Effects of oral zinc administration on long-term ipsilateral and contralateral testes damage after experimental testis ischaemia-reperfusion.

The purpose of this study was to examine potential long-term post-torsion changes that can occur in the histopathology, biochemistry and spermatogenesis of both torsioned and nontorsioned opposite testes. The study also determines the effect of zinc (Zn) administration on the testicular torsion/detorsion (T/D) damage on both testes. Forty-eight male rats, divided equally into eight groups: (SHAM), (SHAM+,Zn+), (T/D+, Zn- 1 month), (T/D+,Zn- 2 months), (T/D+,Zn- 3 months), (T/D+,Zn+ 1 months), (T/D+,Zn+ 2 months), (T/D+,Zn+ 3 months), have been used. Drug administration was carried out by adding 100 µg (0.016 ml/rat) Zn per rat to drinking water in related groups. Testicular damage decreased superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH) and increased malondialdehyde (MDA) in the testis tissues of rats, while Zn administration increased SOD and GSH and decreased MDA in the testis tissues in comparison with the SHAM group. The beneficial effect of zinc sulphate was more evident on the nonrotated testis than the rotated testis. In the histopathological study, a significant decrease in torsion and detorsion injuries was observed in the treatment groups compared to the torsion and detorsion groups. We found a protective effect of zinc sulphate on oxidative stress as a result of T/D injuries in rats, especially for the nonrotated testis; results were supported histopathologically.

Role of endothelin receptors and relationship with nitric oxide synthase in impaired erectile response in diabetic rats.

To evaluate the protective role of bosentan (BOS), an endothelin-1 (ET-1) receptor antagonist, and to show the changes in rats with experimentally induced diabetic erectile dysfunction (ED), a total of 24 albino Wistar rats were allocated into four groups. Group 1 was the healthy group and Group 2 had diabetes mellitus (DM) induced by intraperitoneal injection of 60 mg kg-1 streptozotocin (STZ). Following the establishment of DM, Group 3 and Group 4 were treated with oral BOS doses of 50 mg kg-1 and 100 mg kg-1 , respectively, for 60 days. At the end of the treatment, we evaluated yawning and erection response to apomorphine treatment and then the animals were sacrificed. ET-1, eNOS, iNOS, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, ET-RA and ET-RB mRNA expressions were analysed in cavernosal tissue. It was observed that yawning and erection response decreased in the diabetic group; however, both of these improved with BOS treatment. While ET-1, TNF-α and iNOS gene expressions increased, eNOS, ET-RA and ET-RB gene expressions decreased in the DM group compared to the healthy group. DM has a negative impact on cavernosal tissue blood flow through activating vasoconstrictor mediators in cavernosal tissue. BOS regulates significantly eNOS, iNOS and TNF-α expressions in a dose-dependent manner.

Bovine rabies in Turkey: patterns of infection and implications for costs and control.

The incidence of rabies in livestock is an important factor for estimating the economic impact of the disease, but obtaining reliable data is hindered by inadequate surveillance. In order to understand the contribution of livestock rabies to the overall burden of disease, the rabies incidence in cattle was investigated in detail for Turkey between 2008 and 2011. Data were compiled on cattle numbers, samples submitted for rabies diagnosis, vaccinated animals and positive rabies cases in animals for seven regions in Turkey. Rabies incidence in cattle fluctuated annually and differed between regions from 0·10 to 3·87 cases/100 000 animals. The positive influence of compensation schemes was observed. Livestock losses were conservatively estimated at around $250 000 international dollars per annum, although in areas where compensation schemes are not operating this could be an underestimate of the economic burden. Vaccination of cattle remains an option for disease prevention, although oral rabies vaccination through aerially distributed baits should be implemented to prevent the further spread of fox-mediated rabies, which could result in much greater economic costs.

Rabies epidemiology and control in Turkey: past and present.

SUMMARYTurkey is the only country in Europe where urban dog-mediated rabies persists. Control measures in recent decades have reduced the burden of rabies to relatively low levels but foci of disease still persist, particularly in urban areas. Occasional human cases result from this persistence although the source of these appears to be both dog and wildlife reservoirs. This review considers the current state of rabies in Turkey including current control measures, the varying epidemiology of the disease throughout this country and the prospects for rabies elimination.

Epidemiology of rabies in Southeast Europe.

Rabies remains endemic within a number of countries in Southeast Europe including Romania, Bulgaria and Turkey. With the probable expansion of the European Union eastwards, it is likely that rabies elimination programs will be increased to reduce the burden of disease in new accession countries. A clear understanding of the epidemiology of the virus in this area of Europe is vital before such programs are introduced. With the exception of Turkey, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) is the principal disease reservoir in Southeastern Europe. However, cases of rabies in the dog (Canis familiaris) are regularly reported. In contrast to Northern Europe, the raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides) does not appear to be a vector in the south. This study summarises the current rabies situation in Southeast Europe and demonstrates the phylogenetic relationships between the viruses in a number of the countries within the region. Rabies virus RNA was extracted from original samples and a fragment of the nucleoprotein gene amplified by reverse-transcriptase PCR. Automated sequencing was used to derive nucleoprotein gene sequences and these were used to prepare a molecular phylogeny of rabies viruses in Southeast Europe. In Bulgaria, the dog is the main vector bringing rabies into contact with humans and livestock. However, other species may also act as reservoirs for the disease, complicating the development of elimination strategies. The fox is the principal reservoir species for rabies in Romania although cases in dogs are regularly reported. Despite a gradual decline in dog rabies, urban pockets of the disease remain in many regions of Turkey. Furthermore, there is some evidence that the fox has been a significant vectorfor rabies and may be responsible for increases in rabies in cattle in the Aegean region of the country. Throughout the region there is evidence for cross-border movement of rabies by both wildlife and canine vectors.

Genetic analysis of four human rabies cases reported in Turkey between 2002 and 2006.

Rabies remains endemic in many regions of Turkey. As a consequence, humans are at risk of this fatal disease through encounters with rabid animals. The present study describes four recent cases of rabies in humans. Subsequent phylogenetic analysis of the rabies virus isolates obtained from each case demonstrates the distinct geographical distribution of rabies virus variants within Turkey. The study suggests that rabies virus translocation has occurred across Turkey and might be the source of the emergence of a genetically similar variant in the Golan Heights region on the Israeli/Syrian border in 2004.

Wildlife rabies in Western Turkey: the spread of rabies through the western provinces of Turkey.

The incidence of rabies has decreased in Turkey during recent years. However, an increasing number of rabies cases have been reported in the Aegean (western) region of Turkey. The virus appears to have maintained a foothold in the urban areas of the province of Izmir with only three cases per year being reported during the mid-1990s. Since 2001, the virus has been recorded in the previously rabies-free provinces of Manisa and Aydin. During this epizootic, cases have been reported in both dogs and foxes, and there has been an unusually high incidence of rabies in domestic livestock, especially cattle. This report describes the development of this epizootic and a preliminary phylogenetic study which suggests that the source of this epizootic was likely to have been the residual cases within Izmir rather than a fresh introduction of rabies from foci to the north (Istanbul) and the Eastern provinces of Turkey.

Two-Dimensional Automatic Control Modeling of a Posture Control System.

A posture control model has been developed on the basis of the 2-dimensional feedback control theory. Human postural characteristics were investigated in 5 healthy participants. Tests were performed with eyes open and eyes closed. After 5 s of quiet standing, each participant was unexpectedly pulled forward by 30 mm at his pelvis height and then released. Postural sway was measured over 20 s at a rate of 100 per second. Transfer functions to represent the posture control characteristic were identified by the least squares' method. These showed good results of the model's fitness, predictability, and stability. The response of the eyes-closed condition to perturbation is more oscillatory than that of the eyes-open condition. It seems that the model identified could be applicable to ergonomics, sports, or clinical situations.

Phytochrome Control of Cell Wall-bound Hydroxyproline Content in Etiolated Pea Epicotyls.

The red light inhibition of growth of the intact pea (Pisum sativum L. cv. Alaska) third internode was correlated with an increase in the content of cell wall-bound hydroxyproline. These changes were detected 3 hours after irradiation, and possibly at 1 hour. Far red light reversed the effects of red light. The iron chelator alpha,alpha'-dipyridyl reversed the red light effects on both growth and hydroxyproline content. Using segments incubated in vitro, no phytochrome-mediated change in hydroxyproline content could be observed, perhaps because of an overwhelming wounding response. If plants were irradiated in situ and grown for 8 hours before excision and incubation of segments, some enhancement of hydroxylation by red light was detectable both colorimetrically and radioisotopically. The red light inhibition of segment growth was reversed by alpha,alpha'-dipyridyl. These results are examined in reference to the role of extensin in normal and induced growth cessation.