The morphological evaluation of ipsilateral and contralateral vasa deferentia in a rat model of unilateral spermatic cord torsion

Aim Spermatic cord torsion is a surgical emergency that requires early intervention to protect the effected testicle. The literature review about this ischemic reperfusion (I/R) injury reveals not only ipsilateral, but also contralateral testicular and epididymal injuries in a broad fashion. However, there is no data about vas deferens injury related with this surgical emergency. The aim of the study is to evaluate the morphological changes of the vas deferens due to testicular I/R injury. Materials and methods Eighteen Wistar-Albino rats were allocated to three groups. Bilateral vasa deferentia of control group (Gr C, n = 6) were harvested without any surgical intervention. The torsion group was subjected to 2 h torsion and 2 h detorsion of the left testicle (Gr T, n = 6) and the third group underwent sham operations (Gr S, n = 6). Bilateral vasa deferentia of Gr T and S were harvested after surgery. The either side of the vas deferens was divided into three equal segments and these regions (adjacent to urinary bladder, medial and adjacent to testicle) were evaluated histopathologically. Results The electron microscopic evaluation of bilateral vasa deferentia of Gr T revealed different degrees of degeneration on either side. The region adjacent to testicle of the contralateral vas deferens was the most effected segment when compared with the other segments. Conclusion In the light of these findings, it can be said that testicular I/R injury effects not only testis and epididymis, but also the adjacent vas deferens. This effect seems to be bilateral, like the testis and epididymis injury. Moreover, it mostly seems to depend on the apoptotic processes

The probable effects of ginkgo biloba after the experimental hypoxia in pregnancy on postnatal brain development : Western blotting, electron microscobic and ımmunohistochemical evaluation

Erken gelişim sürecinde oksijen ve enerji dağılımına en duyarlı organ beyindir. Bu nedenle fötus ve yenidoğanda ortaya çıkan beyin anomalilerinin bilinen en belirgin nedeni gebelikte olaylanan hipoksidir. Diyabetli, kronik hipertansiyonlu, orak hücre anemili, astımlı ya da uyuşturucu madde bağımlısı olan annelerin bebekleri kronik hipoksi tehdidi altındadır. Böyle hastalıkları olan annelerin bebeklerinde intrauterin büyüme geriliği, doğum sonrası yaşamda epilepsi, beyin felçleri, öğrenme güçlüğü ve zeka geriliği ile motor işlevlerde yetersizlik dikkati çekmektedir. Hipoksi sonucu olaylanan işlevsel bozukluklar fötal ya da yeni doğan beyinlerinde önemli yapısal hasarların sonucudur. Çalışmamızda embriyonel dönemde oluşturulan hipobarik hipoksi modelinde beynin gelişiminde olaylanan dejeneratif değişiklerde postnatal Gingko biloba uygulamasının Western blotting, elektron mikroskobik ve immünohistokimyasal düzeyde etkilerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmamızda hipobarik hipoksi, % 10 luk O2, % 90 N gaz karışımı kullanılarak hipoksik kamarada oluşturuldu. Vajinal plak oluşumu görülen sıçanlar gebeliğinin 0. gününde kabul edildi. Gebeliğin 5. gününde (E5) % 10 luk O2 gaz karışımı verilen hipoksik kamaralara konuldu ve hipoksi uygulaması gebeliğin 15. güne (E15) dek aralıksız sürdürüldü. Elde edilen erkek yavrulardan bir grubu yalnızca hipoksi uygulanan gruplar olarak belirlendi ve doğum sonrası 7., 14., 21. ve 28. günlerde beyin dokuları alındı. Bir grubuna ise doğumun gerçekleşmesi ile birlikte yavrulara her gün belirlenen saatte 100mg/kg Gingko Biloba ekstresi oral yolla uygulandı ve 7,14,21 ve 28 günlerde beyin dokuları alındı. Normal atmosfer basında yaşayan gebe sıçanlardan elde edilen erkek yavrulardan ise eş zamanlı kontrol grupları belirlendi ve toplam 12 deney grubu oluşturuldu. Elde edilen beyin dokuları, Western blotting, elektron mikroskop ve immünohistokimya için alışılagelen yöntemler uygulanarak incelemeye alındı. Değerlendirmelerimiz sonucunda, embriyonel dönemde uygulanan hipobarik hipoksinin frontal alanda ve hipokampüs deki nöronlarda stres proteinlerinden olan HSP ve Hif1α yı artırdığı belirlendi. MBP ile yaptığımız değerlendirmede ise, ak maddede immünreaktivitenin azalması hipokside azalan kas aktivitelerinin bir göstergesi olarak kabul edildi. Hipoksi ve Gingko biloba etkinliğinin birlikte değerlendirildiği deney gruplarında verilerimiz, HSP ve Hif1α protein ekspresyonunda belirli bir süre uygulamaya koşut olumlu etkilerin görülebileceğini düşündürdü. İnce yapı düzeyinde hipoksi gruplarında eş zamanlı kontrol gruplarına karşın nöron hücre gövdelerinde izlenen yapısal değişimlerde, Gingko biloba nın geri dönüştürücü etkisi baskın olarak izlenmedi. Bunun yanı sıra hipokampüsde nörogenezde düzenleyici rolü olduğu düşünülen Chordin ve noogin proteinlerinin Western blott analizlerinde; Chordin proteininin ekspresyonu hipoksi gruplarında eş zamanlı kontrol gruplarına göre azalırken, Gingko biloba uygulanan gruplarda yalnızca hipoksi uygulanan gruplara göre artış gösterdiği saptandı. Noggin proteinlerinin ekpressyonu hem hipoksi uygulanan gruplarda hem de hipoksi+ Gingko biloba uygulanan gruplarda kontrol grubuna göre azaldığı belirlendi. Antioksidan uygulamanın noggin ekspresyonunu belirgin olarak etkilemediği izlendi. Yapılan değerlendirmeler sonucunda süreye koşut stres proteinlerinin ekspresyonunun artması Gingko biloba nın uzun süreli kullanımında daha etkin olabileceği yargısını uyandırdı.Brain is the most sensitive organ for distribution of oxygen and energy in the early development. Hence, the most significant cause of the brain abnormality seen in fetus and new-born is hypoxia occurred during pregnancy. Babies whose mothers have diabetes, chronic hypertension, sickle-cell anemia, asthma or are drug addict are subjected to chronic hypoxia. It is pointed out that these babies have intrauterin growth retardation, epilepsia after born, cerebral palys, learning difficulties, mental retardation, and disabilities in motor functions. Functional disabilities caused by hypoxia are the consequences of major structural damages occurred in fetus or new-borns brains. In our experiment, hypobaric hypoxia was generated in hypoxic camara by using gas mixture of 10% O2 an 90% N. Rats having vaginal plaque were excepted as they are on their 0. (zeroth) day of their pregnancy. On the 5th day (E5) of the pregnancy, they were put into hypoxic camara filled with the mixture of gas containing 10% O2 and were continuously held in there until the 15th day (E15) of the pregnancy. A group of male offsprings were assigned to be the group having only hypoxia and their brain tissues were taken out on 7., 14., 21. and 28. days after birth. For another group of male offsprings, 100 mg/kg Gingko Biloba were given by oral path at the same hour of everyday after birth and their brain tissues were taken out on 7., 14., 21. and 28. days after birth. Simultaneous control groups containing male offsprings born from pregnant rats lived in normal atmospheric pressure were assigned and 12 control groups were generated totally. Acquired brain tissues were investigated by using usual techniques such as Western blot analysis, immunohistochemical analysis and electron microscopy. In conclusion of our study, it is revealed that hypobaric hypoxia applied in embryological process increases HSP and Hif1α, stress proteins in neurons, at frontal area and hypocampus. In an evaluation performed with MBP, decreasing in immunoreactivity of white matter was accepted to be a indicator of decreased muscle activity in hypoxia. Experiment groups in which hypoxia and Gingko biloba activity were evaluated together, our data revealed that with a definite period of application, both hypoxia and Gingko biloba have parallel positive effects on HSP and Hif1α protein expression. In ultrastructural level, the reverse conversion effect of Gingko biloba on the structural changes observed in neuron cell bodies was not dominantly observed at hypoxia groups despite in simultaneous control groups. In addition Chordin and Noggin, protein which thought to be regulatory role in neurogenesis, in Western blot analysises of hypocampus; Chordin protein is decreased at hypoxia groups compared to simultaneous control groups, it is determined that expression of Chordin proteins increased at Ginkgo biloba apply group when only compared to hypoxia groups. It is also determined that expression of Noggin proteins decreased both at hypoxia groups and hypoxia+Gingko biloba apply groups compared to control groups. It is observed that antioxidant apply didnot affect significantly the expression of Noggin protein. Increased expression of stress proteins as time progresses, has shown that Gingko biloba can be more effective in the long-term use

The effect of systemic rifampicin treatment on inferior alveolar nerve regeneration in rats following crush injury

Axonal regeneration of the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) is a therapeutic target for functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. Rifampicin exerts anti-apoptotic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant effects on nerve tissues that may enhance functional recovery after peripheral nerve injury. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the therapeutic effects of systemic rifampicin following IAN crush injury. Following the nerve crush injuries of the IAN, 24 Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups to receive daily intraperitoneal injections of either vehicle, 5 mg kg(-1) rifampicin, or 20 mg kg(-1) rifampicin. Twenty-four days after induction of nerve injuries, Fluorogold (FG) was injected over the mental foramen for the evaluation of neuronal survival. At the end of the four-week period, histologic and histomorphometric examination of IAN samples were performed and FG positive cells were counted in the trigeminal ganglion sections. FG positive cells were significantly more frequent in the 20 and 5 mg kg(-1) rifampicin groups than in the vehicle-treated group. Electron microscopic analyses revealed that the percentage of axons with optimum g-ratio was significantly lower in the vehicle group than in both treatment groups. In conclusion, systemic rifampicin treatment can enhance peripheral nerve regeneration.Turkish Academy of Science

Cranial MRI abnormalities and long-term follow-up of the lesions in 770 girls with Central Precocious Puberty.

Context: Central precocious puberty (CPP) may arise from central nervous system (CNS) lesions in a few affected girls. Recently, the incidence of girls with CPP has increased mostly in 6-8 year olds, in whom the necessity of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is debated