Protective effects of carnitine in an experimental ischemia-reperfusion injury

BACKGROUND/AIMS

We aimed to determine the role of exogenous carnitine to prevent ischemia-reperfusion damage in liver tissue in experimental model.

METHODS

Rats were divided into four groups as Sham (SG), 30% Hepatectomy (HG), ischemia-reperfusion +30% hepatectomy (IRHG) and ischemia-reperfusion+30% hepatectomy+carnitine (IRHCG). Serum AST, ALT and GGT levels have been determined in systemic blood samples (post-hepatic vena cava) and liver tissue and serum carnitine levels in blood samples from portal vein (pre-hepatic blood samples).

RESULTS

Serum carnitine levels were significantly higher in IRHCG compared to SG (P < 0.01). Each of the serum AST, ALT and GGT levels were statistically higher in HG, IRHG and IRHCG than SG (P < 0.001). While these values in IRHG were also higher than those in HG (P < 0.001), in IRHCG enzyme levels were significantly lower than IRHG (P < 0.001). Liver tissue damage was less in IRHCG than IRHG statistically (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

This animal model implies that exogenous carnitine supplementation may be helpful in preventing free oxygen radical damage and inflammatory reactions in liver tissue.

Isolated mesosigmoidal hydatid cyst as an unusual cause of colonic obstruction: report of a case

We report herein an unusual case of primary mesosigmoidal hydatid cyst that presented as acute left colonic obstruction mimicking sigmoid colon cancer. A 61-year-old man with a 3-day history of abdominal pain, distention, obstipation, vomiting, and fever was admitted to the emergency department of our hospital. Surgery was performed under a presumptive diagnosis of acute left colonic obstruction. The intraoperative findings were highly suggestive of sigmoid colonic carcinoma and Hartmann's procedure was performed. Histopathological examination of the pathological specimen revealed an isolated hydatid cyst embedded in mesosigmoid which had caused mechanical sigmoidal obstruction. Primary extrahepatic, intra-abdominal localization of a hydatid cyst is not unusual. Therefore, as a hydatid cyst may cause a wide variety of clinical syndromes, it should be kept in mind in the differential diagnosis of mechanical bowel obstruction, especially in endemic regions.