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Background The OLR1 gene has been identified as a candidate gene for coronary artery disease (CAD). Six single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the OLR1 gene located within intron 4 (IVS4-27G>C, IVS4-73C>T, IVS4-14A>G), intron 5 (IVS5-70A>G, IVS5-27G>T) and 3'UTR (188C>T) comprise a linkage disequilibrium (LD) block, which is strongly associated with the elevated risk of CAD. Objectives We aimed to investigate the effects of the OLR1 IVS4-14A>G and -73C>T SNPs on metabolic parameters in Turkish CAD patients, and the linkage between these 2 genetic variants. Material and methods The present study was carried out in 97 CAD patients and 78 healthy individuals. The OLR1 IVS4 genotypings were performed by polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method. Results Serum high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels and body mass index (BMI) were higher in control subjects with IVS4-73CC genotype than in T allele carriers (CT+TT) (respectively, p = 0.002 and p = 0.024), while BMI values were lower in patients with CC genotype (p = 0.046). Patients with IVS4-14G allele (AG+GG) had a statistically higher low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level (p = 0.027) than patients with -14AA genotype. Also the systolic blood pressure (SBP) levels were statistically higher in IVS4- 73C allele carriers (CT+CC) than in non-carriers (TT) (p = 0.045). A strong linkage between IVS4-14A>G and -73C>T SNPs of the OLR1 gene was detected in patients (D > 0.76). Conclusions Our results indicated that the intron 4-14A>G and -73C>T SNPs of the OLR1 gene can be inherited together. The present data also suggests that the OLR1 gene may contribute to the development of hypercholesterolemia in patients with CAD.

OBJECTIVE We aimed to investigate the effects of exogenous ghrelin on cytokine and ghrelin levels, oxidant parameters, and apoptotic genes in lung tissue during sepsis. BACKGROUND There was evidence that changes of apoptosis are linked with morbidity and mortality in sepsis. There were scarce studies on the effect of ghrelin on apoptotic genes and endogenous ghrelin levels during sepsis. METHODS Male Wistar albino rats 200-250 g were separated into four groups; Control, LPS (5 mg/kg), Ghrelin (10 nmol/kg i.v.), and LPS+Ghrelin. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-10 (IL-10), and ghrelin levels were determined from lung tissue using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). TNF-α, IL-10, Bcl-2, and Bax gene expressions were calculated using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), tissue superoxide dismutase enzyme (SOD) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) were determined spectrophotometerically. RESULTS TNF-α levels decreased in the LPS+Ghrelin group compared with the LPS (p < 0.001). IL-10 and MDA levels were found highly significantly increased in the LPS and LPS+Ghrelin groups (p < 0.05). Tissue SOD activities were higher in the Ghrelin and LPS+Ghrelin group compared with the LPS (p < 0.05). TNF-α, and Bax expression levels were increased in the LPS compared with the other groups. IL-10 expression levels were increased in the experimental groups compared with the controls. Bcl-2 expression levels were increased in the Ghrelin and LPS+Ghrelin compared with other groups. CONCLUSION Ghrelin treatment attenuated LPS-induced lung injury. Treatment with ghrelin had no impact on serum and tissue ghrelin levels, but it decreased the level of proinflammatory cytokines. We found that ghrelin treatment had an antioxidant effect on SOD levels. Also, ghrelin decreased the activity of proapoptotic Bax and increased antiapoptotic Bcl-2. Our findings suggest that administration of ghrelin may attenuate damage in lung tissue during sepsis (Fig. 4, Ref. 33).

We investigated the effects of exogenous ghrelin on energy levels and tissue histology in skeletal muscle in experimentally lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced septic rats. Male Wistar albino rats 200–250 g were separated into four groups; Control, LPS (5 mg/kg), Ghrelin (10 nmol/kg i.v.), and ghrelin+LPS. Gastrocnemius muscle tissue was taken and stained using modified Gomori trichrome (MGT), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), and cytochrome oxidase (COX) and hematoxylin and eosin. In stained sections, histological score value was calculated according to the intensity and the distribution for MGT, SDH and COX stainings. Creatine, creatine phosphate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP) levels, and the ratios of AMP/ATP and CreaP/ATP were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in muscle tissue. Significances between experimental groups were calculated with an analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s tests. Myopathic changes were seen in the 50% of rats in the LPS group as rounding of muscle fibers and fiber size variation. In the ghrelin+LPS group, ghrelin treatment was reduced damage in skeletal muscle structure. There was no change in creatine or AMP levels between the groups. Ghrelin treatment significantly increased ATP values (P

It has been reported that changes in cytokine levels affect mitochondrial functions, levels of hypoxia-inducible factor α (HIF-1α), and tissue damage during sepsis. We aimed to investigate the effects of simvastatin pretreatment on mitochondrial enzyme activities, and on levels of ghrelin, HIF-1α, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) in kidney tissue during sepsis. Rats were separated into four groups, namely, control, lipopolysaccharides (LPS) (20 mg/kg), simvastatin (20 mg/kg), and simvastatin + LPS. We measured the levels of mitochondrial enzyme activities and TBARS in the kidney using spectrophotometry. The histological structure of the kidney sections was examined after staining with hematoxylin and eosin. Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), IL-10, HIF-1α, and ghrelin immunoreactivity were examined using proper antibodies. In tissue, TNF-α (p p p p > 0.05). Ghrelin immunoreactivity was lower in the LPS group (p p p > 0.05). We observed that pretreatment of simvastatin caused favorable changes on ghrelin and TBARS levels in rats with sepsis.

In the literature, few studies have investigated the effects of melatonin on energy metabolism in skeletal muscle in endotoxemia. We investigated the effects of melatonin on tissue structure, energy metabolism in skeletal muscle, and antioxidant level of rats with endotoxemia. We divided rats into 4 groups, control, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (20 mg/kg, i.p., single dose), melatonin (10 mg/kg, i.p., three times), and melatonin + LPS. Melatonin was injected i.p. 30 min before and after the 2nd and 4th hours of LPS injection. Antioxidant status was determined by glutathione (GSH) measurement in the blood. Muscle tissue was stained using modified Gomori trichrome (MGT), succinic dehydrogenase (SDH), and cytochrome oxidase (COX) and histological scored. Also the sections were then stained with hematoxylin and eosin. The stained sections were visualized and photographed. Creatine, creatine phosphate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) levels were investigated using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in muscle tissue. In the Melatonin + LPS group, blood GSH levels were increased compared with the LPS group (P

Aim Muscle specific kinase (MuSK) antibody-positive myasthenia gravis(MG) patients might present with clinical and electrophysiological signs of muscle atrophy. In this study, we investigated the potential contribution of mitochondrial dysfunction to muscle atrophy induced by MuSK immunity. Methods Mitochondrial enzyme expression was investigated in muscle samples of MuSK-immunized, acetylcholine receptor (AChR)-immunized, and complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA)-immunized C57BL/6 (B6) mice using histochemical methods. Mitochondrial enzyme activity was also investigated in MuSK- and CFA-immunized mice. Results Histochemical analysis showed normal muscle fiber activity on succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) and cytochrome oxidase (COX) stains in all immunization groups. However, MuSK-immunized mice had more ragged-red fibers on modified Gomori-trichrome (MGT) stain and more pronounced type 1 muscle fiber atrophy. MuSK-immunized mice also showed reduced citrate synthase, SDH, and NADH-cytochrome c-reductase activity. Discussion Our results suggest that MuSK-immunity might induce muscle atrophy through mitochondrial dysfunction.

Introduction Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects peripheral nerves inducing diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN). Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress are potential causes of DPN. Methods Nerve conduction studies were performed in 20 type 2 DM patients (11 with DPN) and 15 healthy controls. Perception threshold values of cold, warm and vibration were measured by quantitative sensory testing. Variants of a superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2) gene single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) (rs5746136) were determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and following NexteraXT DNA Library. Results DPN patients showed significantly increased threshold values. DM patients without DPN and healthy controls showed comparable values. TT variant of the SOD2 SNP was more prevalent in DM and DPN patients. DM patients with the TT variant displayed increased perception threshold values. Conclusions Quantitative sensory testing is not superior to standard nerve conduction studies in DPN. Carriers of SOD2 SNP manifested increased sensory threshold levels which is important in further corroborating the link between oxidative stress and DPN.

The effects of the ischemia and reperfusion on the lens metabolites and the effect of a phytotherapeutic commercial product called “Enoant” (mixed polyphenol content) on the selected lens metabolites were investigated. For this aim, 30 Wistar rats were divided into three groups according to their diet and being subjected to ischemia. 10 of the rats as Group I were fed on dry diet; the other 10 (Group II) were fed on dry diet and drinking water with Enoant. At the end of 15 days period, both groups of rats were subjected to ischemia for 2 hours and reperfused. After another 15 days with their same diet, the rats were decapitated. The remaining 10 rats, which were not subjected to ischemia (Group III), were fed on dry diet only. 1HNMR spectroscopy was used for the determination of lens metabolites of each group of rats. The results obtained from the three groups have been compared statistically. The differences of metabolites were significant except pyruvate and succinate. Oral administration of Enoant revealed effects on increasing membrane stabilization, the antioxidant capacity, osmotic regulator molecule capacity, and sorbitol content of lens disturbed by ischemia. Enoant can be used where oxidative or osmotic stress is formed.

Migraine is a multifactorial and complex disorder, and any clear diagnostic marker to assess the status of the migraineurs has not been established, yet. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs reduce production of prostanoids including PGE2 by inhibiting COX-1 and/or COX-2, and thereby suppress inflammatory pain in patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and migraine. Thus, COX-2 regulation is important in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraine. We prospectively investigated COX-2-765G→C and COX-2-1195A→G gene polymorphisms which may account for an increased risk of migraine.The present analyses are based on 144 case subjects with migraine disease and 123 non-case subjects. Genotyping of COX-2 gene polymorphisms (COX-2-765G→C, COX-2-1195A→G) was detected by PCR-RFLP.We, for the first time, demonstrated positive association of COX-2 gene variants with an increased risk for development of migraine. Carriers of COX-2-765 C+ genotype in controls were higher than in the patients (57.7% and 36.1% respectively; P0.0001) and the frequencies of G+ genotype in patients were higher than in the controls (97.9% and 88.6% respectively; P: 0.002). In addition, frequencies of COX-2-765 GG and GC genotypes in patients were higher than in the controls (P0.0001, P0.0001 respectively). It seems that COX-2-765 G+ genotype had increased and COX-2-765 C+ genotype had decreased risk for migraine. In COX-2-1195 polymorphism only AG genotype was statistically significantly different in patients than in the controls (P0.05).Our findings have suggested that COX-2-765 G+ genotype could facilitate the development of migraine disease.

Inflammation is involved in development and progression of atherosclerosis. Interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) have been correlated with various cardiovascular diseases. Hyperhomocysteinemia is an important risk factor for atherosclerosis and thrombotic disease. Recent studies have demonstrated that homocysteine (Hcy) enhances productions of several pro-inflammatory cytokines. In the light of these findings, we decided to determine if any relationship exists between IL-2 and IL-6, the pro-inflammatory cytokines, and total homocysteine (tHcy) in acute coronary syndrome (ACS). A total of 102 patients with ACS and 90 healthy subjects were included in the study. The levels of tHcy, IL-2 and IL-6 were higher and folic acid was lower in patients as compared with those of controls. Furthermore, data of the area under ROC plot for IL-2 demonstrated that IL-2 had higher sensitivity. These data suggest that enhanced inflammation may be associated with tHcy-related cardiovascular disease.

Oxidative stress and free radical-induced toxicity have been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In this study, we examined paraoxonase (PON1)-55/192 polymorphisms and PON1 activity in patients with schizophrenia, first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients, and healthy controls.This study consisted of 292 healthy participants, 267 unrelated patients with schizophrenia and 311 first-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients. PON1 55 (rs 854560) and PON1 192 (rs 662) polymorphisms were performed by restriction fragment length polymorphism.The frequencies of the QQ and LL genotypes were significantly overpresented in controls compared with those of schizophrenic patients and their relatives. In contrast, the RR genotype was more prevalent in patients than their relatives and healthy controls. The frequencies of the LM and QR genotypes in relatives were higher than controls. Serum PON1 activities of controls were significantly higher when compared with both schizophrenic patients and their relatives. The RR and LL genotypes were associated with a significantly increased PON1 activity as compared with QR or QQ and MM or LM genotypes, respectively, in all groups.This is the first study that shows the association between PON1-55/192 polymorphisms and schizophrenia. Our data suggest that the subjects carrying R allele or RR genotype might be susceptible to schizophrenia and subjects with QQ or LL might be protected against schizophrenia. First-degree relatives of schizophrenic patients have higher heterozygote genotypes, suggesting that this group can shift either to patient or control group depending on their allele types and environmental factors. PON1 genetic variations are also associated with PON1 activities. Reduced PON1 activity in patients and their relatives might result from the combined effects of more than one polymorphic variant in PON1 or other genes and/or increased oxidative stress, supporting the hypothesis that reactive oxygen species-mediated cellular damage might contribute to the neuropathology of schizophrenia.

Peripheral vascular disease is an atherosclerotic process. It has been suggested that angiotensin converting enzyme insertion/deletion polymorphism is associated with atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme in Turkish patients with peripheral vascular disease in Western part of Turkey. We also investigated the relationship between serum angiotensin converting enzyme activity and distribution of genotypes in both patients and control group. The study group consisted of 78 patients with peripheral vascular disease. The control group consisted of 73 healthy adults. Serum angiotensin converting enzyme activities in patients were higher than those of the control group (p

Migraine is a primary headache disorder which involves both genetic and environmental components. Since angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) share the same homology, we investigated whether the MMP-3 and ACE I/D gene variants are involved in migraine risk and whether the ACE variant might act in combination with the MMP-3 genetic variant in patients with migraine. This is the first study to evaluate the association between MMP-3 and ACE polymorphisms, and migraine. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction. The frequencies of 5A5A genotypes of the MMP-3 and D allele of ACE were significantly elevated, but II genotypes of the ACE and 6A allele of MMP-3 significantly decreased in all patients. The combined DD/5A5A and ID/5A5A genotypes increased the risk of migraine. Individuals who were homozygous for the deletion (D) allele showed increased ACE activity. Subjects with the 5A5A genotype and/or D allele or with the combined DD/5A5A or ID/5A5A might be more susceptible to migraine development. In contrast, subjects with the II and/or 6A6A genotypes may be protected from migraine development. The greater activity of the 5A5A and DD genotypes might result in vascular reactivity that is more pronounced in migraine. Taken together, our data suggest that numerous genes may influence ACE activity. Discovery of new genes might better clarify the pathogenesis of migraine and open an avenue to therapeutic strategies against migraine.

We investigated the association of PON1 55/192 polymorphisms with type, severity and prognosis of stroke and oxidative markers. Paraoxonase1 (PON1), Glutathione Reductase (GSH-Rd) and Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured at day 1 and at day 5 following the onset of stroke. Genotypes were determined by polymerase chain reaction and restriction digestion. The frequencies of QQ and MM genotypes of PON1 192 and PON1 55, respectively, were significantly higher in controls than in patients. However, the allele frequencies of PON1 192 R and PON1 55 L were significantly more frequent in patients compared to controls. The frequency of combined genotype of RR/LL was significantly higher in cardioembolic group than in atherothrombotic group. PON1 activities were significantly diminished in stroke patients compared to controls. In contrast, serum MDA levels were significantly greater in patients than the values in controls. GSH-Rd activity was higher in patients with small lesion and good prognosis than those with large and poor prognosis. Low density lipoprotein (LDL) levels in patients with large lesions were higher than those with small lesions. PON1 55/192 polymorphisms influence activity of the enzyme. PON1 55/192 genotypes have been associated with MDA levels. In conclusion, PON1 genetic variations are associated with risk factors, severity, type and prognosis of stroke and oxidative stress.

Background: Many breast cancers are caused by certain rare and familial mutations in the high or moderate penetrance genes BRCA1, BRCA2 and CHEK2. The aim of this study was to examine the allele and genotype frequencies of seven mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2 and CHEK2 genes in breast cancer patients and to investigate their isolated and combined associations with breast cancer risk. Methods: We genotyped seven mutations in BRCA1, BRCA2 and CHEK2 genes and then analyzed single variations and haplotype associations in 106 breast cancer patients and 80 healthy controls. Results: We found significant associations in the analyses of CHEK2- 1100delC (p=0.001) and BRCA1-5382insC (p=0.021) mutations in breast cancer patients compared to controls. The highest risk was observed among breast cancer patients carrying both CHEK2-1100delC and BRCA2- Met784Val mutations (OR=0.093; 95%CI 0.021-0.423; p=0.001). We identified one previously undescribed BRCA2 and a CHEK2 four-marker haplotype of A-C-G-C which was overrepresented (χ 2 =7.655; p=0.0057) in the patient group compared to controls. Conclusion: In this study, we identified a previously undescribed BRCA2 and CHEK2 A-C-G-C haplotype in association with the breast cancer in our population. Our results further suggest that the CHEK2-1100delC mutation in combination with BRCA2-Met784Val may lead to an unexpected high risk which needs to be confirmed in larger cohorts in order to better understand their role in the development and prognosis of breast cancer.

Background The aim of the present study was to investigate the association between genetic variants in metylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) and Paraoxonase-1 (PON1) 55/192 genes and total homocysteine (tHcy), folate, B12 vitamin, and PON1 levels in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods The study included 235 patients with CAD and 268 healthy control subjects. Results LL and LM genotypes and L allele of PON1 55 were over-represented in patients. In contrast, MM genotype and M allele were more frequent in controls. QQ genotype and Q allele of PON1 192 and CT genotype of MTHFR were significantly diminished and QR genotype and R allele were significantly elevated in CAD patients compared with controls. The plasma tHcy were elevated but B12 levels were diminished in patients. PON1 55 and 192 genetic variants were significantly associated with PON1 activity, triglyceride, total cholesterol, tHcy and, high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol in patients, respectively. Conclusion Genetic variants of PON1 55/192 and MTHFR were associated with CAD.

We investigated the effect of polymorphic variants of c.1298A>C (Glu429Ala) and c.677C>T (Ala222Val) in methylenetetrahydrofolate (MTHFR) gene on the total homocysteine (tHcy), folate and B12 levels in patients with bipolar disorder, first-degree relatives of patients, and controls. The c.677C>T and c.1298A>C polymorphisms in MTHFR were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism in 197 bipolar patients, 278 relatives and 238 controls. tHcy and folate and vitamin B12 levels were measured by Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay and Electrochemiluminescence, respectively. The tHcy was significantly increased in patients and relatives. In contrast, folate and B12 were significantly lower in patients and relatives. Gender was not considered as a significant determinant in the multivariate analysis. Genotypes of c.1298A>C and c.677C>T were correlated with tHcy, folate and B12. Patients and relatives carrying TT and/or AA and AC genotypes had elevated tHcy and reduced folate and B12 levels. High tHcy but low folate and vitamin B12 levels may be a risk factor for development of bipolar disorder.

We examined whether the GRIK3 (T928G) polymorphic variants in patients with schizophrenia are different from those of their first-degree relatives and healthy controls. The study population was composed of 256 patients with schizophrenia, 305 first-degree relatives of schizophrenia patients and 242 healthy control subjects. The GRIK3 (T928G) polymorphism was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism. The frequency of the TT genotype was predominant, whereas the GG genotype was rare among all groups. The frequencies of GRIK3 (T928G) genotype distributions in the patients with schizophrenia were similar to those of their relatives. The frequency of the GG genotype was significantly higher in patients than in healthy controls. Similarly, GG genotype distribution in relatives was elevated compared with that in controls, but this value did not reach statistical significance. On the other hand, the subgroups of schizophrenia patients did not show a significant association with the GRIK3 (T928G) gene. It appears that the patients share the same (GRIK3) T928G gene variants with their relatives. One interpretation of our findings is that the relatives are at risk for the development of schizophrenia in the future.

Introduction Stress is a stimulus that activates the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis and sympathetic nervous system (SNS). Increased activity of the SNS causes to increment or impairment in blood pressure, heart rate, body temperature and plasma glucose and adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) levels. Angiotensin II (Ang II), which is a product of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), is an important factor affecting the activity of the SNS and responses to stress. We suggest that the blockade of Ang II may be worthwhile in the prevention and treatment of diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular diseases affected by stress. Therefore, we investigated the effects of immobilisation stress on blood glucose, norepinephrine (NE), epinephrine (E) and corticosterone levels and the effects of an Ang II receptor antagonist, losartan, on these parameters. Materials and methods The rats were kept in small cylindrical cages for 60 min/day for 10 consecutive days to perform chronic immobilisation stress. Losartan (10 mg/kg) was given daily by gavage to Losartan (L) and Losartan + Chronic Stress (L+CS) groups. Control (C) and Chronic Stress (CS) P groups received an equal volume of saline daily by gavage for 10 days. After the last stress regimen, blood samples were collected for plasma glucose, NE, E and corticosteroid measurements. Results Plasma glucose, NE, E and corticosterone levels in the CS Group increased significantly compared with the C group. In Group L+CS, the plasma glucose, NE, E and corticosterone levels decreased significantly vs. Group CS. In Group L there was no significant difference vs. Group C. Conclusion It can be speculated that chronic blockade of RAS may decrease the excess sympathetic responses to stress in cardiovascular diseases and prevent the likely development of Type II diabetes mellitus.

Gangliosides, sialic acid-containing glycosphingolipids, are found in the outer layer of the plasma membrane of all vertebrate tissue cells; the highest concentration is in the central nervous system. In recent years, there has been research on the distribution and quantity of gangliosides in extra-neuronal tissues, such as liver, kidney and intestine. Since liver is the main source of gangliosides that are carried by lipoproteins in the blood, we examined the effect of development and aging on gangliosides in liver tissue. The relationship was investigated between GM1, GD3, GD1a, GD1b, GT1b ganglioside fractions and the aging process in liver tissue of Wistar-Albino rats aged 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. HPLC analysis of liver gangliosides showed the following results: Compared to 3 month-old rats, the GM1 fraction was decreased by 50% in 6 month-old rats, increased in 12 month-old rats and decreased in 24 month-old rats. The GD3 and GD1b fractions increased until 12 months of age and were decreased significantly (p < 0.01) in 24 month-old rats. The GD1a ganglioside fraction was significantly increased in 6 and 24 month-old rats (p < 0.01). We concluded that the increment of the polar fractions, such as GD3 and GD1b, and the variations of the other fractions in the plasma membrane of the hydrophilic liver tissue during the first 12 months were important parameters.