Cemal Polat

Does alfa lipoic acid prevent liver from methotrexate induced oxidative injury in rats

PURPOSE To determine the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects of alfa lipoic acid (ALA) on the liver injury induced by methotrexate (MTX) in rats. METHODS Thirty two rats were randomly assigned into four equal groups; control, ALA, MTX and MTX with ALA groups. Liver injury was performed with a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg) to groups 3 and 4. The ALA was administered intraperitonealy for five days in groups 2 and 4. The other rats received saline injection. At the sixth day the rats decapitated, blood and liver tissue samples were removed for TNF-α, IL-1β, malondialdehyde, glutathione, myeloperoxidase and sodium potassium-adenosine triphosphatase levels measurement and histological examination. RESULTS MTX administration caused a significant decrease in tissue GSH, and tissue Na+, K+ ATPase activity and which was accompanied with significant increases in tissue MDA and MPO activity. Moreover the pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL- β) were significantly increased in the MTX group. On the other hand, ALA treatment reversed all these biochemical indices as well as histopathological alterations induced by MTX. CONCLUSION Alfa lipoic acid ameliorates methotrexate induced oxidative damage of liver in rats with its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.

Protective Effects of Alpha-Lipoic Acid on Methotrexate-Induced Oxidative Lung Injury in Rats

ABSTRACT Objective: Oxidative stress is one of the major causes of methotrexate induced lung injury (MILI). Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which occurs naturally in human food, has antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. The aim of this study was to research the potential protective role of ALA on MILI in rats. Methods: Twenty one rats were randomly subdivided into three groups: control (group I), methotrexate (MTX) treated (group II), and MTX+ALA treated (group III). Lung injury was performed with a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg) to groups 2 and 3. On the sixth day, animals in all groups were sacrificed by decapitation and lung tissue and blood samples were removed for histological examination and also measurement the levels of interleukin-1-beta (IL-1β), malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and sodium potassium-adenosine triphosphatase (Na+/K+ATPase). Results: In MTX group tissue GSH, Na+/K+ATPase activities were lower, tissue MDA, MPO and plasma IL-1?, TNF-? were significantly higher than the other groups. Histopathological examination showed that lung injury was less severe in group 2 according to group 3. Conclusions: Oxidative damage of MTX in rat lung is partially reduced when combined with ALA.

Significance of silent carditis and investigation of follow-up signs in acute rheumatic fever

AIM This study aimed to demonstrate the importance of ECHO in the diagnosis and long-term follow-up of silent carditis. MATERIAL & METHODS This study included 182 (157 arthritis; 25 chorea) patients out of 214 patients who had been diagnosed with acute rheumatic fever for the first time. All of the patients were scanned with ECHO between specific intervals. RESULTS While there was no recovery observed in isolated aortic insufficiency during long-term follow-up, recovery in isolated mitral insufficiency was found. As the follow-up time of the mitral and aortic insufficiencies became longer, there was an increase in recovery in aortic insufficiency. CONCLUSION Follow-up results of silent carditis support that ECHO should be among the major criteria used to diagnose rheumatic carditis.