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A comparison of the effects of N-acetylcysteine and ethyl pyruvate on experimental testicular ischemia-reperfusion injury

OBJECTIVE To compare the effects of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) and ethyl pyruvate (EP) on experimental testicular ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. DESIGN Randomized, controlled, experimental study. SETTING University hospital. ANIMAL(S) Twenty-four mature male Wistar rats. INTERVENTION(S) Rats were divided into four groups: control group, torsion-detorsion (T/D) group, EP group, and NAC group. In the pretreatment of the NAC and EP groups, 20 mg/kg NAC and 50 mg/kg EP were given intraperitoneally (IP) 30 minutes before detorsion. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S) Serum ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), tissue and serum malondialdehyde, and myeloperoxidase activity levels and histopathological damage scores were then compared. RESULT(S) Ethyl pyruvate and N-acetylcysteine exhibited a protective effect against I/R injury. Of the biochemical parameters evaluated as a result of testicular I/R, only IMA levels were significantly elevated. There was a strong and significant correlation between serum IMA levels and histopathological injury scores, and the increase in serum IMA level exhibited a strong parallel with the increase in histopathological injury. In the EP group, although the histopathological injury score was similar to that of the control group, serum IMA levels were significantly elevated. CONCLUSION(S) Both NAC and EP, the effects of which on I/R injury are evaluated in the present study, reduce such injury in testicular torsion-detorsion. Comparing their effects on IMA levels, NAC may be regarded as a relatively more effective treatment than EP.

Passive smoking increases pain perception in children undergoing venous catheterization

To establish whether there is any association between passive smoking and pain perception in children, in the absence of existing studies into possible links.

Correlation of ischemia-modified albumin levels and histopathologic findings in experimental ovarian torsion

Objectives Ischemia modified albumin (IMA) levels significantly increased and may be used as a diagnostic marker in ovarian torsion. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there was any correlation between IMA levels and histopathologic changes in experimental ovarian torsion. Material and methods Fourteen Sprague-Dawley rats, each weighing 220–250 g were divided randomly into 2 groups; in Group 1, the control group (n = 7), only laparotomy was performed and in Group 2, the experimental group (n = 7), ovarian torsion was performed. Ischemia was performed for 3 h; following the ischemia period, the torsion was relieved by detwisting the adnexa and then the ovarian I/R protocol was applied for 3 h. Blood samples were taken from all of the rats to measure the IMA levels and the ovaries were surgically removed for histologic examination. A blinded pathologist examined and scored the samples. Results The median (minimum–maximum) IMA values were 921.00 (870.00–966.00) ABSUs in the ovarian torsion group and 853.00 (782.00–869.00) ABSUs in the control group. The difference was statistically significant. In the correlation analysis, a significant and strong correlation was found between IMA levels and histopathologic changes (Spearmans rho = +0.987, p < 0.001). Conclusion Positive correlation was found between the IMA levels and the histopathologic severity of the disease. This finding is important for both diagnosis of the disease and patient follow-up. As a new marker in ovarian torsion, IMA may also indicate the severity of the ovarian histopathology.

Glucagon-like peptide-2 exhibits protective effect on hepatic ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats

Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) has potent anti-inflammatory effects and protects against experimental ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in pulmonary, intestinal, and myocardial tissue. However, its protective abilities against I/R injury in the liver are unknown. We investigated the potential role of GLP-2 pretreatment on hepatic I/R injury in rats. A total of 24 rats were randomly divided into three groups (n = 8). The first group was the control group; the second group was the vehicle-treated hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (HIR, vehicle saline-treated) group; and the third group was the GLP-2 pretreated I/R (GLP2-IR) group. Each rat in the third group was intraperitoneally administered 5 µg GLP-2 for 5 d before the procedure. A portal triad was created to induce ischemia with a vascular atraumatic clamp. After 40 min, the clamp was released to initiate hepatic reperfusion for 6 h. Blood samples and tissue specimens from the liver were obtained. Alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, and total bilirubin levels significantly increased in the salinetreated HIR group (P < 0.001), whereas GLP-2 pretreatment significantly decreased their levels (P < 0.01). Our data suggested that GLP-2 pretreatment may have a protective effect on liver I/R injury. However, dose-response studies are necessary to determine the most effective dose.

Effects of tenoxicam in experimental corrosive esophagitis model

Esophageal stricture, one of the important complications of corrosive esophagus, develops following edema and granulation tissue that forms during and after the inflammatory reactions. Tenoxicam, a non-steroid anti-inflammatory drug with a long half-life, prevents various leukocyte functions including phagocyte and histamine secretion by inhibiting prostaglandin synthesis and removes various oxygen radicals in the region of inflammation. We designed this as a histopathological study using tenoxicam in rats for which we created a corrosive esophagus model. After necessary authorizations were obtained, the study was performed in Çanakkale 18 Mart University experimental animal laboratory. Twenty-four Wistar albino rats, weighing 220-240 g, were used for the experiment. Experimental animals were randomized into three groups: tenoxicam group (group T, n:8), control group (group C, n:8), and sham group (group S, n:8). Tenoxicam 0.5 mg/kg/day was administered to animals in group T, where esophageal burn was developed experimentally, 5 mg/kg 0.9% NaCL was administered i.p. to rats in group C for 15 days, once in 24 hours. No procedure was applied to rats in group S. After 15 days, all animals were sacrificed under general anesthesia and their esophagi were extracted. As a result of histopathological evaluation, inflammation and fibroblast proliferation was not observed in rats in the sham group (group S). Intense inflammation was observed in six rats (6+/2-) in the control group, and fibroblast proliferation was observed as 5+/3-. And in treatment groups, inflammation was evaluated as 3+/5-, and fibroblast proliferation as 3+/5-. In our study, histopathologic damage score was higher in the control group (P < 0.005). We deduce that tenoxicam can be useful in the treatment of caustic esophageal injuries in the acute phase, but think that these drugs require further researches and clinical studies before routine clinical use.

Protective effect of glucagon‐like peptide‐2 in experimental corrosive esophagitis

Corrosive esophageal injuries are one of the life-threatening morbidities leading to esophageal stricture and perforation affecting all age groups but especially children due to accidental ingestions in this age group. Glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2) is an intestinal polypeptide with potent anti-inflammatory effects. Its effects are studied in various studies but not in corrosive esophagitis. We aimed to investigate whether it has protective effect in experimental corrosive esophagitis, in the absence of existing studies into possible links. Twenty-four Wistar-albino rats, weighing 220-240 g, were randomized into three groups (n = 8 in each). First group is control, second one is sham operated, and the third one is treatment group. Median laparotomy was made in all groups. In sham and treatment groups, esophagus was loosened and suspended from 1 cm proximal to the esophageal junction. The esophagus segment between suspenders was exposed to 0.1 mL 5% NaOH for 10 seconds. In the treatment group, rats were given GLP-2 for 7 days intraperitoneally. After 7 days, all rats were sacrified and esophagi were totally removed. In the histopathologic examination, esophageal tissues were compared in terms of inflammation, muscularis mucosa injury, and collagen deposition of tunica muscularis. Histopathologic changes in the esophageal tissues of groups were compared. Histopathologic injury in the GLP-2 treated group was significantly less than sham group (P < 0.05). There was statistically significant healing in the GLP-2 treatment group. It is concluded that GLP-2 has a preventive effect on inflammation and collagen accumulation in an experimental corrosive esophagitis. In the light of the information that initial lesions in the early phase are predictors of complications, GLP-2 is a promising agent that has an anti-inflammatory effect in caustic injuries.