Use of activated protein C has no avail in the early phase of acute pancreatitis

AbstractObjectives. Sepsis and acute pancreatitis have similar pathogenetic mechanisms that have been implicated in the progression of multiple organ failure. Drotrecogin alfa, an analogue of endogenous protein C, reduces mortality in clinical sepsis. Our objective was to evaluate the early therapeutic effects of activated protein C (APC) in a rat model of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Subjects and method. Acute necrotizing pancreatitis was induced by intraductal injection of 5% Na taurocholate. Hourly bolus injections of saline or recombinant human APC (drotrecogin alfa) was commenced via femoral venous catheter four hours after the induction of acute pancreatitis. The experiment was terminated nine hours after pancratitis induction. Animals in group one (n=20) had a sham operation while animals in group two (n=20) received saline and animals in group three (n=20) received drotrecogin alfa boluses after acute pancreatitis induction. Pancreatic tissue for histopathologic scores and myeloperoxidase, glutathione reductase, glutathione peroxidase, and catalase activites were collected, and blood for serum amylase, urea, creatinine, and inleukin-6 measurements was withdrawn. Results. Serum amylase activity was significantly lower in the APC treated group than the untreated group (17,435±432 U/L vs. 27,426±118 U/L, respectively). While the serum interleukin-6 concentration in the APC untreated group was significantly lower than the treated group (970±323 pg/mL vs. 330±368 pg/mL, respectively). Conclusion. In the early phase of acute pancreatitis, drotrecogin alfa treatment did not result in a significant improvement in oxidative and inflammatory parameters or renal functions

The Interaction of Oxidative Stress Response with Cytokines in the Thyrotoxic Rat: Is There a Link?

Oxidative stress is regarded as a pathogenic factor in hyperthyroidism. Our purpose was to determine the relationship between the oxidative stress and the inflammatory cytokines and to investigate how melatonin affects oxidative damage and cytokine response in thyrotoxic rats. Twenty-one rats were divided into three groups. Group A served as negative controls. Group B had untreated thyrotoxicosis, and Group C received melatonin. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and nitric oxide derivates (NO•x), and plasma IL-6, IL-10, and TNF-alpha were measured. MDA, GSH, NO•x, IL-10, and TNF-alpha levels increased after L-thyroxine induction. An inhibition of triiodothyronine and thyroxine was detected, as a result of melatonin administration. MDA, GSH, and NO•x levels were also affected by melatonin. Lowest TNF-alpha levels were observed in Group C. This study demonstrates that oxidative stress is related to cytokine response in the thyrotoxic rat. Melatonin treatment suppresses the hyperthyroidism-induced oxidative damage as well as TNF-alpha response

The role of N terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in the evaluation of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction: correlation with echocardiographic indexes in hypertensive patients

WOS: 000252978400004PubMed ID: 17687631The utility of N-Terminal pro Brain Natriuretic Peptide (NT-proBNP) and Brain Natriuretic Peptide (BNP) for detecting left ventricular (LV) diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients without heart failure symptoms is unclear. In this study, we investigated the relation between NT-proBNP plasma levels and LV diastolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients without systolic dysfunction. Method: We studied 40 ambulatory patients (26 women, mean age 52 +/- 5) with controlled hypertension. LV diastolic function was assessed with conventional Doppler, by means of mitral inflow and with tissue Doppler echocardiography by means of mitral annulus. The ratio of early diastolic transmitral E wave velocities to tissue Doppler mitral annulus early diastolic E' wave velocities (E/E'), was used to detect LV filling pressures. Patients were divided in three groups according to E/E' ratios 15 (group III). Plasma concentrations of NT-proBNP were measured by electro chemiluminescence's immunoassay. Results: The NT-proBNP blood levels were positively correlated significantly with E/E' ratio (r = 0.80, P = 0.0001). Patients with elevated LV end diastolic pressure (LVEDP), defined as E/E' 15. Conclusion: The assessment of the blood concentration of NT-proBNP is of potential value for identification of those patients with hypertension to detect early cardiovascular changes, especially LV diastolic dysfunction

Second trimester maternal serum–amniotic fluid nitric oxide and vascular endothelial growth factor levels in relation to uterine artery Doppler indices in pregnancies with normal outcome

The aim of the present study was to explore the possible relations of maternal serum and amniotic fluid nitric oxide (NO) and of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) concentrations with uterine artery Doppler indices (UtADs) in a healthy second trimester obstetric population. In this regard, the levels of NO and VEGF-A were measured in maternal sera and the amniotic fluid samples were in 36 subjects who were in their early second trimester of pregnancy. The mean levels for VEGF-A were 110.3 ± 31.5 pg/ml in maternal serum and 149.6 ± 31.3 pg/ml in amniotic fluid. Mean levels for NO were 5.7 ± 4.7 µmol in maternal serum and 12.9 ± 3.4 µmol in amniotic fluid. UtADs were measured concurrently with the sample collections. The mean value for uterine artery pulsatility index (PI) was 1.3 ± 0.4. The measurements were then analysed for possible correlations, whereby no correlation was found between UtAD and maternal serum levels of either molecule (p = .828 and p = .662 for VEGF-A and NO, respectively). However, a positive correlation was found between the NO levels in the amniotic fluid compartment and UtAD (r = 0.432, p = .009 for PI). Therefore, a correlation of UtAD with amniotic fluid NO can be expected in pregnancies with a normal outcome.Impact Statement What is already known on this subject? Nitric oxide (NO) and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) are important vasoactive molecules that play significant roles in early angiogenesis and placentation. What the results of this study add? There is a positive correlation between the amniotic fluid NO levels and the uterine artery Doppler indices (UtADs) in the second trimester of pregnancies with normal outcomes. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or future research? A correlation between amniotic fluid NO levels and UtAD may indicate a normal trophoblastic invasion. Disturbance of this balance may be expected in certain adverse pregnancy outcomes. Additional studies are needed to further explore the molecular signs of early abnormal placentation and their clinical reflection

Effects of Aloe vera leaf gel extract on rat peritonitis model

WOS: 000336409800016PubMed ID: 24987181Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant activities and probable toxic effects of Aloe vera (AV) in a rat peritonitis model. Materials and Methods: Rats were divided into five groups: (1) Control group, (2) AV group, (3) peritonitis group (P), (4) peritonitis + AV group (P + AV), and (5) peritonitis + antibiotherapy group (P + Ab). Ultrafiltration (UF) rates were determined and colony and leukocyte counts were calculated in the dialysate. Glucose, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine levels, and alanine transaminase (ALT) activities were studied in blood. Glucose, interleukins (IL-1 beta, IL-6), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were studied in dialysate and peritoneal tissue for the assessment of the anti-inflammatory effect. Copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (Cu, Zn-SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), and nitric oxide (NO) were also investigated in peritoneal tissue. Results: Aloe vera increased the UF rate and lowered leukocyte numbers in the peritonitis group. There was no significant difference in blood and dialysate glucose, BUN, creatinine levels and ALT activity among control and AV groups. AV decreased IL-1 beta, IL-6 and PGE2 in peritonitis, showing good anti-inflammatory effect. AV showed antioxidant effect on the chosen antioxidant parameters Cu, Zn-SOD, MDA, and NO. Conclusion: It was concluded that, AV might be used in peritonitis for its probable UF increasing, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects.Adnan Menderes University Scientific Research Projects FundAdnan Menderes University [TPF-06015]Source of Support: This work was supported by Adnan Menderes University Scientific Research Projects Fund (Project no: TPF-06015). Conflict of Interest: None declared