Effect of L-Dopa on Carboplatin Induced Hepatotoxicity

Carboplatin is an alkylating antineoplastic drug. Although carboplatin induces apoptosis in rapidly dividing cells like cisplatin, it has fewer side effects. The use of platinum compounds as antineoplastic agents at high doses causes hepatotoxicity, which is important in dose regulation. Levodopa is used as a precursor for dopamine synthesis in the brain in the treatment of Parkinson%252339%253Bs disease. Dopamine synthesized in the liver from levodopa cannot cross the blood-brain barrier. There are studies suggesting that dopamine may have a protective effect on hepatocytes. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the cytoprotective effect of levodopa in cell damage induced by carboplatin in the liver cell line. Cell viability was evaluated by MTT test by exposing AML-12 hepatocyte cells to the combination of Carboplatin, L-DOPA and Carboplatin %2B L-DOPA for 24 hours (0, 3.13, 6.25, 12.5, 25, 50 ,100 micro%253BM) has been left. The LD50 value of carboplatin was determined as 62.65 micro%253BM. The LD50 values of the combination of L-DOPA and carboplatin %2B L-DOPA were higher in the tested dose range. The cytotoxic effect of carboplatin on the AML-12 cell line was determined by the increasing LD50 value, which was statistically significantly reduced when combined with levodopa. Further studies are needed to explain the mechanism of action

Improving the impact resistance of recycled aggregate concretes with different types of fibers

In this study, the aim was to use different types of fibers to improve the impact resistance of recycled aggregate concrete (RAC) that normally shows poor performance against mechanical impacts compared to normal concrete (NC). For this purpose, 18 groups of concrete were cast using different parameters. The study examined different types of concrete mixtures where the proportion of RCA (recycled coarse aggregate) used was 30% and 50% respectively, and where steel fiber-reinforcement was used in proportions of 1% and 2%, and polypropylene fiber-reinforcement was used in proportions of 0.1%. While the material performance of RAC compared to NC is analyzed in existing published literature, there is no evidence on whether the use of RCA and hybrid fibers affect the impact properties of concrete. Drop weight impact testing was conducted on test specimens and the impact resistance of these specimens was studied at 28 days. It was observed that the increasing use of RCA reduced the impact resistance. The use of 30% RCA does not significantly influence the strength of concrete. According to the results, the performance of both the NC and RAC was increased with an increase in the volume fractions of steel fiber used. In addition, hybrid fiber-reinforced concretes showed the best results of all the concrete groups

Clinical course and signs in patients with uveitis associated with ankylosing spondylitis

Aim: To evaluate clinical course and signs in patients withuveitis associated ankylosing spondylitis (AS).Methods: In this retrospective study we evaluated thepatients who were diagnosed as uveitis related to AS andfollowed up at the Ophthalmology Department of NecmettinErbakan University Hospital between May 2009 andJune 2012. Demographical features and clinical courseswere assessed.Results: Seventeen eyes of 13 patients were includedin the study. Nine patients (69.2%) were male and four(30.8%) were female. The mean age at presentation was38.54±9.61 years (range 28-63). Bilateral involvementwas observed in four (30.8%) patients. The mean followuptime was 17.46±11.86 months (range 3-36). The meannumber of attacks was 1.15±0.37 (range 1-2). Posteriorsegment manifestation accompanied anterior uveitis inthree eyes (17.6%). Posterior synechia developed in one(7.7%) and cataract in one patient (7.7%), cystoid macularedema in two patients (15.4%), and epiretinal membranein one patient (%7.7). The mean final visual acuitywas 0.975±0.07 (range 0.2-1.0).Conclusion: The prognosis of anterior uveitis associatedwith AS is good if the treatment is administered at theappropriate time. However, the posterior segment complicationsmay develop in these patients, treatment andfollow-up should be done in co-operation with the departmentof rheumatology.Key words: Ankylosing spondylitis, uveitis, rheumatology,clinical cours

MİSİNA İPİNİN BETONUN MEKANİK ÖZELLİKLERİ ÜZERİNE ETKİSİ

In this study, the mechanical properties of concrete,  one of the composite materials widely used for the construction sector in the world, with adding monofilament fishing line that can be used in many different areas has been investigated. It was investigated whether or not the monofilament fishing line could be considered as the structural fiber. In order to determine the mechanical properties of fibrous concrete split tensile, compressive, and flexural strength tests were performed. As polypropylene fiber and polyamide-based fibers available from the market, nylon-based monofilament fishing line was added at 0,5%, 1,0% and 1,5% by volume. Experimental results showed that the use of monofilament fishing line as a structural fiber were possible and showed a similar effect as the other structural fibers. As a result of the experiments compared to the plain concrete, it was found that adding 0,5% monofilament fishing line increasing the compressive strength and flexural strength by 19% and 26% respectively. While adding 1,0% monofilament fishing line increased the split tensile strength by 23%. As a result, monofilament fishing line which can remain intact for many years in nature could be evaluated as structural fiber

Investigation of miR221 and miR222 as biomarkers in non-small cell lung cancer

Background/Aim: MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small non-coding RNAs of 18-25 nucleotides, which regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by disrupting or blocking translation of messenger RNA targets. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) represents approximately 85% of all lung cancers. Early and accurate diagnosis of the disease affects the probability of success of treatment. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression levels of serum specific miRNA221 and miRNA222 as a biomarker in NSCLC. Materials and Methods: Thirty-two NSCLC cases and 30 healthy control cases that were diagnosed at Istanbul Yedikule Chest Diseases and Thoracic Surgery Training Hospital were included in this study. miRNAs were detected using miRNAspecific quantitative real-time-PCR. The relative expression of miRNAs was calculated using the 2-ccCt method. Results: miR221 and miR222 showed 1.46 and 1.63-fold higher expression in the samples from patients with NSCLC compared to controls, and the difference of expression was statistically significant for miR221 (p=0.000095) but not for miR222 (p=0.084470). In the presence of metastasis in NSCLC patients, miR221 levels were 2.33-fold higher compared to non-metastatic cases (p=0.014), and those of miR221 and miR222 were expressed 1.44 and 1.52-fold higher, respectively, in advanced stage compared to early stage (p=0.000387, p=0.000302). Conclusion: The levels of miR221 and miR222 in the serum of patients could be used as biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of NSCLC.Istanbul Universit

Nanočestice L-glutaminske kiseline-g-polihidroksietilnoga metakrilata – akutna i subakutna toksičnost i bioraspodjela u miševa

The aim of this safety study in mice was to determine in vivo toxicity and biodistribution potential of a single and multiple doses of L-glutamic acid-g-p(HEMA) polymeric nanoparticles as a drug delivery system. The single dose did not cause any lethal effect, and its acute oral LD50 was >2.000 mg/kg body weight (bw). Multiple doses (25, 50, or 100 mg/kg bw) given over 28 days resulted in no significant differences in body and relative organ weights compared to control. These results are supported by biochemical and histological findings. Moreover, nanoparticle exposure did not result in statistically significant differences in micronucleus counts in bone marrow cells compared to control. Nanoparticle distribution was time-dependent, and they reached the organs and even bone marrow by hour 6, as established by ex vivo imaging with the IVIS® spectrum imaging system. In conclusion, L-glutamic acid-g-p(HEMA) polymeric nanoparticles appear biocompatible and have a potential use as a drug delivery system.Cilj je ovoga istraživanja bio utvrditi in vivo toksičnost i raspodjelu jednokratne i višekratnih doza polimernih nanočestica L-glutaminske kiseline-g-p(HEMA) u funkciji isporuke lijekova. Jednokratna oralna doza nije prouzročila smrtnost, a akutni LD50 iznosio je >2,000 mg/kg tjelesne težine. Višekratne oralne dnevne doze od 25 mg, 50 mg i 100 mg/kg tjelesne težine, davane 28 dana, nisu dovele do značajnih razlika u ukupnoj tjelesnoj i relativnoj težini organa u usporedbi s kontrolnom skupinom. Ove rezultate potvrđuju biokemijski i histološki nalazi. Izloženost nanočesticama nije uzrokovala statistički značajne razlike u broju mikronukleusa u stanicama koštane srži miševa u odnosu na kontrolu. Raspodjela nanočestica u tijelu mijenjala se s vremenom, a nanočestice bi doprle u organe, pa i u koštanu srž, unutar prvih šest sati od primitka doze, što je utvrđeno ex vivo snimkama dobivenim pomoću sustava IVIS® Spectrum. Naši rezultati upućuju na to da su polimerne nanočestice L-glutaminske kiseline-g-p(HEMA) biokompatibilne i imaju potencijala za primjenu kao sustav isporuke lijekova

Wave propagation and acoustic band gaps of two-dimensional liquid crystal/solid phononic crystals

The vast majority of acoustic wave propagation in phononic band studies has been usually carried out by scattering inclusions embedded in a viscoelastic medium, such as air or water. In this study, we present calculated band structure results for the two-dimensional square array geometry of a solid cylindrical scatterer surrounded by a liquid crystal (LC) matrix. Liquid crystals provide a unique combination of liquid-like and crystal-like properties as well as anisotropic properties. The purpose of using LC material is to take advantage of longitudinal acoustic waves propagating parallel () and perpendicular (⊥) to the nematic liquid crystal (NLC) director n. The compound used in this study was a room temperature NLC, called 5CB (4-pentyl-4′-cyanobiphenyl). The acoustic band structure of a two-dimensional phononic crystal containing a 5CB NLC and lithium tantalate was investigated by the plane wave expansion method. The theoretical results show that the solid/LC system can be tuned in a favorable configuration for adjusting or shifting acoustic band gaps. © 2016, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Band gap structure of elliptic rods in water for a 2D phononic crystal

The propagation of acoustic waves in two-dimensional sonic crystals (SC) is studied theoretically. Effects of elliptical rod orientations on the acoustic band gaps in periodic arrays of rigid solid rods embedded in a polar liquid are investigated. We have found that the pass bands and forbidden bands of the sonic crystals can be changed by utilizing the rotational anisotropy of the structure factor at different rotation angles of the scatterers. The plane wave expansion (PWE) method is used to calculate the band structure. The variation of the absolute band gap was also investigated as a function of any filling fraction at a fixed orientation of the elliptical columns. The gap-tuning effect can be controlled by the rotational asymmetry and eccentricity of the scatterers. © 2017, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

Repression of the Notch pathway prevents liver damage in streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice

Introduction. Sunitinib is an oral inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor that is used to treat a variety of cancer. There are limited data regarding the effect of sunitinib on diabetes. In the liver, Notch signaling plays an important role in liver tissue development and homeostasis and its dysfunction is associated with liver pathol­ogies. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effects of sunitinib on streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic liver in mice models. Material and methods. An experimental diabetes mellitus (DM) model was created in 28 male CD-1 mice. Twenty-eight male CD-1 mice divided in four groups (n = 7 each) were used; control mice (C), control mice treated with sunitinib (C + S), diabetic mice (DM), and diabetic mice treated with sunitinib (DM + S) for four weeks. The histopathological changes in the liver were examined by histochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Immunoreactivity of Notch1, Jagged1, DLL-1 and VEGF were evaluated in control and diabetic mice after sunitinib treatment. Results. The significant morphological changes in the liver were mostly seen in hepatocytes that were hyper­trophied in the DM mice, with an increased amount of eosinophilic granules; moreover, some hepatocytes contained empty vacuole-like structures. The livers of the DM mice revealed increased deposition of collagen fibers. After sunitinib treatment the hepatocytes and hepatic lobules had almost similar morphology to control mice. The immunoreactivities of Notch1, Jagged1, DLL-1 and VEGF in hepatocytes were significantly lower in the DM group when compared with the C, DM + S and C + S group treated with sunitinib. Conclusions. These results suggest that sunitinib effectively protects the liver from diabetes-induced damage through the inhibition of the Notch pathway