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Introduction: Choosing the right clinical approach for early and reliable diagnosis/screening is becoming more important day by day. The aim of the study was to determine the early RhD type with cff-DNA obtained from maternal plasma, especially in the light of recent developments. In this way, it is aimed to apply Rh Ig only to mothers who are determined to have RhD (+) fetuses and to prevent unnecessary further tests that may possess a risk for RhD (-) fetuses. Methods: Prediction of fetal gender and RH genotype was performed by using RT-qPCR method. With simultaneous amplification of sequences of SRY, DYS14 and RH genes (exon 7 and exon 10). Fetal gender and RhD were determined in 30 RHD (-) pregnant women with cfDNA. Results: As a result of genotyping, the gender of 67% (20/30) fetuses was determined as male; the gender of 33% (10/30) fetuses was determined as female in a sample group of 30 pregnancies. It was determined that the DYS14 100% (20/20) gene was more sensitive than the SRY 97% (18/20) gene in gender determination after examining prenatal and postnatal results. As a result of the analysis, the presence of 17% (5/30) RhD (-) fetuses and 83% (25/30) RhD (+) fetuses were determined which is 100% compatible with postnatal results. Discussion: Detecting fetal RhD gene in maternal plasma made an important contribution to its use in non-invasive prenatal screening. This study shows that unnecessary intervention and cost can be avoided with successful genotyping analysis performed with RT-qPCR.

Background Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an age-dependent neurodegenerative ailment globally. Compelling evidence suggests the function of exosomal non-coding RNAs has been associated with the progression of AD but whose exosomal-linked non-coding RNAs mediated regulatory mechanisms are broadly unlit. This study, therefore, set out with the aim of exploring the exosomal circRNA-miRNA networks in the plasma of AD patients. Methods and Results Data of 3 samples from each group (healthy, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and AD) were fetched from ArrayExpress. The MCI and AD groups were compared with the healthy group by screening for differentially expressed miRNAs (DEmiRs) and circRNAs (DEcircRs) in plasma exosomes. Subsequently, common DEmiRs and DEcircRs for both MCI and AD groups were evaluated to identify gene ontologies, pathways, and networks. Lastly, the analysis of the PPI (protein–protein interaction) network and hub genes selection were performed. A total of common 19 (7 upregulated and 12 downregulated) DEmiRs and 24 DEcircRs were identified. It was predicted 4559 target genes for upregulated DemiRs, while 6504 target genes for downregulated DEmiRs and most of the target genes were associated with the PI3K-Akt pathway and that they were mostly regulated by hsa-mir-615-3p, hsa-mir-196a-5p, hsa-let-7c-5p, hsa-let-205-5p, hsa-mir-185-3p, hsa-mir-185-5p, hsa-mir-374a-5p, hsa-mir-374a-3p. Also, 9 hub genes (CCNE2, CCND1, CDK6, ACTB, MAPK1, AKT1, GSK3B, IGF1R, HSP90AA) were uncovered as the genes most associated with AD by a PPI network using Cytoscape plug-in cytohubba. Conclusions Our outcomes exhibit a new outlook on a possible exosomal-linked miRNA-circRNA network in the pathogenesis of AD.

Background/aim: We aimed to evaluate the association of the umbilical cord macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) with the respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) in preterm infants. Materials and methods: A total of eighty six preterm infants (38 with RDS and 48 without RDS) were involved in the study. ELISA is the technique assaying MIF values. Results: The mean of the infants’ gestational ages and birth weights were significantly different (P = 0.0001). There were no significant differences in sex, delivery mode or exposure to antenatal steroid among the groups (P > 0.05). Umbilical cord MIF levels of the infants were not correlated with gestational age and birth weight (Spearman’s rho = –0.22 and 0.28 respectively, P > 0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in umbilical cord MIF levels of infants whether or not they were administered antenatal steroid (median:17.88 vs. median:17.60, Mann–Whitney U test, P = 0.42). Cord serum MIF levels were higher (mean, 17.09 ± 5.86 ng/mL) in the RDS group than in the non-RDS group (mean, 14.72 ± 4.18 ng/mL) (P = 0.005). Conclusion: This study shows that, MIF level is higher in the cord blood of the infants with RDS than of the infants without RDS. This supports that MIF expression begins in prior to the birth of the preterm infants and MIF has enhancing impact on the lung development of premature babies. With future studies, the assessment of the cord MIF levels at the bedside may be beneficial for the diagnosis and treatment of RDS, and taking actions to prevent long-term consequences. Bezmiâlem Vakıf Üniversitesi

Exosomes released from different cell types of the central nervous system play an essential role in the patho-genesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). In this study, we aimed to create an animal model by injecting exosomes that carry AD markers into the brain to shed light on the mechanism behind Alzheimer's pathology. Exosomes obtained from mouse Neuro2A, to which A beta toxicity model applied, were used as a mediator to build an AD phenotype. For this purpose, exosomes were administered into hippocampal CA3 region of mice with different ages. Firstly, the possible role of exosomes on brain volume was analyzed. Then, neurons and astrocytes were evaluated for survival. In addition, the progenitor cells' differentiation capacity was investigated via BrdU staining. AKT signaling pathway components were examined to detect the molecular mechanisms behind the exosomal function. We found different responses in different age groups. Expression of APP upregulated only in young animals upon delivery of A beta-exosomes. Interestingly, young animals represented increased numbers of neurons in the hippocampus, and neurogenesis was found to be restricted after A beta-Ex injections. However, in relation to exosome administration, the glial intensity increased in aged animals. Lastly, phosphorylation of survival kinase AKT was downregulated due to the presence of A beta in both young and old animals. The findings reveal that the exosomes from an in vitro A beta toxicity model may induce different responses in an age-dependent manner. This study is the first to report the relationship between exosomal function and aging by evaluating the key molecules.

PubMed: 32061493 Background: Recent studies have been revealed that oxidative damage is the main cause of aging and age-related neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD). Melatonin is secreted from the pineal gland and its secretion has been found to be altered in AD. In the last decade the role of exosomes in spreading toxic proteins and inducing the propagation of diseases like AD has been discussed. However, it is not known how melatonin affects the amount of exosomes released from the cells and the content of the exosomes. Objective: Herein, we investigated the possible role of melatonin treatment in the releasing of exosomes and exosomal tau content in an in vitro A? toxicity model. Method: SH-SY5Y cell line was used. The optimum concentration of A? was determined by cell viability and cell proliferation tests. Melatonin (100 µM) was applied before and after A? application. Total exosomes isolated from cell culture media were immunoprecipitated. The amount of released exosomes and their tau content were analyzed by Western blots. Results: Our data demonstrated for the first time that melatonin treatment clearly affected the amount of released exosomes. It would decrease the amyloid beta load and toxicity by inhibiting exosome release. We also demonstated that melatonin also affected the level of tau carried by exosomes depending on whether melatonin was applied before or after A? application. Conclusion: It is considered that the effect of melatonin in the release of exosomes and exosomal tau content would contribute the development of therapeutic strategies in AD and related disorders. © 2019 Elsevier Ltd

The circadian rhythm is driven by a master clock within the suprachiasmatic nucleus which regulates the rhythmic secretion of melatonin. Bmal1 coordinates the rhythmic expression of transcriptome and regulates biological activities, involved in cell metabolism and aging. However, the role of Bmal1 in cellular- survival, signaling, its interaction with intracellular proteins, and how melatonin regulates its expression is largely unclear. Here we observed that melatonin increases the expression of Bmal1 and both melatonin and Bmal1 increase cellular survival after oxygen glucose deprivation (OGD) while the inhibition of Bmal1 resulted in the decreased cellular survival without affecting neuroprotective effects of melatonin. By using a planar surface immunoassay for PI3K/AKT signaling pathway components, we revealed that both melatonin and Bmal1 increased phosphorylation of AKT, ERK-1/2, PDK1, mTOR, PTEN, GSK-3αβ, and p70S6K. In contrast, inhibition of Bmal1 resulted in decreased phosphorylation of these proteins, which the effect of melatonin on these signaling molecules was not affected by the absence of Bmal1. Besides, the inhibition of PI3K/AKT decreased Bmal1 expression and the effect of melatonin on Bmal1 after both OGD in vitro and focal cerebral ischemia in vivo. Our data demonstrate that melatonin controls the expression of Bmal1 via PI3K/AKT signaling, and Bmal1 plays critical roles in cellular survival via activation of survival kinases.

Background/aim Glial cell-line derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is a well-known regulatory neurotrophic factor on dopaminergic neurons. Several pathologies have been documented so far in case of any impairment in the dopaminergic system. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective role of lentiviral GNDF delivery on the small population of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) positive dopamine producing striatal neurons after ischemic stroke. Materials and methods Fourteen C57BL/6J male mice (8-10 weeks) were intracerebrally treated with lentiviral GDNF (Lv-GDNF) or vehicle. Ten days after injections, cerebral ischemia was induced by blockage of the middle cerebral artery. Animals were terminated 72 hours after ischemia, and their brains were taken for histological and molecular investigations. Following confirmation of GDNF overexpression, TH immunostaining and immunoblotting were used to evaluate the role of GDNF on dopaminergic neurons. Next, Fluro Jade C staining was implemented to examine the degree of neuronal degeneration at the damaged parenchyma. Results Neither the amount of TH positive dopaminergic neurons nor the expression of TH changed in the Lv-GDNF treated animals comparing to the vehicle group. On the other hand, GDNF exposure caused a significant increase in the expression of Nurr1, an essential transcription factor for dopaminergic neurons and Gap43, growth and plasticity promoting protein, in the ischemic striatum. Treatment with Lv-GDNF gave rise to a significant reduction in the number of degenerated neurons. Finally, enhanced GDNF expression also induced expression of an important stress related transcription factor NF-?B as well as the nitric oxide synthase enzymes iNOS and nNOS in the contralesional hemisphere. Conclusion Considering these results together, GDNF?s impact on the survival of striatal dopaminergic neurons is not outstanding for its neuroprotective role. However, it seems that GDNF conducts several signaling pathways by acting on key transcription factors and shows its protective feature by fine tuning the degeneration related processes.

Background/Aim: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been widely used for yielding neurons in culture to study nervous system pathologies and develop regenerative approaches. In this study, cellular rearrangements of human MSCs related to the expression of the fibronectin common receptor integrin alpha 5 beta 1 and its cell surface localization during neuronal differentiation, were examined. Materials and Methods: Proliferation kinetics of neuronal induced hMSCs (hMd-Neurons) were quantified by BrdU assay, and hMd-Neurons were immunostained for neuronal marker expression. Additionally, cDNA and protein samples were collected at different time points for integrin alpha 5 beta 1 expression analysis. Results: Endogenous integrin alpha 5 beta 1 expression was significantly upregulated by day 6 and maintained until day 12. Cell surface localization of alpha 5 beta 1 integrin was increased by day 6; the integrin was internalized into the cytosol by day 12. Conclusion: Integrin dynamics around day 6 of differentiation might be involved in neuronal differentiation and maturation or specification of hMd-Neurons. Istanbul Medipol University, Scientific Research Projects Committee (BAP)

Melatonin has a role in the cell survival signaling pathways as a candidate for secondary stroke prevention. Therefore, in the present study, the coordination of ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres to evaluate delayed post-acute effect of melatonin was examined on recovery of the cell survival and apoptosis after stroke. Melatonin was administered (4 mg/kg/day) intraperitoneally for 45 days, starting 3 days after 30 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The genes and proteins related to the cell survival and apoptosis were investigated by immunofluorescence, western blotting, and RT-PCR techniques after behavioral experiments. Melatonin produced delayed neurological recovery by improving motor coordination on grip strength and rotarod tests. This neurological recovery was also reflected by high level of NeuN positive cells and low level of TUNEL-positive cells suggesting enhanced neuronal survival and reduced apoptosis at the fifty-fifth day of stroke. The increase of NGF, Nrp1, c-jun; activation of AKT; and dephosphorylation of ERK and INK at the fifty-fifth day showed that cell survival and apoptosis signaling molecules compete to contribute to the remodeling of brain. Furthermore, an increase in the CREB and Atf-1 expressions suggested the melatonin-s strong reformative effect on neuronal regeneration. The contralateral hemisphere was more active at the latter stages of the molecular and functional regeneration which provides a further proof of principle about melatonin-s action on the promotion of brain plasticity and recovery after stroke.

OBJECTIVE: A rare variant in TREM2 (p.R47H, rs75932628) has been consistently reported to increase the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, while mixed evidence has been reported for association of the variant with other neurodegenerative diseases. Here, we investigated the frequency of the R47H variant in a diverse and well-characterized multicenter neurodegenerative disease cohort. METHODS: We examined the frequency of the R47H variant in a diverse neurodegenerative disease cohort, including a total of 3,058 patients clinically diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia spectrum syndromes, mild cognitive impairment, progressive supranuclear palsy syndrome, corticobasal syndrome, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and 5,089 control subjects. RESULTS: We observed a significant association between the R47H variant and Alzheimer’s disease, while no association was observed with any other neurodegenerative disease included in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the consensus that the R47H variant is significantly associated with Alzheimer’s disease. However, we did not find evidence for association of the R47H variant with other neurodegenerative diseases.

WOS: 000471268100003 The clinical use of cisplatin, which is a first-line anticancer agent, is highly restricted due to its adverse effects on kidneys that lead to nephrotoxicity. Therefore, some potential reno-protective substances have been used in combination with cisplatin to cope with nephrotoxicity. Due to its high antitumor activity and oxygen-carrying capacity, we investigated the molecular effects of squalene against cisplatin-induced oxidative stress and kidney damage in mice. Single dose of cisplatin (7 mg/kg) was given to male Balb/c mice. Squalene (100 mg/kg/day) was administered orogastrically to mice for 10 days. Following sacrification, molecular alterations were investigated as analysis of the levels of oxidative stress index (OSI), inflammatory cytokines and cell survival-related proteins in addition to histopathological examinations in mice kidney tissue. The level OSI and Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) decreased in the cisplatin and squalene cotreated mice compared to cisplatin-treated mice. Squalene treatment also increased the activation of protein kinase B (AKT). Furthermore, cisplatin-induced inactivation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) and histopathological damages were reversed by squalene. It may be suggested that squalene ameliorated the cisplatin-induced histopathological damages in the kidney through activation of AKT/mTOR signaling pathway by regulating the balance of the redox system due to its antioxidative effect.

Minocycline, a semisynthetic tetracycline-derived antibiotic, has been shown to exert anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Furthermore, there is rapidly growing evidence suggesting that minocycline may have some neuroprotective activity in various experimental models such as cerebral ischemia, traumatic brain injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease (PD), Huntington’s disease, and multiple sclerosis. In this perspective review, we summarize the preclinical and clinical findings suggesting the neuroprotective role of minocycline in PD.

Objective The surgical flap delaying has been shown to be effective in preventing partial flap loss or in preparing larger flaps. However, there is no gold standard flap delay method in the literature. In this study, the authors aimed to compare 3 types of surgical delay methods to determine which model would increase more flap survival. The authors also investigated the effect of delay methods on circulating mononuclear leukocytes as a parameter of DNA damage. Methods Twenty-four Sprague-Dawley male rats were divided into 4 groups. All subjects had a 10 × 3 cm modified McFarlane flap. Surface area measurements, biopsies, and blood samples were taken on the day of sacrification; 7th day for the control group and 14th day for delay groups. Results Between incisional surgery delay groups, a significant difference was found in necrosis and apoptosis in the bipedicled group, and only necrosis in the tripedicled group compared to the control. In terms of DNA damage, it was found higher in all experimental groups than in the control group. Conclusions Both incisional surgical delay procedures' results were meaningfully effective when only incisions were made without the elevation of flaps. In conclusion, bipedicled incisional surgical delay seems to be the most effective method in McFarlane experimental flap model whereas two-staged surgeries may increase the risk of systemic toxicity.

Objectives Post-ischemic inflammation leads to apoptosis as an indirect cause of functional disabilities after the stroke. Melatonin may be a good candidate for the stroke recovery because of its anti-inflammatory effects. Therefore, we investigated the effect of melatonin on inflammation in the functional recovery of brain by evaluating ipsilesional and contralesional alterations. Materials and Methods Melatonin (4 mg/kg/day) was intraperitoneally administered into the mice from the 3rd to the 55th day of the post-ischemia after 30 min of middle cerebral artery occlusion. Results Melatonin produced a functional recovery by reducing the emigration of the circulatory leukocytes and the local microglial activation within the ischemic brain. Overall, the expression of the inflammation-related genes reduced upon melatonin treatment in the ischemic hemisphere. On the other hand, the expression level of the inflammatory cytokine genes raised in the contralateral hemisphere at the 55th day of the post-ischemia. Furthermore, melatonin triggers an increase in the iNOS expression and a decrease in the nNOS expression in the ipsilateral hemisphere at the earlier times in the post-ischemic recovery. At the 55th day of the post-ischemic recovery, melatonin administration enhanced the eNOS and nNOS protein expressions. Conclusions The present molecular, biological, and histological data have revealed broad anti-inflammatory effects of melatonin in both hemispheres with distinct temporal and spatial patterns at different phases of post-stroke recovery. These outcomes also established that melatonin act recruitment of contralesional rather than of ipsilesional.

We published the abovementioned article about probiotic mixture VSL#3 on October 6, 2021. Since the product was named VSL#3 in our purchasing process in early 2016, it is referred to as VSL#3 in our article. In addition, the product currently known as VSL#3 is not the same as De Simone Formulation. De Simone Formulation is now available as Visbiome® in the United States and Vivomixx® in Europe. The authors would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused

Boron is a naturally occurring trace element found in organic and inorganic complexes. Boron-containing compounds are required for living organisms for diverse metabolic functions, including nitrogen fixation in microorganisms, cell wall stability in plants, and bone and carbohydrate metabolism in animals. The number of studies about the effect of boron in biological model systems is very limited; so far, there has been no study on the correlation between boron and amyloid-beta toxicity. Here, we investigated the possible effects of 2 boron-containing compounds-sodium borate decahydrate and boric acid-against amyloid-beta toxicity. In our in vitro amyloid-beta toxicity model, we showed that these 2 compounds increase the survival of the SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, boron in these 2 forms increases the expression of Sirt1, which has protective functions against cellular stress. The compounds also change the expressions of GSK-3 alpha/beta; by doing so, boron may contribute to the stimulation of intracellular prosurvival pathways. This is the first experimental study indicating the prosurvival effect of boron in an amyloid-beta toxicity model.

Successful functional recovery from stroke is crucial in the rehabilitation of patients and mainly depends on several ischemia-induced processes, including cell survival and apoptosis. Melatonin is an interesting candidate for secondary stroke prevention due to its effect on signaling pathways. Therefore, we investigated the coordination of ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres to evaluate delayed post-acute effect of melatonin on recovery of the cell survival and apoptosis after stroke. Melatonin was administered (4 mg/kg/day) intraperitoneally for 45 days, starting 3-day after 30-min of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The genes and proteins related to the cell survival and apoptosis were investigated by immunofluorescence, western blotting and RT-PCR techniques after behavioral experiments. Melatonin produced delayed neurological recovery by improving motor coordination, which was also reflected by enhanced neuronal survival and reduced apoptosis in the post-acute phase of stroke in both contralateral and ipsilateral hemispheres. The increase of NGF, Nrp1, c-jun; activation of AKT; and dephosphorylation of ERK and JNK at the 55th day showed that cell survival and apoptosis signaling molecules compete to contribute to the remodeling of brain. Furthermore, an increase in the CREB and Atf-1 expressions suggested the melatonin's strong reformative effect on neuronal regeneration. The contralateral hemisphere was more active at the latter stages of the molecular and functional regeneration which provides a further proof of principle about melatonin's action on the promotion of brain plasticity and recovery after stroke.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the present study was to examine the chemopreventive effect of Stampidine, an aryl phosphate derivative of stavudine, in side by side comparison with the standard anti-breast cancer drug paclitaxel in the well-established 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)-induced murine breast cancer model. METHODS: Groups of 20 female mice were challenged with the chemical carcinogen DMBA. DMBA-challenged mice were assigned to various chemoprevention treatments, including stampidine alone, paclitaxel alone, and stampidine plus paclitaxel according to the same treatment schedules for 25 weeks. RESULTS: Stampidine treatments resulted in substantially reduced numbers of mammary tumors, tumor weight as well as tumor size in DMBA-treated mice. Stampidine was as effective as paclitaxel in the model and their combination exhibited greater chemopreventive activity, as measured by reduced tumor incidence and improved tumor-free survival as well as overall survival of DMBA-treated mice. The length of time for the initial tumor to appear in DMBA-challenged mice treated with stampidine was longer than that of mice treated DMBA-challenged control mice. Tumors from mice treated with stampidine or stampidine plus paclitaxel displayed unique changes of a signature protein cassette comprised of BRCA1, p21, Bax, and Bcl-2. CONCLUSION: Stampidine has potent chemopreventive activity and is as effective as the standard chemotherapy drug paclitaxel in the chemical carcinogenesis model of DMBA-induced murine breast cancer.

Objective: Herein, we aimed to investigate the long-term effects of neonatal hypoxia and the potential protective role of melatonin and memantine on the learning and memory. Methods: Seven-day-old rat underwent right carotid ligation, followed by hypoxia. Rat received Melatonin (MLT) (4 mg/kg), Memantine (MEM) (20 mg/kg), and MLT+MEM combination after hypoxia. We tested these rats for anxiety by elevated O-maze and for spatial learning and memory by Morris water maze (MWM) at postnatal day 45. Results: Hypoxia increased the level of anxiety compared to the control group (p=0.05) while treatment of MLT, MEM, and MLT+MEM ameliorated this effect. In addition, hypoxia produced significant decrease in spatial learning of the rats on the fourth day of training (P=0.05) and the percent time spent in the platform quadrant and the entrance frequencies to the platform quadrant compared to the control group (P=0.049 and P=0.023). Treatment of MLT, MEM, and MLT+MEM after hypoxia improved the performance of the rats at the third (P=0.686, P=0.876, P=0.977, respectively) and fourth day (P=0.738, P=0.553, P=0.789, respectively) of MWM training. The decrease in the percent time spent was ameliorated by the treatment of MLT (P=0.239), MEM (P=0.289), and MLT+MEM (P=0.567) compared to the control group. In addition, MLT treatment significantly increased the entrance frequency to the platform quadrant compared to the hypoxia group (P=0.020). Conclusion: Our data suggested that the MLT was more effective in the release of memory deficits from hypoxia-related damage. MLT might have a therapeutic value in improving hypoxic damage in the developing brain. WOS:000640976900004

Background and Aim:Recent data have shown that olfactory dysfunction is strongly related to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) that is often preceded by olfactory deficits suggesting that olfactory dysfunction might represent an early indicator of future cognitive in prediabetes.Methods:We have applied to a group of normal (n=15), prediabetic (n=16) and type 2 diabetic outpatients (n=15) olfactory testing, 1.5-T MRI scanner and detailed cognitive evaluation including the standard Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) form, Short Blessed Test (SBT), Letter Fluency Test (LFT) and the category fluency test with animal, Fruit and Vegetable Naming (CFT).Results:We have shown that Odour Threshold (OT), Discrimination (OD), and Identification (OI) scores and most cognitive test results were significantly different in the prediabetes and diabetes group compared to those in the control group. OD and OT were significantly different between the prediabetes and diabetes group, although the cognitive test results were only significantly different in the prediabetes and diabetes group compared to those in the control group. In evaluating the association between OI, OT, OD scores and specific cognitive tests, we have found, that impaired olfactory identification was the only parameter that correlated significantly with the SBT both in the pre-diabetes and diabetes group. Although spot glucose values were only correlated with OT, HbA1c levels were correlated with OT, OD, and OI, as well as results of the letter fluency test suggesting that HbA1c levels rather than the spot glucose values play a critical role in specific cognitive dysfunction.Conclusion:To the best of our knowledge, this is the first prospective study to demonstrate a strong association between olfactory dysfunction and specific memory impairment in a population with prediabetes and diabetes suggesting that impaired olfactory identification might play an important role as a specific predictor of memory decline.

Background: Antibiotic therapies targeting multiple regenerative mechanisms have the potential for neuroprotective effects, but the diversity of experimental strategies and analyses of non-standardised therapeutic trials are challenging. In this respect, there are no cases of successful clinical application of such candidate molecules when it comes to human patients. Methods: After 24 hours of culturing, three different minocycline (Sigma-Aldrich, M9511, Germany) concentrations (1 μM, 10 μM and 100 μM) were added to the primary cortical neurons 15 minutes before laser axotomy procedure in order to observe protective effect of minocycline in these dosages. Results: Here, we have shown that minocycline exerted a significant neuroprotective effect at 1 and 100μM doses. Beyond confirming the neuroprotective effect of minocycline in a more standardised and advanced in-vitro trauma model, our findings could have important implications for future studies that concentrate on the translational block between animal and human studies. Conclusion: Such sophisticated approaches might also help to conquer the influence of humanmade variabilities in critical experimental injury models. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study showing that minocycline increases in-vitro neuronal cell survival after laser-axotomy.

Uysal, Omer/0000-0002-8833-697X; Kilic, Ertugrul/0000-0001-6494-8923; Elibol, Birsen/0000-0002-9462-0862 WOS: 000443177600024 PubMed: 30071285 Sirtuins have gained considerable attention as epigenetic regulators for slowing aging and age-related disorders. The growing association between neurodegeneration and inflammation has led researchers to investigate interactions of sirtuins with inflammatory markers in neurodegenerative diseases. We analyzed SIRT1's association with chronic inflammation in dementia as an age-related neurodegenerative condition through Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and interleukin-7 (IL7) for the first time. In the present study, we observed a significant increase in the level of SIRT1 in patients with all types of dementia. Interestingly, the level of TLR4 protein was significantly lower in only the patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) compared to the healthy elderly subjects. There was no significant change in the level of IL7 between the diseased and healthy elderly subjects. A significant positive correlation between SIRT1 level and age in healthy elderly subjects was evident according to Pearson's correlation test. However, this correlation was not observed in the dementia patients. Furthermore, the positive correlation between the levels of IL7 and TLR4 in the healthy elderly subjects was absent in the dementia patients. However, there was no direct association between the examined single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and dementia at the molecular level. According to logistic regression analysis, dementia risk increases 1.16 times due to an increase in the SIRT1 level and 24.23 times due to a decrease in the TLR4 level. Interestingly, a high level in the total antioxidant status (TAS) increases the risk of dementia approximately 33.32 times. Therefore, the current study, for the first time, provides a much better molecular understanding of the interaction between decreasing TLR4 levels and increasing SIRT1 levels in dementia, especially in AD. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of epigenetics in several age-related diseases and suggests that developing novel therapies to prevent or slow down the progression of dementia may support healthy aging.

BACKGROUND The cardioprotective protein SIRT1 is elevated in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) to compensate for the disease-related adverse effects, but less is known about the prognostic role of SIRT 1 regulating microRNAs in patients after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS The expression of the SIRT 1-specific microRNAs miR-199a and miR-195 was analyzed using real-time PCR in 68 patients referred for CABG surgery and 34 control patients undergoing heart valve surgery. In CABG patients, major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCEs), including all-cause death, myocardial infarction (MI), re-vascularization, heart failure symptoms ≥NYHA II, re-hospitalization for any cardiovascular reason, and stroke, were analyzed at a median follow-up (FU) of 3.2 years (range: 3.0-3.6). RESULTS The level of miR-199a in patients with CAD was significantly reduced compared to the control group (relative expression: 0.89±0.49 vs. 1.90±0.90, p=0.001), while SIRT 1 protein was markedly enhanced (p

Thymoquinone (TQ), a biologically active ingredient of Nigella sativa, has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective properties. Therefore, it could be a good candidate in the recovery of Alzheimer`s disease (AD) pathology rather than current symptomatic reliefs.In the present study, we examined the molecular healing effects of TQ in amyloid beta 1-42 (AβA micro-osmotic pump containing aggregated AβThe memory performance of rats was determined by Morris water maze test. Afterwards, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) level were measured by ELISA. Histopathological examinations of hippocampal tissue were performed for cell survival by Nissl staining, for detection of amyloid plaque deposits by Congo red staining and for determination of degenerating neurons by Fluoro Jade C staining. MicroRNA/mRNA levels and protein expressions of AD-related genes and proteins were analyzed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western Blotting, respectively.Administration of TQ enhanced the memory performance of AβTQ has the capacity to recover the neuropathology by removing Aβ plaques and by restoring neuron viability. All might have established the molecular basement of the consolidation in the memory observed by means of TQ treatment.

Dagdelen, Daghan/0000-0002-2523-9195 WOS:000542499100006 PubMed: 32617053 Objectives: Degloving hand injuries have generally been viewed as among the most difficult of injuries to manage due to the extensive nature of associated damage. The traditional approach to the circumferentially degloved segment of problematic flap viability has been to resuture the flap and to wait and see. However, the waiting period or the specific hemorheological protocol remains uncertain. This study aims to acknowledge if Sivelestat, known to ameliorate ischemia-reperfusion injury, enhances the survival of avulsed flaps in a hind limb degloving model of rats and to compare Sivelestat's effects to Pentoxifylline. Methods: In this study, total flap area (cm2), area of necrosis in the flap (cm(2)), and the ratio between the necrotic and total areas (percentage) were determined. Angiogenesis among the groups was documented with CD31, anti-PECAM staining. TUNEL assay was performed to allow the visualization of cell nuclei containing fragmented DNA, a typical feature of apoptosis. Results: The findings obtained in this study showed that Sivelestat administered at 10 mg/kg/hour dosage will inhibit the ischemia-reperfusion injury more pertinently than Pentoxifylline, which exerts only hemorheological effects. Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory effects of Sivelestat will be beneficial for decreasing the early complications of degloving injury, such as inflammation, sepsis, and edema, better than Pentoxifylline, which exerts only hemorheological effects.

Rifampicin exerts significant brain protective functions in multiple experimental models. Here we summarize the underlying mechanisms of the neuroprotective and pro-cognitive effects of rifampicin that are mediated by its anti-inflammatory, anti-tau, anti-amyloid, and cholinergic effects. Beyond suggesting that rifampicin shows strong brain protective effects in preclinical models of Alzheimer's disease, we also provide substantial clinical evidence for the neuroprotective and pro-cognitive effects of rifampicin. Future neuroimaging studies combined with clinical assessment scores are the following steps to be taken in this field of research.

We investigated the wound healing efficacy of the Foeniculum vulgare compounds, fenchone and limonene, using an excisional cutaneous wound model in rats. An excision wound was made on the back of the rat and fenchone and limonene were applied topically to the wounds once daily, separately or together, for 10 days. Tissue sections from the wounds were evaluated for histopathology. The healing potential was assessed by comparison to an untreated control group and an olive oil treated sham group. We scored wound healing based on epidermal regeneration, granulation tissue thickness and angiogenesis. After day 6, wound contraction with limonene was significantly better than for the control group. Ten days after treatment, a significant increase was observed in wound contraction and re-epithelialization in both fenchone and limonene oil treated groups compared to the sham group. Groups treated with fenchone and with fenchone + limonene scored significantly higher than the control group, but the difference was not statistically significant compared to the olive oil treated group. Our findings support the beneficial effects of fenchone and limonene for augmenting wound healing. The anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial activities of fenchone and limonene oil increased collagen synthesis and decreased the number of inflammatory cells during wound healing and may be useful for treating skin wounds.

Background and Design: The objective of this study was to investigate the wound healing activity of different concentrations of liposomal trans-resveratrol formulations on incisional and excisional wounds in rats. Materials and Methods: The wound healing effect was tested by an excisional and incisional wound model. Wound closure was measured for 12 days. On the 12th day of the study, maximal load, maximum stress, stress, and % of elongation values were evaluated in the incisional wound. In addition, angiogenesis, granulation tissue thickness, epidermal and dermal regeneration values, and macroscopic photographic analyses were evaluated in the excisional wound. Results: When the wound tissue surface healing rates were evaluated, similar effects were observed at the end of the 10th and 12th days between the 5% Res group and the commercial product containing 1% Centella asiatica extract used as the reference molecule. Histological evaluation showed that 1% Res and 5% Res groups induced significant wound healing activity compared to the control group. Furthermore, 1% Res and 5% Res groups increased wound healing rates by promoting granulation tissue, epidermal, and dermal regeneration as well as angiogenesis. Conclusion: Liposomal formulations containing 1% and 5% resveratrol were found to have positive effects on the healing process, both on excisional and incisional wound tissues. Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, sıçanlarda insizyonel ve eksizyonel yaralar üzerine farklı konsantrasyonlarda hazırlanmış lipozomal trans-resveratrol formülasyonlarının yara iyileşme aktivitesi üzerine etkinliğini araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Yara iyileşme etkisi, eksizyonel ve insizyonel yara modeli kullanılarak test edildi. Yara yüzey alanları 12 gün süresince ölçüldü. Çalışmanın 12. gününde, insizyonel yaralarda maksimum yük, maksimum stres, gerginlik (strain) ve % uzama değerleri değerlendirildi. Ek olarak, eksizyonel yaralarda anjiyogenez, granülasyon dokusu kalınlığı, epidermal ve dermal rejenerasyon değerleri ve makroskopik fotoğraf analizleri değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Yara dokusu yüzey iyileşme oranları değerlendirildiğinde, %5 Res grubu ile referans molekül olarak kullanılan 1% Centella asiatica ekstresi arasında 10. ve 12. günlerde benzer etkiler gözlendi. Histolojik değerlendirme, %1 Res ve %5 Res gruplarının kontrol grubuna kıyasla anlamlı yara iyileşme aktivitesi oluşturduğunu gösterdi. Ayrıca, %1 Res ve %5 Res grupları, granülasyon dokusu, epidermal ve dermal rejenerasyonun yanı sıra anjiyogenezi uyararak yara iyileşme oranlarını arttırdı. Sonuç: %1 ve %5 resveratrol içeren lipozomal formülasyonların, hem eksizyonel hem de insizyonel yara dokularında iyileşme süreci üzerinde olumlu etkileri olduğu bulunmuştur.

Aim: The neuroprotective effects of clopidogrel have already been shown in various experimental models. Taking into account the fact that clopidogrel is well tolerated and approved for use in various clinical settings, it can be an attractive candidate for further clinical investigations, especially when the anti-oedema effect appears to be a reasonable adjuvant strategy, such as in brain injury (BI). Here we aimed to examine the neuroprotective role of clopidogrel in BI. Methods: To investigate the effects of clopidogrel, we induced BI in mice using a cold trauma model and evaluated the underlying cell survival/death mechanisms via cresyl violet, TUNEL staining and western blot analysis. Results: Clopidogrel at a dose of 3 mg/kg led to a significant reduction in brain swelling. Similar decreases were observed with 10 mg/kg and 30 mg/kg of clopidogrel. We also have shown that clopidogrel blocks the prominent inflammatory injury pathways and exerts a significant anti-apoptotic effect (3 and 30 mg/kg), which has boon associated with increased neuronal cell survival pathways. Clopidogrel (3, 10 and 30 mg/kg) dose-dependently altered the JNK, p-38, AKT, ERK and p53 levels. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that clopidogrel can be a novel candidate for the reduction of post-traumatic BI and oedema. We propose that it can be applied mainly in the acute phases of cerebral ischaemia, which is characterized by haemorrhagic transformation and brain oedema. Cíl: Neuroprotektivní účinky klopidogrelu již byly prokázány na různých experimentálních modelech. Vzhledem k tomu, že klopidogrel je dobře tolerován a schválen k používání v různých klinických podmínkách, může být atraktivním kandidátem pro další klinická zkoumání, zejména v situaci, kdy se antiedematický účinek jeví jako vhodná adjuvantní strategie, například při poranění mozku. Naším záměrem bylo prozkoumat neuroprotektivní roli klopidogrelu při poranění mozku. Metody: Pro zkoumání účinků klopidogrelu jsme navodili poranění mozku s použitím modelu chladového traumatu u myší a zkoumali jsme základní mechanizmus přežití/odumírání buněk s použitím kresolové violeti, barvení TUNEL a analýzy western blot. Výsledky: Klopidogrel v dávce 3 mg/kg vedl k signifi kantnímu snížení otoku mozku. Podobný pokles byl pozorován při dávce klopidogrelu 10 mg/kg a 30 mg/kg. Rovněž jsme prokázali, že klopidogrel blokoval prominentní cesty poškození zánětem a vykazoval silný antiaptotický účinek (3 a 30 mg/kg), který byl spojen se zvýšenou možností přežití neuronových buněk. Klopidogrel (3, 10 a 30 mg/kg) měnil dávkově dependentním způsobem hladiny JNK, p-38, AKT, ERK a p53. Závěr: Naše nálezy prokazují, že klopidogrel může být novým kandidátem pro zmírnění posttraumatického poranění mozku a edému. Domníváme se, že může být aplikován hlavně v akutních fázích cerebrální ischemie, která je charakterizována hemoragickou transformací a edémem mozku.

Background Thymoquinone (TQ), a biologically active ingredient of Nigella sativa, has anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and neuroprotective properties. Therefore, it could be a good candidate in the recovery of Alzheimer`s disease (AD) pathology rather than current symptomatic reliefs. Purpose In the present study, we examined the molecular healing effects of TQ in amyloid beta 1–42 (Aβ1–42) peptide-infused AD rat hippocampus. Study design A micro-osmotic pump containing aggregated Aβ1–42 was cannulated into the hippocampus of adult female rats. After two weeks infusion, the dose of TQ (10 mg/kg or 20 mg/kg) was determined according to the HPLC results of cerebrospinal fluid and TQ was given to rats intragastrically for 15 days. Methods The memory performance of rats was determined by Morris water maze test. Afterwards, the acetylcholinesterase (AChE) level were measured by ELISA. Histopathological examinations of hippocampal tissue were performed for cell survival by Nissl staining, for detection of amyloid plaque deposits by Congo red staining and for determination of degenerating neurons by Fluoro Jade C staining. MicroRNA/mRNA levels and protein expressions of AD-related genes and proteins were analyzed by Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction and Western Blotting, respectively. Results Administration of TQ enhanced the memory performance of Aβ1–42 infused rats and it also ameliorated the neuronal loss in the cornu ammonis (CA1), but not in the dentate gyrus (DG). In addition, TQ treatment decreased the fibril deposition whose accumulation was significantly higher in the Aβ1–42-infused animals compared to that of the control group. The expression profiles of mir29c and Bax which significantly upregulated in the Aβ1–42-infused animals were attenuated by TQ. Furthermore, administration of TQ decreased the expressions of Aβ, phosphorylated-tau, and BACE-1 proteins. There was no significant therapeutic effect of TQ on the AKT/GSK3β or MAPK signaling pathways which were affected due to Aβ1–42 infusion. Conclusion TQ has the capacity to recover the neuropathology by removing Aβ plaques and by restoring neuron viability. All might have established the molecular basement of the consolidation in the memory observed by means of TQ treatment.

WOS: 000369471900016 PubMed ID: 26639427 The tissue damage that emerges during traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a consequence of a variety of pathophysiological events, including free radical generation and over-activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate-type glutamate receptors (NMDAR). Considering the complex pathophysiology of TBI, we hypothesized that combination of neuroprotective compounds, targeting different events which appear during injury, may be a more promising approach for patients. In this context, both NMDAR antagonist memantine and free radical scavenger melatonin are safe in humans and promising agents for the treatment of TBI. Herein, we examined the effects of melatonin administered alone or in combination with memantine on the activation of signaling pathways, injury development and DNA fragmentation. Both compounds reduced brain injury moderately and the density of DNA fragmentation significantly. Notably, melatonin/memantine combination decreased brain injury and DNA fragmentation significantly, which was associated with reduced p38 and ERK-1/2 phosphorylation. As compared with melatonin and memantine groups, SAM/INK-1/2 phosphorylation was also reduced in melatonin/memantine combined animals. In addition, melatonin, memantine and their combination decreased iNOS activity significantly. Here, we provide evidence that melatonin/memantine combination protects brain from traumatic injury, which was associated with decreased DNA fragmentation, p38 phosphorylation and iNOS activity. EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization); Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA) This work was supported by EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) installation grant and Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA).

SIRT1 protein, a member of Silent Information Regulator 2 (Sir2) protein family, have gained considerable attention as epigenetic regulators for a great area in the human physiology. Changes in sirtuin expression are critical in several diseases, including metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases, cancer and neurodegeneration. Here, we provide an overview of the association of the increasing level of SIRT1 protein for regulating some disease related conditions such as obesity, cardiovascular diseases and neurodegeneration. This review also provides a detailed molecular understanding of the interaction of the some basic molecules with increasing SIRT1 levels rather than reduction of the SIRT1 expression. In this context, the current approaches to enhancing the expression of SIRT1 points the importance of epigenetics in several age-related diseases to provide a healthy aging by developing novel therapies which can prevent or damp the progression of some diseases.

Objective: Besides its hematopoietic function, erythropoietin (EPO) may protect tissues from degenerative disorders. As such, EPO and its receptors were revealed in nonhematopoietic cells, including stromal and endometrial epithelial cells. However, the role of EPO in endometrial disorders is still unknown. Here, we aimed to examine the role of EPO and its receptor activation in the development of endometriosis in rats. Material and Methods: Animals were treated with EPO, darbepoietin (the synthetic form of EPO) or EPO’s receptor activator, methoxy polyethylene glycol-epoetin beta (MIRCERA), after development of endometriosis. Endometriosis was induced by estrogen-administration following surgical attachment of endometrial surface on the inner abdominal wall. Treatments were started 3 weeks after induction of endometriosis and continued for the following 3 weeks. For the analysis of recurrence of endometriosis, additional analyses were conducted 3 weeks after cessation of treatments. Results: As compared with vehicle-treated animals, lesion size was reduced significantly and recurrence of endometriosis was not observed in all treatment groups. Histopathologic examination revealed that EPO and darbepoietin were more effective than MIRCERA- and vehicle-treated animals. Conclusion: Here we provide evidence that EPO is a promising candidate for the treatment of endometriosis. Our histopathologic results in particular indicate that EPO is more effective than its receptor activator MIRCERA in the development endometriosis. © 2019 by the Turkish-German Gynecological Education and Research Foundation. Türkiye Bilimler Akademisi Acknowledgements: This work was funded by Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA). We would like to thank to Laboratory Technician Nurhayat Dönek from Bezmialem University for help throughout this research.

WOS: 000439906200002 PubMed ID: 30035652 Objective: To investigate the molecular mechanisms of colistimethate sodium-induced nephrotoxicity and the protective effect of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) against nephrotoxicity.Methods: Twenty-eight Wistar rats were divided into four groups comprised of control, colistin, NAC, and colistin-NAC co-treatment, respectively. Serum creatinine and urine N-acetyl--d-glucosaminidase (NAG) levels were measured at different time intervals. Histological changes, apoptosis, total oxidant and antioxidant status, and the expression levels of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), superoxide dismutase 2 (SOD2), and matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) were evaluated in renal tissue.Results: In the colistin group, post-treatment creatinine levels were higher than pretreatment levels (p=.001). There was a significant increase in urine NAG level following colistin treatment on day 10, compared to the baseline value and the first day of treatment (p=.001 and .0001, respectively). Urine NAG levels were higher in the colistin group on the 10th day of treatment than in the other groups (p

WOS: 000356588500012 PubMed ID: 26043290 ObjectiveRecent studies have suggested that endotoxin-induced cytokines play an important role in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Rifaximin is a nonabsorbable antibiotic that might act on Gram-negative bacteria, thereby inhibiting endotoxin proinflammatory cytokine production in patients with NAFLD. Our aim was to investigate the efficacy of rifaximin on NAFLD.MethodsForty-two patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD [15 steatosis, 27 nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)] were included in this prospective, open-label, observational cohort study. BMI and serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), gamma glutamyl transferase, lipid profile, ferritin, C-reactive protein, glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment as well as endotoxin, serum Toll-like receptor 4 (TlR4), interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, and tumor necrosis factor- (TNF-) levels were measured before and after a 28-day administration of rifaximin (1200mg/daily). Results were analyzed using nonparametric Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.ResultsA mild reduction in the mean BMI (32.36.9 vs. 31.9 +/- 6.8, P=0.02) and a significant reduction in the endotoxin (0.9 +/- 0.34 vs. 0.8 +/- 0.13, P=0.03) and IL-10 (4.08 +/- 0.9 vs. 3.73 +/- 0.7, P=0.006) levels in the NASH group were noted. A significant reduction was observed in serum aspartate aminotransferase (50.4 +/- 39 vs. 33 +/- 14, P=0.01), ALT (72 +/- 48 vs. 45.2 +/- 26.3, P=0.0001), gamma glutamyl transferase (52 +/- 33 vs. 41.2 +/- 21.1, P=0.02), LDL (137 +/- 34 vs. 127 +/- 27.5, P=0.03), and ferritin (142 +/- 214 vs. 89.3 +/- 123, P=0.0001) in the NASH group, but only in ALT (50.4 +/- 26 vs. 35.5 +/- 23.25, P=0.01), and ferritin (73.6 +/- 83 vs. 55 +/- 76, P=0.004) levels decreased significantly in the steatosis group. Treatment with rifaximin did not exert a significant effect on serum levels of TLR-4, IL-1, IL-6, IL-12, or TNF- in either group.ConclusionIn NAFLD and especially in NASH, short-term administration of rifaximin appears to be safe and effective. Scientific Research Project Council of the Bezmialem Vakif University (BAP) [6.2013/4] This work is supported by the Scientific Research Project Council of the Bezmialem Vakif University (BAP No. 6.2013/4)

The objective of this study was to analyze changes in expression pattern of Slit1 and Robo2, and to clarify the relationship between these changes and functional recovery of the axotomized inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) without repair using a rat IAN axotomy model. Slitl and Robo2 were weakly expressed in samples taken from trigeminal ganglion (TG) and IAN of sham surgery rats. In axotomized rats, expression levels increased significantly from day 2 to day 28 post-axotomy, with peaks on days 14 (Slit1) and 7 (Robo2) after axotomy (relative to sham: Slit1 in TG P < 0.0005, Slitl in IAN P = 0.003, Robo2 in TG P < 0.0005, and Robo2 in IAN P < 0.0005). Over-expressed Slitl and Robo2 in both the TG and IANs of axotomized rats did not return to sham levels during the 28-day observation period of this study. The regeneration and functional recovery of axotomized IAN was evaluated by jaw opening reflex (JOR) recorded before and after axotomy. JOR occurrence (0% on day 7, 35% on day 14, and 85% on day 28) increased gradually, and the relative threshold of electrical stimulation eliciting JOR decreased gradually (1000.0 +/- 0.0% on day 7, 854.3 +/- 132.5% on day 14, and 302.6 +/- 92.3% on day 28). On day 28 after axotomy, JOR occurrence and the relative JOR threshold had almost returned to those of sham rats. These findings suggest that Slitl and Robo2 are involved in the regeneration and functional recovery of the axotomized IAN.

WOS: 000346243100032 PubMed ID: 25453767 Apart from its repressing effect on plasma lipid levels, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors exert neuroprotective functions in animal models of neurodegenerative disorders. In view of these promising observations, we were interested in whether HMG-CoA reductase inhibition would affect epileptiform activity in the brain. To elucidate this issue, atorvastatin, simvastatin and rosuvastatin were administered orally at a dose of 20 mg/kg each for 3 days and their anti-epileptic activities were tested and compared in rats. Epileptiform activity in the brain was induced by an intracortical penicillin G injection. Among HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, simvastatin-treatment was less effective in terms of spike frequency as compared with atorvastatin- and rosuvastatin-treated animals. Atorvastatin treatment reduced spike frequencies and amplitudes significantly throughout the experiment. However, the most pronounced anti-epileptic effect was observed in rosuvastatin-treated animals, which was associated with improved blood-brain barrier (BBB) integrity, increased expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) mRNA and decreased expressions of pro-apoptotic p53, Bax and caspase-3 mRNAs. Inhibition of eNOS activity with L-NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester (L-NAME) reversed the anti-epileptic effect of rosuvastatin significantly. However, L-NAME did not alter the effect of rosuvastatin on the levels of p53, Bax and caspase-3 mRNA expression. Here, we provide evidence that among HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors, rosuvastatin was the most effective statin on the reduction of epileptiform activity, which was associated with improved BBB permeability, increased expression of eNOS and decreased expressions of pro-apoptotic p53, Bax and caspase-3. Our observation also revealed that the anti-epileptic effect of rosuvastatin was dependent on the increased expression level of eNOS. The robust anti-epileptic effect encourages proof-of-concept studies with rosuvastatin in human epilepsy patients with hypercholesterolemia. European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO); Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA/GEBIP) This work was supported by European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) (installation grant) and Turkish Academy of Sciences (TUBA/GEBIP).