Search

Amaç: Multipl skleroz (MS) merkezi sinir sistemini etkileyen kronik inflamatuvar bir patolojidir. Günümüze kadar MS’e karşı birçok tedavi seçeneği onaylanmıştır. Bu çalışmada, fingolimod tedavisinin (FT) relapsing-remitting multipl skleroz (RRMS) hastalarının karaciğer enzim düzeylerine etkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Yüz iki RRMS hastasının (66 kadın, 36 erkek, ortalama yaş 40,9±10,9 yıl) vücut kitle indeksi, FT (0,5 mg/gün) süreleri ve karaciğer enzim (alanin aminotransferaz, ALT; gama glutamil transferaz, GGT) seviyeleri poliklinik kayıtlarından geriye dönük olarak incelendi. Bulgular: MS hastalarının FT süresi 0,5 ile 6 yıl arasındaydı. Üç ay ve daha fazla FT süresi olan RRMS hastalarında ALT ve GGT seviyelerinin arttığı tespit edildi. FT sonrası, ALT ve GGT seviyeleri erkeklerde kadınlara kıyasla yaklaşık olarak 2 kat daha yüksekti. Kadınlarda ALT ve GGT seviyelerinin sırasıyla 1,3 ve 1,5 kat, erkeklerde ise bu seviyelerin 1,6 ve 1,9 kat arttığı görüldü. FT sonrası transaminaz seviyesi artan MS hastalarından 9 (%34,6) erkek ve 14 (%32,6) kadın GGT için normalin üst seviyesindeyken, 7 (%23,3) erkek ve 8 (%17,4) kadın ALT için normalin üst seviyesindeydi. Yaş ve FT süresi, ALT ve GGT seviyelerini etkilemiyordu. Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, FT RRMS hastalarının ALT ve GGT seviyelerini yükseltmiştir. Bundan dolayı, MS hastalarının FT süresince takibi oldukça önemlidir. Bu yüzden, MS hastalarında olası karaciğer hasarı ya da diğer sistemik hastalıkların önlenmesi için FT sırasında ve sonrasında ALT ve GGT seviyelerinin takip edilmesini öneriyoruz.

Objective(s): Cells perform their functional activities by communicating with each other through endogenous substances and receptors. Post-translation, stem cells function properly in new host tissue by carrying specific cell surface receptors. We aimed to characterize muscarinic receptor subtypes in mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) together with osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation markers.Materials and Methods: mRNA levels of 5 muscarinic receptor subtypes (CHRM1 to 5), BMP-6, and PPARγ during osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation, under the effect of atropine blockade, were measured in MSCs obtained from human fetal membrane (FM) and bone marrow (BM). Additionally, the effect of atropine on differentiation in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd passages of MSCs, obtained from human FM and BM, were analyzed by RT-qPCR.Results: CHRM1 mRNA levels increased in the FM group, while decreasing in the BM group. We found significant decreases in CHRM3 and CHRM5 mRNA levels in FM and BM groups, respectively. Atropine had variable effects based on cell source and receptor type. BMP-6 mRNA levels in differentiated osteogenic cells increased significantly compared to undifferentiated cells in both FM and BM groups. In MSCs derived from both sources, PPARγ mRNA levels in differentiated adipogenic cells increased significantly. Atropine showed no effect on MSCs differentiation.Conclusion: These results indicate that expressions of muscarinic receptors in MSCs derived from BM and FM can vary and these cells keep the potential of osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation in vitro. Besides, atropine had no effect on adipogenic and osteogenic differentiation of MSCs.

Abstract Chronic inflammation is a common indication of several diseases, e.g. asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), atherosclerosis, etc. Benzimidazole derivatives are preferable compounds to design new analgesic and anti-inflammatory substances due to their unique biological features. We aimed to investigate the effect of a newly synthesized benzimidazole derivative, ORT-83, on A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line. ORT-83 was synthesized, and a non-cytotoxic concentration of ORT-83 on A549 cells was detected with MTT assay. To analyze the anti-inflammatory effect of ORT-83, an inflammatory cell culture model was established by stimulating A549 cell line with IL1-β (10 ng/ml). After 2 hours of treatment with IL1-β to induce inflammation, A549 cells were exposed to ORT-83 (0.78 µg/ml) for 24 hours. Thereafter gene expression analyses were performed with qRT-PCR. We found that ORT-83 significantly suppressed the gene expression levels of the proinflammatory cytokines; IL-6, NFkB, and TNF-α. However, the increased levels of IL-10 (2.8 folds) by IL-1β induction did not change after ORT-83 and/or dexamethasone (Dex: positive control) treatments. While Dex; a COX-2 inhibitor, reduced the COX-2 expression level in inflammatory cells from 10.03 folds to 0.71 folds, ORT-83 reduced its level to 4.37 folds. iNOS expression levels did not change in any experimental groups. In conclusion, we showed that ORT-83 exerted its anti-inflammatory effects by repressing the gene expression of proinflammatory cytokines in the inflammation-induced A549 cell line. Although ORT-83 had a weaker COX-2 inhibitory effect compared to Dex, it was shown to be still a strong anti-inflammatory compound.

We here suggest that pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) does not have an effect on lesion size, behavioral outcome, cell proliferation, or cell death after striatal ischemia in the mouse. PEDF is a neurotrophic factor with neuroprotective, antiangiogenic, and antipermeability effects. It influences self-renewal of neural stem cells and proliferation of microglia. We investigated whether intraventricular infusion of PEDF reduces infarct size and cell death, ameliorates behavioral outcome, and influences cell proliferation in the one-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) mouse model of focal cerebral ischemia. C57Bl6/N mice were implanted with PEDF or artificial cerebrospinal fluid (control) osmotic pumps and subjected to 60-minute MCAO 48 hours after pump implantation. They received daily BrdU injections for 7 days after MCAO in order to investigate cell proliferation. Infarct volumes were determined 24 hours after reperfusion using magnetic resonance imaging. We removed the pumps on day 5 and performed behavioral testing between day 7 and 21. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine the effect of PEDF on cell proliferation and cell death. Our model produced an ischemic injury confined solely to striatal damage. We detected no reduction in infarct sizes and cell death in PEDF- vs. CSF-infused MCAO mice. Behavioral outcome and cell proliferation did not differ between the groups. However, we cannot exclude that PEDF might work under different conditions in stroke. Further studies will elucidate the effect of PEDF treatment on cell proliferation and behavioral outcome in moderate to severe ischemic injury in the brain.

Competing Interests: Financial disclosure statements have been obtained, and no conflicts of interest have been reported by the authors or by any individuals in control of the content of this article.

Objectives: The coronavirus outbreak caused significant changes in football around the world, such as the suspension of leagues and home isolation of players, etc. The main purpose of the present study was to assess the psychological impacts of lockdown and similar restrictions on professional football players during the coronavirus pandemic., Materials and Methods: The players from 36 professional football teams (n = 977) among Turkish Super League and First League teams were invited to complete a questionnaire including the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), Impact of Event Scale-Revised Scores (IES-R) and short form of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ)., Results: The online survey was completed by 237 players (24.3%). The mean number of self-quarantine day of participants was 26.9 ± 6.2 days. The median CES-D Scale and IES-R scores were 6.0 (min:0, max:42) and 23.0 (min:0, max:59), respectively. IPAQ scores of the players showed that four-fifths of the players still maintain high physical activity levels. There were negative, very weak and significant correlations between CES-D score and being married (r = -0.146, p = 0.024), as well as between CES-D score and IPAQ-Walking (r = -0.189, p = 0.004). A significant positive very weak correlation was observed between CES-D score and self-quarantine days (r = 0.148, p = 0.024). IPAQ-Walking was an independent predictor of CES-D., Conclusion: These findings support that maintaining regular physical activity and routinely exercising in a safe home environment is one of the most important strategies to ensure healthy mental state.