Relationship between 1,25‑dihydroxy Vitamin D levels and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance values in obese subjects

Aim: In this study, our aim is to evaluate the insulin resistance and quality of life in obese subjects and nonobese subjects and to find out the Vitamin D (VD) status and correlations between obesity and control groups and also according to their quality of life scores.Materials and Method: The study was carried out between May and October 2013 which is the period of VD synthesis in Turkey. The participants of this study were volunteering individuals – obese and nonobese individuals defined according to the body mass index (BMI) – that did not receive any VD support in the last 1‑year and did not have any known chronic diseases. 1,25‑OH VD status and homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA‑IR) values were evaluated.Results: The study population consisted of 39 individuals with normal weight (23 women, 16 men) and 66 individuals categorized as obese (51 women, 15 men). The difference in HOMA‑IR and VD values between the group of obese individuals and the group of nonobese individuals was significant (P < 0.001 vs. P <0.001). The median value of HOMA‑IR was higher in the obese group than in the nonobese group (P < 0.001) while the median value of VD was higher in the nonobese group than in the obese group (P < 0.001). The results regarding the relationship of BMI with HOMA‑IR and VD show that there was a positive correlation between HOMA‑IR and BMI (rs = 0.507; P < 0.001) and there was a negative correlation between HOMA‑IR and VD (rs = −0.316; P = 0.0001).Conclusion: Given serious diseases associated with low serum VD levels such as diabetes and cardiovascular disorders as well as low side effect incidence and low cost of VD treatment, it would be a reasonable approach to identify routine serum 25(OH) D and/or 1,25‑OH VD levels of obese patients and administer a treatment to patients with low levels of VD.Key words: 1,25‑OH Vitamin D, insulin resistance, obesit

Antecedents of Expatriate Spouse Adjustment: An Analysis of Japanese Spouses in the United States

This is one of the first studies investigating factors related to the adjustment of expatriate spouses. The study extends, both conceptually and methodologically, the limited research on spouse adjustment by testing the effects of language profciency and educational level on adjustment. Furthermore, it is the first study to survey non US respondents in their native language. In the end, we found that time since arrival, educational level, language proficiency, and willingness to communicate are directly related to spouse adjustment

A randomized placebo-controlled trial of mebendazole for halitosis

Objective: To test whether mebendazole, an antiparasitic drug, would affect recovery from halitosis. Design: We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial between April 1999 and September 2001. Setting: A referral medical center. Patients: One hundred sixty-two children aged 5 to 16 years whose parents complained about their chronic bad breath. Interventions: Children were randomly assigned to receive mebendazole (n = 82) or placebo (n = 80). Main Outcome Measure: Parents whose children had halitosis were evaluated for halitosis at 2 months of treatment by questionnaire. The microbiologist investigated the stool samples of children for parasitosis at the beginning of the trial and also at the end of the trial in children who were treated with mebendazole. Results: Among those children who had evidence of parasites in stool samples at the beginning of the trial, 18 of 28 who were treated with mebendazole recovered from halitosis, compared with 2 of 24 who received placebo (relative risk [RR] for recovery, 7.7; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.0-29.9). Among those who did not have stool parasites, 14 of 52 improved with mebendazole, compared with 10 of 48 taking placebo (RR, 1.3; 95% CI, 0.6-2.6). Mebendazole intake made a significant difference whether or not the children had parasites (P=.002). Conclusions: Parasitosis should be considered as a possible cause of halitosis in the pediatric patient population. Mebendazole therapy seems to offer benefit to those children with parasites as a potential cause of their halitosis

Excessive dietary fructose is responsible for lipid peroxidation and steatosis in the rat liver tissues

Objective: Drinking large amounts of carbonated beverage is associated with increased risk for obesity and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Fructose is found in many fruits, vegetables, honey and in soft drinks, such as high fructose corn syrup. Excessive fructose consumption can adversely affect liver metabolism and increase lipid peroxidation, and this plays a role in the pathology associated with fructose feeding. Material and Methods: The present study reports the effects of high-fructose diet (10% and 20% in the drinking water) on the liver lipid peroxidation of rats. At the end of the experiment, biochemical evaluation of plasma and histopathological evaluation of liver tissue were performed. Results: Enhanced thiobarbituric acid-reactant substance levels and abnormal lipid changes were observed in high-fructose-fed rats. In 10% fructose-fed group, the most consistent findings in the histologic sections of liver tissues were the hepatocellular degenerative changes, minimal macrovesicular and microvesicular steatosis in zone 1. In the 20% fructose-fed group, the trabecular liver structure was more seriously affected than the 10% fructose-fed group. High fructose-induced degenerative changes were evident in numerous hepatocytes of zone 1; the cells were enlarged and had a light and foamy cytoplasm filled with vacuoles. Conclusion: Our study suggests that fructose feeding is associated with lipid peroxidation and steatosis in liver and the dose of fructose is associated with the degree of tissue damage. Copyright © 2007 by Türkiye Klinikleri

Treatment of intracoronary thrombus using tirofiban in a patient with normal coronary arteries

We report a 64-year-old Turkish man who presented with unstable angina pectoris. Coronary angiography revealed massive intracoronary thrombus, which completely occluded the distal part of the left circumflex coronary artery. The thrombotic segment and the rest of the coronary tree were free of atherosclerosis. The patient was treated with intravenous tirofiban, a glycoprotein IIb/IIIa inhibitor. A control angiography was performed one week later and showed total dissolution of the thrombus with tirofiban therapy. Copyright © 2004 by the Japanese Heart Journal

Caffeic acid phenethyl ester improves oxidative organ damage in rat model of thermal trauma

Severe burn injuries cause functional impairment in distant internal organs. Although this mechanism is not clear, it is possible that free radical toxicity plays an important role. Research in animals and clinical studies have shown that there is a close relationship between a lipid peroxidative reaction and secondary pathological changes following thermal injury. It has been demonstrated that antioxidant treatment prevents oxidative tissue damage associated with thermal trauma. This study was designed to determine the possible protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) treatment against oxidative damage in the kidney and lung induced by thermal injury. Rats were decapitated either 1, 3 or 7 days after burn injury. CAPE was administered intraperitoneally immediately after thermal injury. Kidney and lung tissues were taken for the determination of malondialdehyde (MDA) level, myeloperoxidase (MPO), catalase (CAT), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and xanthine oxidase (XO) activities. Severe skin thermal injury caused a significant decrease in SOD and CAT activities, as well as significant increases in MDA level, XO and MPO activities in tissues during the postburn period. Treatment of rats with CAPE (10 µmol/kg) significantly elevated the decreased SOD and CAT activities, while it decreased MDA levels and MPO as well as XO activity