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Background: Cisplatin is a potent anticancer agent widely employed in chemotherapy. However, cisplatin leads to toxicity on non-targeted healthy organs, including the liver. We investigated the hepatoprotective mechanism of arbutin (ARB), a glycosylated hydroquinone, against cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity. Methods: Rats were orally administered with ARB (ARB1 = 50 mg/kg; ARB2 = 100 mg/kg) for 14 consecutive days against hepatotoxicity induced by a single dose of cisplatin (10 mg/kg) on day 15. Three days after the intraperitoneal cisplatin injection, serum and liver tissue were collected for subsequent analyses. Results: Cisplatin triggered marked increases in serum AST, ALT, and ALP activities, hepatic malondialdehyde (MDA) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) coupled with a considerable diminution in hepatic activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and the concentration of reduced glutathione (GSH). The gene expressions of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), and IL-6 were notably increased. The pre-administration of ARB1 and ARB2 reduced AST, ALT and ALP in serum and restored SOD, CAT, GSH, ROS, MDA and cytokine levels which was also evidenced by alleviated hepatic lesions. Further, cisplatin-induced prominent alterations in the gene expressions of nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), iNOS, NF-κB, Bax, Bcl-2, caspase-3 and 8-OHdG in the liver. Interestingly, ARB protected the liver and mitigated the cisplatin-induced alterations in serum AST, ALT, ALP, and reduced hepatic redox markers, 8-OdG, inflammatory markers and gene expressions. Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that ARB is a potential protective adjuvant against cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity via inhibition of hepatic oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Bee venom is used for medicinal purposes, including the treatment of neurological and liver diseases, but its use as a primary health care approach for preventive purposes requires further exploration. The aim of this study was to provide the first investigation into the possible protective effects of bee venom against hepatic encephalopathy, a serious neurodegenerative disease. Materials and Methods: An experimental animal study was conducted in which healthy albino Sprague–Dawley rats were randomized into three groups: healthy, control and bee venom groups. All rats were tested for locomotor activity at the beginning and end of the study. No intervention was made in the healthy group, whereas hepatic encephalopathy was induced in the control and bee venom groups by the administration of thioacetamide (TAA) (200 mg/kg/day). The bee venom group also received bee venom (5 mg/kg/day) subcutaneously every day for 14 days prior to the TAA administration. Results: The results for the final locomotor activity tests were statistically better in the bee venom group than in the control group, supporting a beneficial effect of prophylactic bee venom application. Blood ammonia levels and liver weights, determined as indicators of inflammation, were lower in the bee venom group than in the control group and were close to levels in the healthy group, but not statistically significant. Conclusions: Bee venom administration has protective effects against the development of hepatic encephalopathy and offers a promising therapeutic opportunity in preventive medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The aim of this study was to investigate the molecular, biochemical, and histopathological effects of bromelain, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, against cisplatin-induced ocular toxicity. The groups were designed as (1) Control, (2) Cisplatin (7 mg/kg, intraperitoneally), (3) Cisplatin + Bromelain (50 mg/kg, orally for 14 consecutive days), (4) Cisplatin + Bromelain (100 mg/kg, orally for 14 consecutive days). The activity of total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidant status (TOS) and levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), IL-10, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and 8-OHdG were measured in ocular tissue. The mRNA expression of NF-κB and Caspase-3 was also evaluated. Also, ocular sections were evaluated histopathologically. Bromelain demonstrated a dose-dependent protective effect in cisplatin-induced toxicity by regulating oxidative stress, inflammation, and tissue damage. Our results suggested that bromelain may be a potential adjuvant that can protect the eye from cisplatin-induced toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Today, the need for energy is increasing and fossil fuels are constituting one of the most important energy sources in the world. Therefore, the efficient use of fossil fuels has become inevitable. In order to better use the opportunities offered by nature, we have turned to nature's own resources. In this study, fungal strains of potential use in coal processing technology, isolated from Turkey's largest lignite mine and identified. Our goal was to obtain active isolates for the biotechnological applications using the mine's own source. For this aim, lignite samples were collected from different regions of the Afşin–Elbistan lignite mine, isolation studies were done and eventually, distinguished fungal isolates were identified by using conventional and molecular techniques. Hereby, fungal biodiversity of Turkey's largest lignite mine has been investigated for the first time. Furthermore, 20 fungal isolates belong to Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Penicillium genera were cultured to provide resources for the development of future biotechnological coal processing techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of Amlodipine, a calcium channel blocker and vincristine (VCR) an antineoplastic, on human neuroblastomas using different doses. The cytotoxicity assays of the study were performed using the MTT method depending on time and concentration. After obtaining the mixture (up to 85% for SH-SY5Y) and sufficient branches (cortex neurons), the cells were treated with amlodipine (10 µM) and vincristine (0.5, 1 and 2 µg) at different concentrations for 24 h. MTT assay was performed by the commercially available kit (Sigma Aldrich, USA). Cells were harvested, washed and stained with PI and Annexin V, respectively, according to the manufacturer's protocol (Biovision, USA). Than analyzes were carried out. The results were quite impressive. When amlodipine (10 µM) was administered alone there was little change compared to the control. However, all doses of amlodipine (10 µM) and vincristine (0.5, 1 and 2 µg) were greater than the deaths in the doses alone (0.5, 1 and 2 µg) of vincristine alone. (P < 0.05). As a result, the combination of vincristine and amlodipine is more effective than vincristine alone in reducing the viability of cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, there are increasing numbers of studies about synthetic chemicals according to the supply demands of bioactive chemicals. The current study aims to investigate genotoxic potential of bioactive synthetic pyridine compounds, phenyl-3-pyridinylmethanone (1), p-tolyl-3-pyridinylmethanone (2), and 4-methoxyphenyl-3-pyridinylmethanone (3), using Ames/Salmonella and Escherichia coli WP2 bacterial reversion mutagenicity test systems. The mutant bacterial tester strains sodium azide-sensitive Salmonella typhimurium TA1535, 9-aminoacridine-sensitive S. typhimurium TA1537, and N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine-sensitive E. coli WP2uvrA were used to detect the mutagenic potential of the test compounds. The results indicated that none of the test substances showed significant mutagenic activity on S. typhimurium TA1535, TA1537, and E. coli WP2uvrA bacterial strains up to 1 µg/plate concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piperacillin / Tazobactam (PT) is a beta lactam group of antibiotics. Bone marrow suppression is rarely seen unwanted side effect of beta lactam antibiot ics. Inthis case report, a clinical presentation of fever, neut ropenia andthrombocytopenia in a patient onthe 16th day of PTtherapy due to soft t issue infect ion after meniscus surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the mutagenic and anti-mutagenic effects of methanol extract of three lichen species ( Cetraria aculeata , Cladonia chlorophaea and Cetrelia olivetorum ) were investigated by using E. coli- WP2, Ames-Salmonella (TA1535 and TA1537) and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) test systems. The results obtained from bacterial test systems demonstrated that methanol extracts of three lichen species have strong anti-mutagenic potencies on TA1535, TA1537 strains and to a lesser extent on E. coli -WP2 strain. The anti-oxidant level of human lymphocytes cells was determined in order to clarify the mechanism underlying the anti-mutagenic effects of these lichen species. Co-treatments of 5, 10 and 20 µg/mL concentrations of these three lichen species with AFB decreased the frequencies of SCE and the level of MDA and increased the amount of SOD, GSH and GPx which decreased by aflatoxin. The findings of this work have clearly demonstrated that Cetraria aculeata , Cladonia chlorophaea and Cetrelia olivetorum have significant anti-mutagenic effects which are thought to be partly due to the anti-oxidant activities and the interaction capability of lichen extracts with mutagen agents (Sodium azide, acridin, N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine and aflatoxin B 1 ).