Protective effects of anise in prevention of cerebral ischemia reperfusion injury in rats

The aim of this study is to determine the protective efficacy of anise in cerebral ischemia and reperfusion injury in rats. In this study, 28 Wistar Albino rats, weighing 250-300 grams (g), were used. Four groups were formed with 7 rats in each group. Group 1 (n=7): Control group, Group 2 (n=7): Anise group, 5 mL/kg/day of anise aqueous extract prepared according to Gamberini's protocol was given orally by gavage for 30 days. Group 3 (n=7): Cerebral ischemia reperfusion (CIR) group, at the beginning of the experiment, 30 minutes of cerebral ischemia and 1 hour of reperfusion were induced and the animals were sacrificed by exanguination. Group 4 (n=7): Anise+ CIR group, After administering 30 days of anise's aqueous extract, CIR was induced and the study was terminated. TOS values of the Anise+ CIR group was significantly lower than that of the CIR group (p<0.05). Il-6 and TNF-α values of the CIR group were significantly higher than the Anise+ CIR group (p<0,05). Our study revealed that anise ameliorates oxidative damage and inflammation due to cerebral ischemia/reperfusion, by reducing the levels of inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, Il-6).

The Alvarado Score is accurate in pregnancy: a retrospective case-control study

BACKGROUND

Acute appendicitis is the most frequent abdominal condition that requires non-obstetric surgical intervention during pregnancy. This study aims to scan pregnant patients operated on for acute appendicitis to evaluate the efficiency of using the Alvarado Score (AS) for diagnosis.

METHODS

Our study included 48 pregnant patients who were pre-diagnosed with acute appendicitis and operated on at our department of general surgery from January 2010 to July 2016 and whose files were accessed. Fifty-three non-pregnant female patients of reproductive age who were operated on for appendicitis during the same period were included in the study as the control group. The patients in both groups were divided into two groups based on their AS total score being 7 and ≥ 7.

RESULTS

The mean age of the 48 pregnant patients was 28 (19-42) years, while the mean age of the 53 control patients was 31 (18-45) years. Among pregnant and non-pregnant women, about a third of patients had an AS < 7 (16 of 48 versus 18 of 53). There was no significant difference when the AS scores of both groups were compared (p = 0.947). Using pathology results as reference test, the sensitivity and specificity of the AS in pregnant women was 79 and 80%.

CONCLUSIONS

As a result, when the data collected by our study are evaluated, we see that pregnancy does not have a negative effect on the efficacy of AS. Therefore, the AS system can be an easy, non-invasive auxiliary diagnostic tool with high diagnosis accuracy rates that can be used in pregnant patients suspected of having acute appendicitis.

The effects of lycopene on methotrexate-induced liver injury in rats

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lycopene (Lyc) on methotrexate (Mtx) induced liver toxicity in rats.

METHODS

Twenty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four equal groups: control, Lyc, Mtx and Mtx-L: Control group: Rats were given only the vehicle. Lyc group: Rats were given Lyc (10 mg/kg) with corn oil by oral gavage for ten days. Mtx group: Rats were injected intraperitoneally with a single dose of 20 mg/kg of Mtx and given corn oil by oral gavage. Mtx-L group: Rats were post-treated with Lyc (10 mg/kg) for ten days after a single dose of Mtx (20 mg/kg).

RESULTS

Mtx administration increased histopathological damage, TNF-α, IL-1β, TOS, TAS and OSI levels in tissues; AST, ALT levels in the blood. Sinusoidal dilatation, inflammatory cell infiltration and congestion were significantly improved in the Mtx-L aon histopathologic examination of the rats.In Mtx-L group that were treated at the Lyc, TNF-α and IL-1β levels of liver tissue were decreased significantly compared to Mtx group whereas the decrease in OSI was not significant. Lyc treatment improved the AST and ALT values in Mtx-L group. But only AST improvement was significant.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study revealed that Lyc might be useful in protecting the liver from injury due to Mtx in rats by reducing the increased proinflammatory cytokine levels (Tab. 4, Fig. 1, Ref. 44).

Surgical treatment of phytobezoars causes acute small intestinal obstruction

PURPOSE

Our aim was to perform a clinical analysis of small intestinal obstructions caused by surgically treated phytobezoars.

METHODS

Twenty-four patients, with small intestinal obstructions caused by phytobezoars, underwent surgery in our department between 1998 to 2008, were reviewed retrospectively.

RESULTS

Twenty (83.3%) of 24 patients had previous gastric surgery. Preoperative computed tomography (CT) was performed in nine patients and seven (77.8%) patients, showed results consistent with a bezoar and subsequently, underwent surgery on the same day. The remaining patients had no preoperative diagnosis of a phytobezoar were typically followed-up for postoperative adhesion intestinal obstruction. Only those patients who showed no response to nonoperative treatment options underwent surgery. The phytobezoar was fragmented and milked into the cecum in 11 (45.8%) patients or extracted via longitudinal enterotomy in 12 (50%) patients; the remaining patient (4.2%) was treated via laparoscopy. Three patients had gastric phytobezoars, which were extracted via gastrotomy. There was no postoperative mortality. Two patients with previous enterotomy had either postoperative wound infection or wound infection and evisceration.

CONCLUSIONS

Phytobezoars should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acute small intestinal obstruction in patients with prior gastric surgery, poor dentition, or consume fiber-rich foods. Abdominal CT is useful for both diagnosis and for the decision to perform emergency surgery. When possible, the phytobezoar should be fragmented and milked into the cecum. Laparoscopic fragmentation may be useful in such cases (Tab. 3, Ref. 28). Full Text (Free, PDF) www.bmj.sk.