Ugur Turhan

Ameliorative Effects of Resveratrol on Acute Ovarian Toxicity Induced by Total Body Irradiation in Young Adult Rats

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate the ovarian protective effects of resveratrol in rats exposed to total body irradiation. DESIGN Experimental study. SETTINGS University hospital. PARTICIPANTS AND INTERVENTIONS Thirty female rats were randomized into four groups: (1) control group (n = 7); (2) low-dose (10 mg/kg) resveratrol group (n = 8); (3) high-dose (100 mg/kg) resveratrol group (n =7); and (4) sham irradiation group (n = 8). The drugs were administered intraperitoneally as single doses, and the rats were exposed to total body radiation 24 h after the treatment. The animals were sacrificed the following day, and their ovaries were excised for histopathological and biochemical analysis. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The ovarian follicle counts were calculated, and irradiation-dependent ovarian damage and tissue levels of antioxidant enzymes were evaluated. RESULTS Group 2 and Group 3 showed significantly higher numbers of total follicle counts compared with Group 1 (P < 0.01). The low-dose resveratrol treatment was associated with significantly higher numbers of primary follicles than the high-dose group. The tissue activities of glutathione peroxidase (GsH-Px) and catalase (CAT) were significantly elevated in the resveratrol-treated animals. Evaluation of ovarian histology revealed no remarkable changes in fibrosis and leucocyte infiltration among the resveratrol-treated and control rats; however, vascularity was significantly reduced in the high-dose group (P = 0.014). CONCLUSION Resveratrol attenuated irradiation-dependent ovarian damage, suggesting that this natural antioxidant is effective in reducing the follicle loss induced by ionizing radiation.

Maternal, fetal and perinatal characteristics of preeclampsia cases with and without abnormalities in uterine artery Doppler indexes.

Abstract Objective: To compare the maternal and fetal characteristics and perinatal outcome in mild and severe preeclampsia cases with and without uterine artery Doppler abnormalities. Methods: Two hundred and fifty-nine mild and severe preeclampsia cases were evaluated retrospectively. Doppler measurements were done in the section where uterine artery raised from the hypogastric artery. Pulsatility index above the 95th percentile of the corresponding gestational age was accepted as abnormal. Results: In mild and severe preeclampsia cases with abnormal Doppler (AD), the rate of intrauterine growth restriction, preterm birth and low birth weight was higher than, but the neonatal intensive care unit stay was similar to the cases with normal Doppler. Base excess was higher in the AD group, in mild and severe preeclampsia. The rate of low Apgar score at 5 min and perinatal mortality was higher in the AD group, in the mild preeclampsia. The strongest independent predictor of the perinatal morbidity and mortality was the presence of prematurity and of the prematurity was the presence of abnormal uterine artery Doppler. Conclusions: Maternal and perinatal morbidity and perinatal mortality increase in mild to severe preeclampsia cases with abnormal uterine artery Doppler. The abnormal uterine artery Doppler increases the morbidity and mortality by increasing the risk of prematurity.

Association of low maternal levels of salusins with gestational diabetes mellitus and with small-for-gestational-age fetuses.

OBJECTIVES To evaluate maternal and cord serum concentrations of salusin-α and salusin-β in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and with small-for-gestational age (SGA) fetuses. STUDY DESIGN Pregnant women with GDM (n=25), women with SGA (n=20) and maternal age-matched normal healthy pregnant subjects (n=25) participated in the study. Maternal serum and cord blood salusin-α and salusin-β levels at the time of birth were measured using ELISA, and their relation with metabolic parameters was also assessed. RESULTS Mean concentrations of maternal and fetal serum salusin-α in the GDM and SGA groups were significantly lower than those of the controls (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Mean concentrations of maternal and cord blood salusin-β also decreased in both the GDM and the SGA groups in comparison to the control group (P<0.001, P<0.001, P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). The concentrations of maternal serum salusin-α and salusin-β were strongly positively correlated with the concentrations of cord blood salusin-α and salusin-β (R=0.92, P<0.001 and R=0.94, P<0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The low levels of maternal serum salusin-α and salusin-β may have negative impact on metabolic disorders and vascular dysfunction.

Maternal serum AMP-activated protein kinase levels in mild and severe preeclampsia

Abstract Objective: To investigate Phosphorylated adenosine monophosphate activated protein kinase (AMPK) levels in healthy pregnant women and pregnant women with preeclampsia (PE). Methods: Twenty-eight women with mild-PE, 22 with severe-PE, and 30 normotensive controls were included in this cross-sectional study. The serum AMPK levels of these patients were analyzed. The patients were followed up to delivery. Results: No statistically significant difference was found between the groups for age, gravida, parity, and gestational age at the time the blood samples were obtained (p > .05). No significant difference between the group with mild-PE and the control group was found, while in the severe-PE group, serum AMPK levels were significantly higher relative to both the mild-PE and control groups (p < .001 and p < .001, respectively). No correlation was detected between serum AMPK levels and age, body mass index (BMI), and gestational age at the time the blood samples were collected. A negative correlation was found between AMPK levels and gestational week and birthweight at delivery, while a positive correlation was detected between systolic and diastolic blood pressures and AMPK levels. Conclusions: Serum AMPK was higher in patients with severe-PE compared with healthy pregnant women and patients with PE without severe features so it might be a new biomarker for the prediction of disease and its severity.

Investigation of the effect of gestational diabetes on fetal cardiac tissue in streptozotocin ınduced in rats

PURPOSE To investigate the cause of congenital anomalies resulted from gestational diabetes on fetal cardiac tissue in experimental animal study model. METHODS Totally 12 female Wistar albino rats were divided into two groups, each consisting of 6 rats. Streptozotocin (60 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to the study group by dissolving in citrate solution. The rats with a blood glucose level of 200 mg/dL and above were considered to be diabetic rats. Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidative stress (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) values were calculated in the cardiac tissues and maternal serum samples of the fetuses delivered by cesarean section after the mating process. The cardiac tissues were also subjected to histopathological examination. RESULTS TOS and OSI values in fetal cardiac tissues of the diabetic rats were found to be significantly higher than that of the control group (p=0.026 and p=0.005). Histopathological examination revealed that the mitotic index was lower and the cell organization was found to be damaged in the fetuses of the study group rats. CONCLUSION Increased levels of free oxygen radicals considered to be due to hyperglycemia may cause congenital anomalies, especially during organogenesis period, by disrupting cell homeostasis and adversely affecting mitosis.

Maternal levels of growth differentiation factor-15 in patients with preeclampsia

ABSTRACT Objective: Growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15) is a stress-induced cytokine and related to the prognosis of cardiovascular diseases. Our purpose is to measure the maternal levels of GDF-15 in patients with early-onset preeclampsia (EOPE) and late-onset preeclampsia (LOPE). Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted including 72 pregnant women, 23 with normal pregnancies and 49 with preeclampsia (26 with EOPE and 23 with LOPE). Maternal serum levels of GDF-15 were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kits. Results: The median serum GDF-15 level was found to be the highest in the EOPE group (EOPE: 441.7 pg/ml). The median serum GDF-15 levels were higher in women with preeclampsia than in the control group (309.7 pg/ml vs. 436.6 pg/ml, p: 0.009). Conclusion: Our findings suggest GDF-15 increased as a response to endothelial injury caused by cytokines triggered by preeclampsia.

Association of folic acid receptor α in maternal serum with neural tube defects

Abstract Objective: To evaluate whether serum folic receptor α levels are changed in women whose previous pregnancies were complicated with neural tube defects (NTDs). Methods: This was a case–control study that included 41 women as the control group who had previously had at least one healthy pregnancy and 37 women as the study group who had a previous pregnancy complicated with NTDs. Blood samples were obtained from all of the participants six weeks after the termination of pregnancy or delivery of a baby. Serum folate receptor α concentrations were analyzed using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results: The mean concentrations of serum folate receptor α were significantly lower in the NTD cases compared to those in the control group (p = 0.02). There was no significant difference in mean serum folate titers between the NTD cases and the control group (p = 0.07). Conclusion: Low serum folic acid receptor α levels in the current study did not appear to be a regulatory marker of maternal folate homeostasis per se but rather a factor that contributed to the development of NTDs.