HLA B-27 Subtypes in Turkish Patients with Spondyloarthropathy and Healthy Controls

The frequency and the distribution of HLA-B27 subtypes in spondylarthropathy (SpA) patients and controls were investigated in a sample Turkish population. B27 subtyping was performed by PCR-SSP method in two groups: 49 unrelated HLA-B27 positive Turkish patients with the diagnosis of SpA according to the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group Criteria, and 55 HLA-B27 positive healthy controls. The frequency of HLA-B(∗)27 was 2.6% in the Turkish population, and B(∗)2705 was the predominant allele among patients with SpA. The difference was mainly between male patients and male controls The proportion of B(∗)2705 among B27-positive patients and controls was significantly different (P = 0.02). Our study supports other reports from different populations which showed that B(∗)2705 and B(∗)2702 were more frequent in Caucasian patients with SpA

Effects of spermidine treatment on neurobehavioral development in intrauterine growth retarded (IUGR) rats

It was previously shown that polyamine treatment could induce precocious development of several somatic and neurobehavioral functions in newborn ruts. This study investigates the effects of daily injections of spermidine (SPMD) 50 mu l/10 g s.c. on neurobehavioral development of newborn rats experiencing undernutrition. Neurobehavioral development was assessed by measurements of gripping and righting reflexes. SPMD treated intrauterine growth retarded (IUGR) rats reached righting reflex control values at 30 days postnatal (1.87+/-0.78 s vs 1.75+/-0.66 s). Beginning from 7 days postnatal, gripping reflex values of SPMD treated IUGR rats declined. reaching that of controls at 30 days postnatal (1.77 +/- 91 degrees vs 1.82 +/- 65 degrees). These results suggest the utility of exogenous SPMD in rats experiencing undernutrition, thus indicating a clinical relevance. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Chronic nicotine pretreatment protects the blood-brain barrier against nicotine-induced seizures in the rat

This study was designed to investigate the possible protective actions of nicotine on cerebrovascular permeability in convulsions during nicotine-induced seizures. We have measured the permeability changes in the blood-brain barrier (BBB) macroscopically and spectrophotometrically by using Evans blue dye. Specific gravity measurements were also performed to assess brain edema which develops after blood-brain barrier opening. The experiments were carried out on Wistar rats. Rats were divided into two groups. They received acutely a convulsive dose of nicotine 3, 5, 8 and 9 mg kg(-1) i.p. or pretreated with a low dose of nicotine (0.8 mg kg(-1) i.p.) for 21 days followed by the procedure mentioned in the first group. Acute nicotine injection induced a significant increase in blood pressure and Evans-blue passage, despite a decline in specific gravity values. Low doses of chronic nicotine administration markedly reduced both the leakage of dye, and brain water content. Chronic treatment with low doses of nicotine (0.8 mg kg(-1) day(-1) s.c.) lessened the intensity of tonic-clonic seizures observed with a single dose of 3, 5, 8 or 9 mg kg-l nicotine. The data presented here demonstrate that nicotine pretreatment results in decreased sensitivity to nicotine-induced seizures in rats. (C) 1999 Academic Press

THE CEREBROVASCULAR PERMEABILITY AND EPILEPSY - THE ROLE OF BLOOD-PRESSURE

This study was designed to evaluate the role of elevated blood pressure on cerebrovascular permeability and brain tissue specific gravity during epileptic seizures induced by Pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). The experiments were carried out on Wistar rats. Specific gravity was measured bilaterally in 10 regional brain areas and Evans-blue passage (across blood-brain barrier) was spectrophotometrically measured in 6 brain areas. Animals were divided into four groups: they received i.v. either saline, 80mg/kg PTZ (convulsive dose), 40mg/kg PTZ (subconvulsive dose) or 80mg/kg PTZ+phentolamine. 80 mg/kg PTZ induced significantly an increase in blood pressure, in specific gravity and in Evans-blue passage. 40mg/kg PTZ induced an increase in blood pressure and caused small changes in specific gravity but not in Evans-blue passage. The last group, in which the rise in blood pressure was prevented with Phentolamine, also showed a significant increase in brain specific gravity and in Evans-blue passage. The results clearly show that the increased blood pressure may contribute to but is not entirely responsible for the changes in the cerebrovascular permeability induced by epileptic seizures

Erythropoietin prevents the increase in blood-brain barrier permeability during pentylentetrazol induced seizures

Recombinant human erythropoietin (r-Hu EPO) has been shown to exert neuroprotection in ischemic, excitotoxicity, trauma, convulsions and neurodegenerative disorders. Blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage plays a role in the pathogenesis of many pathological states of the brain including neurodegenerative disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effects of r-Hu EPO on BBB integrity in pentylentetrazol (PTZ) induced seizures in rats. Seizures were observed and evaluated regard to latency and intensity for an hour. Macroscopical and spectrophotometrical measurement of Evans Blue (EB) leakage were observed for BBB integrity. r-Hu EPO was given intraperitoneally 24 h prior to seizure induction. Total seizure duration of 720 +/- 50 s after single PTZ administration (80 mg/kg i.p.) was declined to 190 40 s in r-Hu EPO pretreatment. A typical BBB breakdown pattern (i.e. staining in cerebellum, cerebral cortex, midbrain, hippocampus, thalamus and corpus striatum) was observed in rat brains with PTZ induced seizures; whereas, EPO pretreatment confined BBB leakage to cerebellum and cortical areas, and lessened the intensity of tonic-clonic seizures observed in PTZ seizures. The protective effect of r-Hu EPO on BBB permeability in seizures is a new and original finding. The protective action of r-Hu EPO in seizures and some of CNS pathologies warrant further investigations. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved