTS: The bone trabeculae in the fractured area were thin and the cavities between trabeculae were seen to have transformed to irregular and broad structures. There were small valleculae reflecting osteoclastic activity. The analysis showed that the Ca/P ratio at the fracture site averaged 2.20/1 in women and 2.16/1 in men. As age increased, the percentage values of Ca and P decreased and the Ca/P ratio increased. CONCLUSIONS: Although there is no significant difference between the parameters of male and female patients, it seems that men can be affected by osteoporosis as much as women.

A MSFD complementary approach for the assessment of pressures, knowledge and data gaps in Southern European Seas: The PERSEUS experience.

PERSEUS project aims to identify the most relevant pressures exerted on the ecosystems of the Southern European Seas (SES), highlighting knowledge and data gaps that endanger the achievement of SES Good Environmental Status (GES) as mandated by the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). A complementary approach has been adopted, by a meta-analysis of existing literature on pressure/impact/knowledge gaps summarized in tables related to the MSFD descriptors, discriminating open waters from coastal areas. A comparative assessment of the Initial Assessments (IAs) for five SES countries has been also independently performed. The comparison between meta-analysis results and IAs shows similarities for coastal areas only. Major knowledge gaps have been detected for the biodiversity, marine food web, marine litter and underwater noise descriptors. The meta-analysis also allowed the identification of additional research themes targeting research topics that are requested to the achievement of GES.

The effects of adriamycin on E-cadherin mediated cell-cell adhesion and apoptosis during early kidney development.

Adriamycin (ADR) is strongly teratogenic. We investigated the effects of ADR on apoptosis and the intensity of E-cadherin expression in developing kidneys. An experimental group of rats was given 2 mg/kg/day ADR on days 6-9 of gestation and a control group was given saline on the same schedule. Embryos were decapitated on days 13, 15, 17 and 19 of gestation, and processed and embedded in paraffin for routine light microscopy. Kidney specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin or periodic acid-Schiff, or immunostained for E-cadherin. Apoptosis was assessed using the TUNEL method. Weight loss and developmental deficiency were determined in embryos of the experimental group. ADR damaged or destroyed tubule epithelial cells, which caused apparent dilatation of the tubule lumen. Also, the brush borders of proximal tubules were damaged and glomerular spaces were dilated. ADR caused apoptosis of kidney tissue by days 15, 17 and 19 of development and E-cadherin expression was up-regulated during kidney development compared to controls. We found that ADR can cause apoptosis and increased E-cadherin expression in the developing rat kidney. E-cadherin expression and apoptosis may contribute to the development of ADR nephrotoxicity.

Antioxidant effect of carnosine treatment on renal oxidative stress in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a significant role in the development of diabetic nephropathy. We investigated the effects of an antioxidant, carnosine, on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced renal injury in diabetic rats. We used four groups of eight rats: group 1, control; group 2, carnosine treated; group 3, untreated diabetic; group 4, carnosine treated diabetic. Kidneys were removed and processed, and sections were stained with periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) and subjected to eNOS immunohistochemistry. Examination by light microscopy revealed degenerated glomeruli, thickened basement membrane and glycogen accumulation in the tubules of diabetic kidneys. Carnosine treatment prevented the renal morphological damage caused by diabetes. Moreover, administration of carnosine decreased somewhat the oxidative damage of diabetic nephropathy. Appropriate doses of carnosine might be a useful therapeutic option to reduce oxidative stress and associated renal injury in diabetes mellitus.