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Objective: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic systemic inflammatory disease that leads to structural and functional im-pairments and reduced quality of life, with heterogeneous manifestations. The origin and possible role of extracellular vesicles represented by exosomes (EVexo) in the pathogenesis of AS were examined in this study. Materials and Methods: Extracellular vesicles (EVs) were isolated from serum from ten AS patients and ten healthy controls through Izon qEV2/35 nm columns. After assessing the isolate purity by bicinchoninic acid assay (BCA) and Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA), the relationship between EVexo concentration and AS was tested by the BCA method. The EVexo surface markers were analyzed by flow cytometry (FC) to verify EVexo presence and reveal its origin. Results: In FC analysis, CD86+TSG101+ and CD3+TSG101+ exosome percentages of AS group were significantly higher than the control group (p

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the perceptions, attitudes, and behaviour of medical students and lecturers regarding the lectures and their effects on students’ learning behaviour.Materials and Methods: This was a qualitative study including multi-methods. Researchers observed lecture ambiance and activities in two courses. Lectures were observed and slide-presentations were evaluated. Additionally, in-depth and focus group interviews were conducted.Results: Two researchers attended and observed 75 lectures. The average number of attendees was 51.21. Eighty percent of lecturers did not introduce any activities to attract attention and prepare students for the lecture. Only 12% of lectures were taught interactively. Of the evaluated 43 (69.80%) slide-presentations, sufficient association or integration was not made between clinical and basic sciences.Conclusion: This study revealed that the lectures created negative feelings and thoughts in students and lecturers, and led to undesirable attitudes and behaviour. It is essential to focus on giving interactive lectures which aim at developing reasoning, decisionmaking, and evaluation competencies. The most significant factors determining students’ attendance and appraisal of the lectures were related to the preparation of the lecturers, the intensity of the content, integration between basic science and clinical science, and the presentation skills.

Amaç: Yaşlanmayla beraber açığa çıkan sağlık sorunlarınınbelirlenmesi birey ve toplum sağlığı açısından oldukça önemlidir.Çalışmamızda amaç, katılımcıların; beslenme, fiziksel ve sosyalaktivite gibi günlük alışkanlıklarının ve sağlıkla ilişkilidavranışlarının ve kronik sağlık sorunlarının belirlenmesidir.Hastalar ve Yöntem: Araştırma kesitsel tiptedir. Çalışmayafarklı huzurevi ve bakımevlerinde yaşayan, akıl sağlığı yerinde 60yaş üstü 175 kişi katılmıştır. Yüz yüze görüşmeyle yapılan minimental testin ardından çalışmanın anketi, geriatrik depresyon vegünlük temel yaşam aktiviteleri (aktivitelerinde başkasına bağımlıolma) ölçekleri uygulanmıştır.Bulgular: Katılımcıların 85 (%48,6)‘i erkekti. Tümkatılımcıların %42,3’ü hayatları boyunca düzenli olarak hiçfiziksel egzersiz yapmamıştı. Günlük yaşam aktivitelerindebağımsız olanlarda düzenli fiziksel egzersiz yapma sıklığı dahafazla idi (p=0,005). Beden kitle indeksi arttıkça depresyon(p=0,012) ve bağımlılığın (p=0,010) arttığı tesbit edildi. Sürekliilaç kullananlarda depresyon, sürekli ilaç kullanmayanlara göreoldukça fazla idi (p=0,002). Katılımcıların çalışma yılları arttıkçabağımlılıklarının, istatistiksel anlamlılık olmaksızın azaldığıgözlenmiştir.Sonuç: Fiziksel egzersiz ve aktif çalışma hayatı ile ileridekiyaşlarda başka bir kişiye bağımlı olarak yaşama arasında tersorantılı ilişki saptanmıştır. Kronik sağlık sorunu nedeniyle ilaçkullanan bireylerde depresyon görülme sıklığı yüksekbulunmuştur. Beden kitle endeksinin artması ile depresyon vebağımlılık arasında doğru orantılı ilişki vardır., Aim: As the population ages, it is important to recognize the healthproblems of the elderly in relation to individual and public healthissues. Our aim was to determine the daily habits and health-relatedbehaviours of an aging population concerning factors such asnutritional status, physical and social activity levels and chronichealth problems.Patients and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Thestudy included 175 participants over 60 years of age that werementally healthy and living in different nursing homes. A minimental test, a study questionnaire, a geriatric depression scale andan activities of daily living (ADL, physically dependent on others)scale were applied to the participants face to face.Results: Eighty-five (48.6%) of the participants were male.42.3% of the participants did not do any regular physical exercise intheir life time. The frequency of regular physical exercise washigher in the physically non-dependent to others (p=0.005) group inthe ADL scale. Depression and ADL scores increased withincreasing body mass index (BMI) (p= 0.012 and p= 0.010,respectively). In continuous medication users depression is quitehigh when compared to those who do not use medication constantly(p= 0.002). With increasing working years, there was a tendency toa decrease in scores of the physically dependent on others group inADL.Conclusion: Regular physical exercise and an active work historyboth have a negative correlation on dependency in ADL in later years.Depression is more common among individuals who are onmedication due to chronic health problems. A greater BMI was relatedto a higher frequency of depression and to dependency in ADL.&nbsp

Recent studies have analyzed the efficacy of various agents in experimental chemoprevention trials. In our study, the effects of melatonin (Mel) and its antagonist Luzindole (Luz) on Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) in a NMU (N-methyl-N-nitrosourea)-induced rat mammary carcinoma model are investigated. We aim to demonstrate the relationship between Mel and HO-1.Spraque-Dawley rats were treated with NMU at age 55 days to induce mammary carcinoma. Forty-eight rats were divided into four groups consisting of: (a) physiological saline group (PSG); (b) control group, NMU is given; (c) Mel group (500 μg daily); (d) Mel antagonist Luz group (0.25 mg/kg/day i.p.). The animals were sacrificed; their serum and tissues were sampled for histopathologic evaluation, markers of endocrine derangement (serum prolactin, estradiol, and progesterone levels), apoptotic changes, DNA fragmentation, markers of oxidative stress and HO-1 immune expression were measured.Most tumors developed in the Luz group (42%), followed by the control group (33%), and the Mel group (17%). The tumor latency was longer in Mel-treated group (control and Luz at week 17, Mel at week 21). The maximum tumor volume was also smaller in Mel group when compared to control and Luz groups (p.05). In Mel group estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin levels were decreased compared to control group (p.001; p.01; and p.01) and levels of apoptotic activity and DNA fragmentation ratio increased.The increment of HO-1 expression with Mel is described; possible underlying mechanisms of these effects await further investigations.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate possible protective effects of St. John's wort in the hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury. Material and Methods: The hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct were all clamped for 45 minutes to induce ischemia in rats, and after that reperfusion for 1 hour. SJW was administrated orally, once a day for 3 days before ischemia/reperfusion. The aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, tumor necrosis factor, and interleukin levels were measured in the serum samples. Luminol chemiluminescence, lucigenin luminol chemiluminescence levels; myeloperoxidase. The sodium-potassium ATPase (Na+/K+ ATPase) activity was determined in the liver tissue, and caspase-3 and caspase-9 activity with the bcl-2/bax ratio were measured by the western blot analysis. Results: The St. John's wort administration recovered the aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, tumor necrosis factor, and IL-1 beta levels serum parameters meaningfully, while ischemia/reperfusion caused an increase in luminol chemiluminescence, lucigenin luminol chemiluminescence, myeloperoxidase, caspase-3, and caspase-9 activity and led to a decrease in the B-cell lymphoma-2/bcl-2-associated X protein (bcl-2/bax) ratio and the Na+/K+ ATPase activity. Conclusion: The obtained results indicate protective effects of St. John's wort on the ischemia/reperfusion injury through various mechanisms, and we are able to suggest that St. John's wort can clinically create a new therapeutic principle.

Objective: In the present study, it was aimed to study the antioxidant effects of spironolactone (SPL) to determine its possible protective effects in hepatic ischemia reperfusion injury. Material and Methods: Hepatic artery, portal vein, and bile duct of Wistar albino rats were clamped for 45 minutes under anesthesia to form an ischemia period. Then reperfusion was allowed and the rats were decapitated 60 minutes later. SPL (20 mg/kg, p.o.) or SF was orally administered for 30 minutes before ischemia. Rats in the control arm underwent sham surgery and were administered isotonic saline. Liver function was studied by measuring aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and interleukin 1beta (IL-1 beta) levels. Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), luminol, and lucigenin levels, myeloperoxidase (MPO) and Na+-K+- ATPase enzyme activities were analyzed to study tissue injury under light microscope. Results: While IR increased AST, ALT, TNF-alpha, and IL-1 beta levels and MDA, luminol, and lusigenin levels and MPO activities, it caused a decrease in GSH levels and Na+K+-ATPase activity. Spironolactone administration significantly improved these values. Conclusion: Protective effects of SPL against ischemia/reperfusion injury via various mechanisms suggest that this agent may become a novel treatment agent in clinical practice.

WOS:000215712700012 Purpose: The present study was conducted to characterize the possible therapeutic effects of glucagon-like peptide (GLP)-1 and GLP-2 against oxidative damage in the ileum and colon of irradiated rats. Methods and materials: Sprague-Dawley rats of both sexes received either a single dose of GLP-1 (0.1 nmol/kg, intraperitoneally, ip; n = 6) 10 min before abdominal irradiation (IR) or two consecutive doses of GLP-2 (7 nmol/kg, ip; n = 6) at 30 and 10 min before IR, while another group was administered vehicle (n = 6) 10 min before IR. Control rats (n = 6) received vehicle treatment without IR. On the fourth day of IR, samples from ileum and colon were removed for histological analysis, for the determination of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, as well as DNA fragmentation ratio, an index of apoptosis. Results: IR-induced oxidative injury in the colonic tissue of vehicle-treated rats, evidenced by elevated MDA levels and MPO activity, as well as depleted colonic GSH levels, was reversed by GLP-2, while GLP-1 reduced IR-induced elevations in colonic MDA levels. IR-induced injury with elevated ileal MDA levels was reduced by GLP-1, while replenishment in GSH was observed in GLP-2-treated rats. Conclusion: Current findings suggest that GLP-1 and GLP-2 appear to have protective roles in the irradiation-induced oxidative damage of the gut by inhibiting neutrophil infiltration and subsequent activation of inflammatory mediators that induce lipid peroxidation. Copyright (C) 2015, The Egyptian Society of Radiation Sciences and Applications. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license.

Obstructive jaundice (OJ) can be defined as cessation of bile flow into the small intestine due to benign or malignant changes. Nesfatin-1, recently discovered anorexigenic peptide derived from nucleobindin-2 in hypothalamic nuclei, was shown to have anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic effects. This study is aimed to investigate the therapeutic effects of nesfatin-1 on OJ in rats. Twenty-four adult male Wistar-Hannover rats were randomly assigned to three groups: sham (n = 8), control (n = 8), and nesfatin (n = 8). After bile duct ligation, the study groups were treated with saline or nesfatin-1, for 10 days. Afterward, blood and liver tissue samples were obtained for biochemical analyses, measurement of cytokines, determination of the oxidative DNA damage, DNA fragmentation, and histopathologic analyses. Alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyl transferase levels were decreased after the nesfatin treatment; however, these drops were statistically non-significant compared to control group (p = 0.345, p = 0.114). Malondialdehyde levels decreased significantly in nesfatin group compared to control group (p = 0.032). Decreases in interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α levels from the liver tissue samples were not statistically significant in nesfatin group compared to control group. The level of oxidative DNA damage was lower in nesfatin group, however this result was not statistically significant (p = 0.75). DNA fragmentation results of all groups were similar. Histopathological examination revealed that there was less neutrophil infiltration, edema, bile duct proliferation, hepatocyte necrosis, basement membrane damage, and parenchymal necrosis in nesfatin compared to control group. The nesfatin-1 treatment could alleviate cholestatic liver damage caused by OJ due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Background: Oxidative stress is a mediator of secondary injury to the spinal cord following trauma. Objective: To investigate the putative neuroprotective effect of a-lipoic acid (LA), a powerful antioxidant, in a rat model of spinal cord injury (SCI). Methods: Wistar albino rats were divided as control, vehicle-treated SCI, and LA-treated SCI groups. To induce SCI, a standard weight-drop method that induced a moderately severe injury (100 g/cm force) at T10 was used. Injured animals were given either 50 mg/kg LA or saline at 30 minutes postinjury by intraperitoneal injection. At 7 days postinjury, neurologic examination was performed, and rats were decapitated. Spinal cord samples were taken for histologic examination or determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) levels, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and DNA fragmentation. Formation of reactive oxygen species in spinal cord tissue samples was monitored by using a chemiluminescence (CL) technique. Results: SCI caused a significant decrease in spinal cord GSH content, which was accompanied with significant increases in luminol CL and MDA levels, MPO activity, and DNA damage. Furthermore, LA treatment reversed all these biochemical parameters as well as SO-induced histopathologic alterations. Conversely, impairment of the neurologic function caused by SCI remained unchanged. Conclusion: The present study suggests that LA reduces SCI-induced oxidative stress and exerts neuroprotection by inhibiting lipid peroxidation, glutathione depletion, and DNA fragmentation.