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Our aim was to determine the effects of vitamin E and L-carnitine supplementation, individually or in combination, on radiation-induced brain and retinal damages in a rat model. Group 1 received no treatment (control arm). Group 2 received a total dose of 15 Gy external radiotherapy (RT) to whole brain by Cobalt-60 teletherapy machine. Groups 3, 4, and 5 received irradiation plus 40 kg(-1) day(-1) Vitamin E or 200 mg kg(-1)day(-1) L-carnitine alone or in combination. Brain and retinal damages were histopathologically evaluated by two independent pathologists. Antioxidant enzyme levels were also measured. Radiation significantly increased brain and retinal damages. A significant increase in malondialdehyde levels as well as a decrease in superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes in brain was found in group 2. Separate administration of Vitamin E+RT and L-carnitine+RT significantly reduced the severity of brain and retinal damages and decreased the malondialdehyde levels and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes in the brain. The findings of current study support the antioxidant and radioprotective roles of vitamin E and L-carnitine. However, the combined use of Vitamin E and L-carnitine plus irradiation interestingly did not exhibit an additive radioprotective effect.

Background: While tuberculosis of the breast is an extremely uncommon entity seen in western populations, it accounts for up to 3% of all treatable breast lesions in developing countries., Case Presentations: We reviewed three female cases of mammary tuberculosis that were diagnosed and treated in Turkey during the same calendar year. All three patients presented with a painful breast mass. In all cases, fine needle aspiration was nondiagnostic for mammary tuberculosis. However, the diagnosis of mammary tuberculosis was confirmed by histopathologic evaluation at the time of open surgical biopsy. All three patients were treated with antituberculous therapy for six months. At the end of the treatment period, each patient appeared to be clinically and radiologically without evidence of residual disease., Conclusion: The diagnosis of mammary tuberculosis rests on the appropriate clinical suspicion and the histopathologic findings of the breast lesion. Its recognition and differentiation from that of a breast malignancy is absolutely necessary. Antituberculous chemotherapy, initiated immediately upon diagnosis, forms the mainstay of treatment for mammary tuberculosis.

The histopathological alterations in the vestibule due to aminoglycosides are well defined. Although there are reports comparing the vestibulotoxic effects of the many aminoglycosides, this is the first study to compare the effects of the most commonly used aminoglycosides i.e., streptomycin, gentamicin, amikacin and netilmicin administered both transtympanically and systemically. The transtympanic and systemic administration of each aminoglycoside caused similar histopathological alterations in the vestibule. The most severe degeneration in the cristae ampullaris, utriculus and sacculus was observed after streptomycine administration. The severity of the vestibular damage in terms of magnitude was in the order of streptomycine, gentamicin, amikacin, and netilmicin.