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Purpose: To investigate the possible protective effects of aminoguanidine (AG ) on lung damage in whole body irradiated rats. Methods: To evaluate the biological damage of radiation on rat lung tissue, lipid peroxidation products were measured using biochemical parameters. Thirty Wistar albino rats were divided into three subgroups: control (C) , irradiation alone (RT), and RT + AG combined. After sacrificing the rats, antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) activities and malondiadehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO) levels were evaluated in lung tissue. Results: Administration of AG resulted in an increase in the activities of CAT, SOD and GSHPx in the lungs. All were reduced after radiatio. In addition, AG administration resulted in a decrease in both NO and MDA levels in lung compared with the irradiated group. Conclusion: Amnoguanidine increased the endogenous antioxidant defence mechanism in rats and protected the animals from radiation-induced lung toxicity. Moreover, AG may protect against ionizing radiation-induced lung damage because of its antioxidant effect.

Veronica erciyasdagi (M. A. Fischer) C. Vural comb. & stat. nov., previously regarded as a variety, is proposed as a new combination, based on the morphological characters and seed storage protein polymorphism presented in this study. In addition, information about the ecology and conservation status of Veronica erciyasdagi was reported. This taxon is endemic to central Anatolia, Turkey and is critically endangered.

This study evaluated the protective effects of supplementation with three different sugars on the motility, morphology and DNA integrity of rat epididymal sperm chilled and stored at 4 degrees C Epididymides were obtained from each donor. Rat epididymal sperm was diluted in Ham's F10 plus raffinose, Ham's F10 plus trehalose, Ham's F10 plus fructose, and Ham's F10 medium for control purposes. Thereafter, the extended sperm were chilled and stored in liquid form at 4 degrees C. Sperm motility, morphological abnormalities and DNA damage were determined at 0 and 12 h after chilling. No significant difference was observed in any of the parameters evaluated at 0 h, before storage (P > 0.05). After 12 h of storage, all sugar additives led to statistically higher motility, normal sperm morphology and DNA integrity in comparison to the control group. Raffinose gave the best motility percentages (32.86 +/- 1.84%) after 12 h of storage at 4 degrees C, compared to the other groups (P < 0.001). In conclusion, Raffinose, trehalose and fructose provided a better protection of sperm functional parameters against chilling injury, in comparison to the control group. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.