Investigation into the protective effects of Naringenin in phthalates-induced reproductive damage

OBJECTIVE

Di-n-butyl phthalate (DBP) is a ubiquitous environmental pollutant, extensively used as a plasticizer in many products, including plastics, cosmetics, and medical devices. Naringenin (NAR) is a flavonoid belonging to the flavanones subclass. It is widely distributed in several citrus fruits, bergamot, tomatoes, and other fruits. It is also found in its glycoside form (mainly naringin). Several biological activities have been ascribed to this phytochemical: antioxidant, antitumor, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiadipogenic, and cardioprotective effects. This study hypothesized that phthalates' possible reproductive damage mechanism is oxidative attack, and naringenin could have a protective effect against radical forms in the body through its antioxidant properties.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Thirty-two male rats were used in our study (n=8 each). Rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control, DBP, DBP +NAR and NAR. Phthalate (DBP) and NAR were administered through gastric oral gavage (phthalate group 500 mg/kg/day DBP; NAR group 50 mg/kg/day NAR). At the end of four weeks, testis tissue samples were taken under anesthesia. Testis tissue and blood samples were collected from the four groups in this study. Histological, biochemical and spermatological analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Tissue samples from the control and NAR groups showed normal histological appearance on light microscopy. The DBP group exhibited deterioration in seminiferous tubules, vascular congestion in capsule, vascular congestion between the seminiferous tubules, edema in the intestinal area and vacuolization, arrested spermatocytes in different stages of division; sloughing of cells into the seminiferous tubular lumen was observed. It was also observed that NAR treatment significantly inhibited and prevented the histopathological damage caused by DBP. Tissue TBARS, antioxidant parameters, sperm motility, sperm density and abnormal spermatozoon ratios were determined. As a result, it was shown that DBP caused oxidative damage by increasing TBARS levels and decreasing antioxidant parameters, increased abnormal sperm rate and decreased sperm motility, and concentration and histopathological damage, so the antioxidant activity of naringenin inhibited this damage.

CONCLUSIONS

DBP had toxic effects in rat testis tissue; NAR treatment ameliorated these effects. Further studies are warranted to confirm our findings.

Curcumin protects against testis-specific side effects of irinotecan

OBJECTIVE

Irinotecan (IR/CPT-11) is a semisynthetic, water-soluble derivative of the alkaloid camptothecin. It is a topoisomerase I group antineoplastic drug commonly used for the treatment of many cancer types, although it has side effects in tissues such as the testis. Curcumin (CRC) is a polyphenol compound produced from the Indian saffron root; it is used as food colouring and food flavouring. This study examined the testis-specific side effects of IR and the ability of CRC to protect against these side effects.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in our study (n = 10). The rats were randomly divided into the following four groups: control, IR, IR + CRC, and CRC. IR 10 mg/kg/day was administered intraperitoneally and CRC 100 mg/kg was administered orally. Blood and testicular samples were collected from rats in all four groups on day 30 after drug administration. Histological, biochemical, and spermatological analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

Testis tissue and blood samples were collected from the four groups. Tissue samples from the control and CRC groups demonstrated normal histological appearance on light microscopy. The IR group exhibited the following findings: vascular congestion in the tunica albuginea layer; tubular degeneration and vascular congestion in the interstitial area; oedema, vacuolisation, and luminised cells in the seminiferous tubule; and cells that temporarily stopped dividing at any stage of division in the seminiferous tubule epithelium. In the IR+CRC group, histopathological damage was significantly reduced by CRC treatment. Biochemical analysis showed that the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) was significantly increased in the IR group, compared with the other groups. CRC treatment significantly decreased this IR-mediated increase in TBARS level, and the TBARS level in the IR + CRC group approached the level observed in the control group. IR treatment caused significant decreases in glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and catalase (CAT) levels. However, CRC administration tended to ameliorate the decreases in GSH, SOD, CAT, and GPx levels.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, IR had some toxic effects in rat testis tissue; these effects were ameliorated by CRC treatment. Further studies are warranted to confirm our results.

Comparison of conservative and surgical treatment in Gartland Type IIB fractures in pediatric patients

OBJECTIVE

In this study, our aim was to compare conservative treatment and surgical treatment radiologically and clinically in the treatment of pediatric Gartland type IIB SCHF, which is a controversial issue in the literature.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This retrospective study included 86 patients with a Gartland type IIB humerus fracture. Forty-three patients were treated conservatively, and 43 patients were surgically treated. Radiological results were evaluated according to the Baumann angle and anterior humerus line. The Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS) and Flynn's criteria were used to assess the functional evolution.

RESULTS

The mean MEPS was 94 for the conservative treatment group and 93 for the surgical treatment group. According to Flynn's criteria, 31 (72.09%) excellent results were obtained in patients who were treated conservatively, and 26 (60.46%) excellent results were obtained in the surgical treatment group.

CONCLUSIONS

The conservative and surgical treatment of Gartland type IIB SCHF is not superior to each other if anatomic reduction is achieved. Complications of each treatment can be prevented by following strict treatment principles.

Fabrication and characterization of large numerical aperture, high-resolution optical fiber bundles based on high-contrast pairs of soft glasses for fluorescence imaging

Fabrication and characterization of flexible optical fiber bundles (FBs) with in-house synthesized high-index and low-index thermally matched glasses are presented. The FBs composed of around 15000 single-core fibers with pixel sizes between 1.1 and 10 μm are fabricated using the stack-and-draw technique from sets of thermally matched zirconium-silicate ZR3, borosilicate SK222, sodium-silicate K209, and F2 glasses. With high refractive index contrast pair of glasses ZR3/SK222 and K209/F2, FBs with numerical apertures (NAs) of 0.53 and 0.59 are obtained, respectively. Among the studied glass materials, ZR3, SK222, and K209 are in-house synthesized, while F2 is commercially acquired. Seven different FBs with varying pixel sizes and bundle diameters are characterized. Brightfield imaging of a micro-ruler and a Convallaria majalis sample and fluorescence imaging of a dye-stained paper tissue and a cirrhotic mice liver tissue are demonstrated using these FBs, demonstrating their good potential for microendoscopic imaging. Brightfield and fluorescence imaging performance of the studied FBs are compared. For both sets of glass compositions, good imaging performance is observed for FBs, with core diameter and core-to-core distance values larger than 1.6 μm and 2.3 μm, respectively. FBs fabricated with K209/F2 glass pairs revealed better performance in fluorescence imaging due to their higher NA of 0.59.

Rapid emergence of colistin resistance and its impact on fatality among healthcare-associated infections

This article describes the emergence of resistance and predictors of fatality for 1556 cases of healthcare-associated Gram-negative bloodstream infection in 2014 and 2015. The colistin resistance rate in Klebsiella pneumoniae was 16.1%, compared with 6% in 2013. In total, 660 (42.4%) cases were fatal. The highest fatality rate was among patients with Acinetobacter baumannii bacteraemia (58%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (45%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (41%), Enterobacter cloacae (32%) and Escherichia coli (28%). On multi-variate analysis, the minimum inhibitory concentrations for carbapenems [odds ratio (OR) 1.02, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01-1.04; P = 0.002] and colistin (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.03-1.17; P = 0.001) were found to be significantly associated with fatality.

Diurnal characteristics of heart rate variability in patients with sarcoidosis

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to evaluate autonomic nervous system function by measuring heart rate variability (HRV) in patients with sarcoidosis without known cardiac manifestations.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study comprised 61 participants, including 31 patients with sarcoidosis without known cardiac manifestations and 30 healthy volunteers. All participants underwent echocardiographic examination, 12-channel electrocardiography (ECG), and 24-h Holter monitoring. HRV parameters were determined and compared between the groups.

RESULTS

There were no differences between groups with regard to age, body mass index, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, or heart rate at the time of admission. In the time domain analyses, the 24-h, daytime, and night-time standard deviations of all normal-to-normal R‑R interval (SDNN) values were significantly lower in patients with sarcoidosis than those in the controls. The frequency domain analyses showed that 24-h and daytime low-frequency (LF) values, 24-h, daytime, and night-time high-frequency (HF) values were significantly lower in the patient group compared with the control group, whereas the night-time LF/HF ratio was significantly higher.

CONCLUSION

Although Holter ECG is not a diagnostic tool for cardiac sarcoidosis, the HRV parameters, especially the night-time LF/HF values, may demonstrate increased sympathetic activation in patients with sarcoidosis.

Association between serum fetuin-A level and erectile function

Recent studies have shown that ED is an early symptom of atherosclerosis. Fetuin-A, a glycoprotein secreted by the liver, kidneys and choroid plexus, has been linked to systemic fibrosis and calcification in human and rat studies. Deficiency of this compound may play a role in atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease progression. The aim of the study was to examine whether serum fetuin-A level is related to erectile function or severity of ED. Sixty ED patients without cardiovascular disease were assigned to one of the three groups (mild, moderate or severe ED) depending on ED severity. Twenty healthy volunteers were included as the control group. The International Index of Erectile Function-5 questionnaire was used to measure erection quality in all four groups. Mean age, body mass index, total testosterone, low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglyceride levels did not significantly differ between the three erectile dysfunction and control groups (P > 0.05). The group with severe ED had a significantly lower mean fetuin-A level than the mild ED and control groups. For both mild and moderate ED groups, the mean serum fetuin-A level was significantly lower in comparison with the control group (P < 0.001). Serum fetuin-A level may be used as a supplemental biochemical parameter in preliminary evaluation of ED.

Aflatoxin levels in chronic hepatitis B patients with cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma in Balıkesir, Turkey

Aflatoxins, the secondary metabolites produced by species of naturally occurring Aspergilli, are commonly found in food such as cereals, dried fruits and juice, wine, beer and spices. They are hepatotoxic and are well known human carcinogens based on evidence from human studies. Aflatoxins are an environmental risk factor for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Chronic hepatitis B-infected patients are at increased risk of cirrhosis, hepatic failure and liver cancer. This study was designed to determine the serum aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 ), aflatoxin B2 (AFB2 ), aflatoxin G1 (AFG1 ) and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2 ) concentrations using high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) in hepatitis B-infected patients with or without cirrhosis and liver cancer, alongside healthy controls in Balıkesir, Turkey. The mean AFB1 and total AF levels in patients without liver cancer and cirrhosis were significantly higher than healthy controls. The mean AFB1 and total AF levels in patients with chronic hepatitis B and HCC were significantly higher than infected patients with or without cirrhosis. These results suggest that patients with chronic hepatitis B who are exposed to AFs are at increased risk for developing HCC, which might be prevented by reducing consumption of contaminated foods.

Protective role of Diospyros lotus on cisplatin-induced changes in sperm characteristics, testicular damage and oxidative stress in rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Diospyros lotus (DL) on cisplatin (CP)-induced testicular damage in male rats. Twenty-eight male rats were randomly divided into four groups: group 1 - control, given isotonic saline solution; group 2 - CP 7 mg kg(-1) given intraperitoneally as single dose; group 3 - DL 1000 mg kg(-1) per day given orally for 10 days; group 4 - CP and DL given together at the same doses. CP caused a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) level and a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels in rats testis tissues compared to the control group. CP caused a significant increase in lipid peroxidation in testis tissues compared to the control group, whereas DL led to a significant increase in SOD and GSH levels. However, there were no statistically significant changes in GPx and CAT levels. In addition, serum testosterone levels, sperm concentration and sperm motility were significantly decreased, but abnormal sperm rate and histological changes were increased with CP. However, these effects of CP on sperm parameters, histological changes and the tissue weights were eliminated by DL treatment. In conclusion, our study showed that the reproductive toxicity caused by CP may be prevented by DL treatment.

Update on treatment options for spinal brucellosis

We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of antibiotic regimens and optimal duration of therapy in complicated and uncomplicated forms of spinal brucellosis. This is a multicentre, retrospective and comparative study involving a total of 293 patients with spinal brucellosis from 19 health institutions. Comparison of complicated and uncomplicated spinal brucellosis was statistically analysed. Complicated spinal brucellosis was diagnosed in 78 (26.6%) of our patients. Clinical presentation was found to be significantly more acute, with fever and weight loss, in patients in the complicated group. They had significantly higher leukocyte and platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rates and C-reactive protein levels, and lower haemoglobulin levels. The involvement of the thoracic spine was significantly more frequent in complicated cases. Spondylodiscitis was complicated, with paravertebral abscess in 38 (13.0%), prevertebral abscess in 13 (4.4%), epidural abscess in 30 (10.2%), psoas abscess in 10 (3.4%) and radiculitis in 8 (2.7%) patients. The five major combination regimens were: doxycycline 200 mg/day, rifampicin 600 mg/day and streptomycin 1 g/day; doxycycline 200 mg/day, rifampicin 600 mg/day and gentamicin 5 mg/kg; doxycycline 200 mg/day and rifampicin 600 mg/day; doxycycline 200 mg/day and streptomycin 1 g/day; and doxycycline 200 mg/day, rifampicin 600 mg/day and ciprofloxacin 1 g/day. There were no significant therapeutic differences between these antibiotic groups; the results were similar regarding the complicated and uncomplicated groups. Patients were mostly treated with doxycycline and rifampicin with or without an aminoglycoside. In the former subgroup, complicated cases received antibiotics for a longer duration than uncomplicated cases. Early recognition of complicated cases is critical in preventing devastating complications. Antimicrobial treatment should be prolonged in complicated spinal brucellosis in particular.

FDG PET/CT findings in rare sarcomas

The role of FDG PET/CT in management of soft tissue and bone sarcomas has been described in many studies up-to-date. However, contribution of PET/CT to diagnosis and treatment in some types of sarcomas that are seen with low incidence has not been identified properly yet. Clear cell sarcoma, synovial sarcoma of chest and myxoid lyposarcoma are rare types of sarcomas. We aimed to describe the FDG uptake patterns of these rare tumors and find out the role of FDG PET/CT in management of disease.