Does moxifloxacin alter oxidant status in the cornea? An experimental study.

OBJECTIVE: In this experimental study, we investigated the possible effects of intracameral moxifloxacin on oxidative stress parameters and endothelial cell morphology in corneal tissue. METHODS: In total, 30 rats were randomly assigned to three groups of 10 rats: the sham group (Group 1, n = 10); the control group (Group 2), where balanced salt solution (BSS) was administered at a dose of 0.01 cc (n = 10); and the treatment group (Group 3), where moxifloxacin was administered at a dose of 0.05 mg/0.01 cc (n = 10). Total antioxidant status (TAS) and total oxidant status (TOS) in corneal tissue and blood samples were measured and the oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Also, corneal tissue histopathology was evaluated with caspase-3 and caspase-8 staining. Apoptotic activity was also evaluated. RESULTS: In blood samples, TAS, TOS, and OSI levels were not statistically significantly different (all p > 0.05). Compared with the sham and control groups, TOS and OSI levels in cornea tissue were significantly different in the moxifloxacin group (all p < 0.05). However, compared with the control group, no statistically significant difference was found in the sham group (all p > 0.05). Compared with the sham and control groups, apoptotic activity was higher in the moxifloxacin group, in both immunohistochemical staining for caspase-3 and caspase-8. CONCLUSIONS: Intracameral moxifloxacin injection seems to be safe systemically, but it may have toxic effects on corneal tissues, as suggested by oxidative stress parameters and a histopathological evaluation.

Genetic polymorphisms of hspa1b and hspa1l in infertile men.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship between the HSP 70 genepolymorphism and primary infertility in males with normal sperm-parameters. METHODS: The case-control study was conducted in Sanliurfa, Turkey, from September 2010 to August 2011and comprised infertile males as cases and healthy fertile controls. Deoxyribonucleicacid was isolated from the blood of both groups, and polymorphisms of the HSPA1B gene (NM_005346.4, GI: 3304):c.1059G>A, (PstI G>A; dbSNP: rs1061581G>A) and HSPA1L gene (NM_005527.3, GI: 3305) c.1478C>T (NcoIC>T, dbSNP: rs2227956) were analysed with polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. SPSS version 11.5 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of the 140males in the study, 68(28.5%) were infertile cases and 72(51.4%) fertile controls. There was no statistically significant difference between GA (heterozygous) and AA (homozygous, polymorphic) genotypes of the c.1059G>A polymorphic point of the HSPA1B gene or between the A allele of the cases and controls (p>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between the CT (heterozygote) and TT (homozygous, polymorphic) genotypes of the c.1478C>T polymorphic area of the HSPA1Lgene or between the T alleles of the cases and the controls (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Infertility in males with normal sperm parameters was not significantly associated with HSPA1B:c.1059G>A and HSPA1L:c.1478C>T gene polymorphisms. Further prospective studies with larger sample sizes and different gene groups are required to clarify the issue.

Ultrastructure of the thymus in diabetes mellitus and starvation.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study was to investigate the ultrastructural change of the thymus under stress conditions created by diabetes accompanied by fasting, and also the effects of insulin therapy. METHODS: Forty-eight Sprague-Dawley type rats were used in this experiment. Type 1 diabetes symptoms were induced in 24 of the rats by the application of a single dose of intravenous streptozotocin in sodium citrate buffer through the tail vein. A single dose of sodium citrate buffer was given to rats to create a control group. Following the infusions, rats were divided into control, control and fasting, diabetes, diabetes and fasting, and insulin treatment groups. At the end of the experiment tissues from the thymus of the rats were extracted and examined using electron microscopy. RESULTS: Severe degeneration was observed in the prolonged fasting (stress) and diabetes groups without insulin treatment. Insulin treatment was found to mostly reverse this degeneration. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that the thymus was affected ultrastructurally by diabetes and concomitant fasting, and insulin treatment can reverse these changes.

Assessment of peripheral DNA damage by alkaline comet assay in maintenance hemodialysis subjects with hepatitis C infection.

Despite the high prevalence of hepatitis C infection among hemodialysis subjects, there is no information concerning the DNA damage of hepatitis C (+) hemodialysis subjects. We aimed to find out if there is any additional effect of hepatitis C infection on peripheral DNA damage in maintenance hemodialysis subjects. Fifteen hepatitis C (+) and 22 hepatitis C (-) hemodialysis subjects, 21 hepatitis C subjects without renal disease, and 22 healthy controls were enrolled. Peripheral DNA damage was assayed using alkaline comet assay. Median DNA damage levels of the study groups were as follows: hepatitis C (+) maintenance hemodialysis subjects, 88 (0-232); hepatitis C (-) maintenance hemodialysis subjects, 58 (0-228); hepatitis C (+) subjects without renal disease, 112 (44-252); controls, 26 (0-72). DNA damage level was significantly higher among hepatitis C (+) subjects without renal disease than hepatitis C (-) maintenance hemodialysis subjects and healthy controls (both p<0.05/6). Both maintenance hemodialysis subjects with and without HCV infection had significantly higher DNA damage level than healthy controls (both p<0.05/6). DNA damage level was comparable between hepatitis C (+) subjects without renal disease and HCV (+) hemodialysis subjects, and between hemodialysis subjects with and without hepatitis C infection (all p>0.05/6). Linear regression analysis revealed that hepatitis C infection was the only independent factor in predicting the peripheral DNA damage (p<0.05, beta=0.395). Each one of end-stage renal disease and hepatitis C infection significantly increases DNA damage level. However, in hemodialysis subjects, hepatitis C infection does not cause significant additional increase in DNA damage level, and it may be partly due to protective effect of hemodialysis on hepatitis C infection.

Rectal and vaginal administration of insulin-chitosan formulations: an experimental study in rabbits.

Insulin is a polypeptide drug and it is degraded by gastrointestinal enzymes, therefore, it cannot be used via oral route readily. There are only parenteral forms available in the market. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of rectal and vaginal administration of various insulin gel formulations on the blood glucose level as alternative routes in rabbits. Chitosan gel (CH-gel) was used as a carrier; the penetration enhancing effect of sodium taurocholate and dimethyl-beta-cyclodextrin (DM-betaCD) was also investigated. CH-gel provided longer insulin release. The maximum decreasing effect on blood glucose level was observed with insulin-CH-gel containing 5% DM-betaCD. In conclusion, our results indicate that insulin may penetrate well through the rectal and vaginal mucosae from the CH-gel. DM-betaCD was also found to be a useful agent to enhance the penetration of insulin through rectal and vaginal membranes.

Effect of lycopene on caspase-3 enzyme activation in liver of methanol-intoxicated rats: comparison with fomepizole.

Lycopene is one of the major carotenoids and is found almost exclusively in tomatoes and tomato products. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of lycopene on methanol-induced liver injury and to compare the results with those after fomepizole, which is used in treatment of methanol intoxication. Experiments were carried out with 30 female Wistar rats weighting 180-200 g. Rats were injected with a intraperitoneally dose of 3 g/kg methanol as a 50% solution in isotonic saline once for intoxication. Rats were pretreated with fomepizole (50 mg/kg) and/or lycopene (10 mg/kg) before methanol. After 24 hours all the drug-treated and intoxicated rats were sacrificed under anesthesia. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined in order to assess lipid peroxidation, and caspase-3 activity was determined by immunostaining of liver tissues to evaluate apoptosis. Methanol administration significantly increased the MDA level and caspase-3 activity in liver. Pretreatment with lycopene and/or fomepizole decreased the MDA levels significantly. Similarly, lycopene and fomepizole decreased methanol-induced caspase-3 activity. The findings of the present study demonstrate that methanol intoxication causes hepatic toxicity in rats and that this is likely a result of reactive oxygen species and apoptosis induction. Lycopene has protective effects against methanol-induced hepatic injury similar to fomepizole. It was demonstrated for the first time that both lycopene and fomepizole prevent methanol-induced hepatic injury by reducing the increase of lipid oxidation and caspase-3 activation.

Melatonin improves methanol intoxication-induced oxidative liver injury in rats.

This study was performed to evaluate the effect of melatonin on methanol-induced liver injury. We evaluated the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonylation (PC), myeloperoxidase (MPO) activities and to assess lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, neutrophil accumulation and nitrite which is a stable end product of nitric oxide respectively. We also studied superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activities of liver tissue to evaluate the changes in the antioxidant status. Histopathological alterations were also determined. The experiment was performed on Wistar rats, which received intragastric 3 g/kg methanol as a 50% solution in isotonic saline once. After 6 and 24 hr all the drug received and intoxicated rats were killed under anesthesia. Pretreatment with melatonin (10 mg/kg) decreased the MDA levels significantly, restored the PC levels to the control, prevented the increase of nitrite level and MPO activity significantly and reversed to the control levels, prevented the reduction in all of the antioxidant enzyme activities. Additionally in melatonin treated group piecemeal necrosis, lobular lytic necrosis, and portal inflammation returned to normal histologic appearances when compared with methanol administration. In conclusion, melatonin has protective effects against methanol-induced hepatic injury.

No increase in sperm DNA damage and seminal oxidative stress in patients with idiopathic infertility.

The most common cause of male infertility is idiopathic. Standard investigations reveal no abnormality in such cases. The aim of the study was to investigate the levels of sperm DNA damage and seminal oxidative stress and their relationships with idiopathic infertility. The study included 30 normozoospermic infertile men seeking infertility treatment and 20 fertile donors. Semen analysis was performed according to the World Health Organization guidelines. Sperm DNA damage was assessed by alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis (comet assay) after preparation with two-step discontinuous Percoll gradient. Seminal oxidative stress was measured by a novel automated method. DNA damage score, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) were not different in idiopathic infertile men compared with controls. No correlations were also found between DNA damage score and TAS, TOS levels and OSI in idiopathic infertile group. We did not find any relationship between sperm DNA damage and oxidative stress in normozoospermic infertile men. We think that the pathophysiology of idiopathic infertility cannot be explained by sperm DNA damage or seminal oxidative stress.

Ultrastructure of rat pup's Purkinje neurons whose mothers were exposed to ethanol during pregnancy and lactation.

This study was intended to investigate the effects of alcohol on the ultrastructure of fetal cerebellar Purkinje cells. Twelve adult female rats of Sprague-Dawley species were utilized. Control and experiment groups were formed. Rats were made pregnant. Rats in experiment group were administered liquid diet containing 6% alcohol. Cerebellums of infant rats were taken on 6th, 8th, and 10th days after birth. For electron microscopy, tissue sections were processed and stained with the usual methods. When control and experiment groups were compared for electron microscopic investigation, degeneration of mithocondria as cristolysis, dilatations of rough endoplasmic reticulum tubuli, and ring-shaped appearance of Golgi apparatus unit were determined. In some groups, nuclear membrane disintegrated. In cytoplasms of Purkinje cells, multivesicular bodies were distinguished. It was determined that liquid diet containing 6% alcohol had toxic effects on Purkinje cells and caused ultrastructural signs of degeneration in these cells.