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Chronic inflammation and oxidative stress can contribute to the development of cardiovascular diseases. Isoproterenol (ISO), a synthetic catecholamine, is used to study the effects of drugs on cardiotoxicity. Agmatine (AGM) is a type of biogenic amine produced through the decarboxylation of arginine. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effects of AGM against ISO-induced cardiotoxicity due to the described roles of AGM in cardiovascular disease. Four groups of thirty-two Wistar Albino rats were divided equally as control, ISO, AGM+ISO, and ISO+AGM. ISO was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) twice at a dose of 150 mg/kg, at 24-hour intervals. Prior to and after ISO injection, 20 mg/kg of AGM was injected i.p. Hemodynamic measurements and serum and tissue biochemical analyses were evaluated at the end of the experiment. The levels of glutathione (GSH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the tissue were measured. In the ISO group, levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and creatine kinase (CK) were increased significantly (p [Med-Science 2023; 12(4.000): 1290-6]

We aimed to investigate the potential benefits of two doses of ivabradine (IVA)-an If sodium channel blocker against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial damage in rats.The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Control group (n=8); Saline was administered, ISO group (n=12); 150 mg/kg ISO was administered for 2 days, ISO+IVA (1 mg/kg) group (n=12); 1 mg/kg IVA was administered for 4 days in addition to ISO. ISO+IVA (10 mg/kg) group (n=12): 10 mg/kg IVA was administered for 4 days in addition to ISO. Thereafter, hemodynamic, histopathological, and biochemical studies were performed. In the ISO+IVA (1 mg/kg) and ISO+IVA (10 mg/kg) groups, ISO-induced myocardial changes including an increase in density of granulation tissue and degenerated cardiomyocyte were equally decreased. HR was mildly reduced, and arterial blood pressures were slightly increased in the IVA-treated groups versus the ISO group. In the hearts of IVA-treated groups, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly reduced and glutathione (GSH) level and catalase (CAT) activity were mildly increased compared to the ISO group. Elevation of GSH and CAT activity were more pronounced in the ISO+IVA (10 mg/kg) group. Our results indicate that both 1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg doses of IVA are effective against heart damage induced by ISO via its negative chronotropic, anti-oxidant (dose-dependent), anti-inflammatory and anti-degenerative properties. [Med-Science 2023; 12(3.000): 667-73]

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) gene expression in an experimental gentamicin-induced nephrotoxicity and ameliorative effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) was investigated in rats. Animals were divided into four groups (n=8); control (C) group animals were given 10% dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO); gentamicin (G) group animals were given 100 mg/kg/day gentamicin; CAPE group animals were given 30 mg/kg/day CAPE and CAPE+G group animals were given 100 mg/kg/day gentamicin plus 30 mg/kg/day CAPE. Serum creatinine and BUN levels significantly increased in gentamicin group as compared to the control group (p0.05). Gene expression level of VEGF-A in gentamicin group significantly decreased as compared to the control group, however, CAPE treatment did not have any increasing effect on the gene expression level. According to histopathological investigation, gentamicin treatment caused prominent degeneration in kidney tissue and CAPE treatment had only slight beneficial effect on lowering the tissue degeneration. The results showed that gentamicin decreases VEGF-A gene expression and this might be related to the tissue degeneration at cellular level. However, CAPE treatment did not have significant ameliorative effect in lowering the gentamicin induced nephrotoxicity. [Med-Science 2018; 7(4.000): 805-9]

In this study, gene expression profile of caveoline and the kidney MDA levels and serum BUN and creatinine levels were investigated in experimentally induced renal failure case of rats. In the experimental group, rats were injected with 30 mg/kg of cyclosporin A via subcutaneous route for 28 days. In the control group, rats were injected with cremophor EL, vehicle for cyclosporin A, for 28 days. Caveolin gene analysis and MDA analysis in the kidney tissue as well as serum BUN and creatinine analysis were performed at the end of the experiment. Caveolin gene expression of experimental group was significantly reduced (P < 0.05), while the MDA level was significantly increased compared to those of control (P < 0.05). Serum BUN and creatinine levels were significantly increased in the experimental group compared to the control group (P < 0.05). In the Cyclosporin A induced chronic renal failure model, we suggest that the induction of the Cav-1 gene expression may prevent the renal tissue damage. [Med-Science 2017; 6(3.000): 401-5]

Alzheimers Disease (AD), which is the most common reason for dementia, is an irreversible neurodegenerative brain disease. FEZ1 is a protein expressed in the brain. High expressions of FEZ1 mRNA have been interpreted as an indicator of high neural plasticity for memory and learning. This study was planned to determine the effect of melatonin deficiency (pinealectomy; PnX) on AD and to reveal its association with FEZ1. 30 male rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into three as SHAM, PnX+streptozotocin (STZ) and PnX+STZ+melatonin (MLT) groups. The pineal glands of rats were surgically removed (except SHAM group) and STZ was intracerebroventricularly (icv) administrated at the first and third days. MLT (10 mg/kg/day) was intraperitoneally (ip) injected 1 hour before the first STZ application and it was continued for 14 days. STZ and MLT solvents were applied to the rats in the SHAM group. At the end of the applications, Morris water maze (MWM) test was carried out the rats. At the end of MWM tests, the rats were sacrificed and their blood and hippocampus tissues were taken. FEZ1 gene expression and protein levels were determined from hippocampus tissue, while serum nonadrenaline, dopamine and serotonin levels were detected from blood samples. FEZ1 protein levels of PnX+STZ+MLT group were found to be statistically significantly lower than those of SHAM and PnX+STZ groups (p [Med-Science 2017; 6(2.000): 217-23]

In this study, Wistar rats were experimentally induced diabetes and the gene expression profile of CuZn-SOD and CAT enzymes were investigated in the liver tissue of these rats. The rats were divided into two groups as control and the experimental diabetes group (DM). In group DM, as a single dose of 50 mg/kg streptozotocin (STZ) dissolved in 0.01 M citrate buffer (pH: 4.5) was given intraperitoneally to the rats. 0.01 M citrate buffer which is the vehicle for STZ was applied to the rats in control group. 72 hours after STZ treatment, blood samples were collected from the tail vein, and the blood sugar levels were measured. Rats with fasting blood sugar levels above 350 mg/dl were considered to be diabetic. The rats were decapitated 21 days after STZ treatment. The liver tissues were collected, and the gene expression profile of CuZn-SOD and CAT in the liver was measured using real-time PCR technique. In conclusion, it was found that a significant decrease was observed in the expression of CuZn-SOD and CAT genes in DM group when they were compared to that of control group. [Med-Science 2015; 4(4.000): 2834-48]

In human body, average of 33 separate vertebrae of the spinal column is sorted and connected to each other in a row. The primary task of this column is to support the head, chest and abdominal organs and form a stable and strong sheath to the spinal canal where the medulla spinal passes through. Spinal column of a new born baby is straight, but after the baby starts to hold his head, cervical lordosis is formed. After the baby starts to sit and stands up, thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis and sacral kyphosis develops. Although, normal physiological curves of spine is normal, deviations from the front or rear view is considered pathological. Scoliosis is characterized as lateral deviation, the reduction in sagittal slope and axial rotation. Scoliosis can also be defined as the deviation of the normal vertical line, deviating more than 10 degrees, as seen in X-ray. All treatment methods used in the treatment of scoliosis aims to perform physically normal, balanced, painless and a stable backbone. Although, the treatment of Scolyosis is performed in several different ways, further studies are still being conducted. [Med-Science 2015; 4(1.000): 1796-808]