The effects of high dose progesterone on neural tube development in early chick embryos

Background: Although folic acid deficiency is known to be one of the factors in the development of spina bifida and other neural tube defects (NTD) the exact pathophysiology still remains unclear. Progesterone is an endogenous hormone which increases significantly during pregnancy. Aims: We aimed to study the possible negative effects of high dose progesterone on neural tube development in early chick embryos. In order to test our hypothesis, early chick embryos were exposed to physiological saline, normal and high doses of progesterone. Settings and Design: 160 fertile, specific pathogen free white leghorn eggs (Gallus gallus), all at stage eight of development were divided into four equal groups. Materials and Methods: The first group was incubated without any operation. The second group was injected with physiological saline. The third and fourth groups were injected with two and twenty times more than physiologic doses of progesterone respectively. After 48 hours of incubation, all embryos were analyzed for the presence of NTDs under light microscopy. Statistical Analysis Used: None. Results: At 48 hours of incubation, 84% (135/160) of the embryos passed characteristics of Stage 12 development and were included to the study. None of the eggs in the first three groups showed NTDs, whereas 81.8% (27/33) of the eggs in the fourth group showed NTDs. Conclusions: Our study showed that progesterone at levels twenty times more than its physiologic level might cause NTDs. Further studies are needed to explain the mechanisms of this teratogenic effect

Polymorphism of endothelial nitric oxide synthase gene in patients with erectile dysfunction

Introduction. Endothelial-derived nitric oxide (NO), which is produced by endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) in response to increased blood flow, maintains the tumescence phase of erection. The eNOS gene is located on the seventh somatic chromosome and the polymorphism of this gene has been reported to cause changes in the structure of enzyme system, resulting in disturbance of its activity

The function of obesity related miR223-3p as a potential biomarker for weight loss prediction following bariatric surgery

The objective was to determine how miRNA expression levels related to obesity and weight loss interacted, to forecast how much weight patients could lose after surgery, and to maximize the advantages of a scheduled procedure. 17 patients who planned laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy were included. Demographic variables, comorbid conditions, and postoperative excess weight loss rates (EWL%) were evaluated. Both intraoperative adipose tissue samples and blood samples were taken. The gene expression levels of the miRNAs (miR27b-3p, miR122- 5p, and miR223-3p) linked to diabetes and obesity were investigated. Mean body mass index was 49.17.6 kg/m2. Six individuals had diabetes mellitus, and their mean blood sugar and HbA1c levels were 133±59.4 mg/dl and 6.4±1.3%, respectively. All preoperative groups had considerably higher levels of miR223-3p expression, it was discovered. Blood samples taken before and after surgery showed considerably higher levels of miR223-3p gene expression than those of miR27b-3p and miR122-5p. Additionally, it was discovered that in individuals with diabetes mellitus, miR122-5p gene expression in fatty tissue was lower than that of miR223-3p and miR27b-3p. MiR223-3p expression has been linked to morbidly obese patients, particularly those with EWLs of 50% and above. After bariatric surgery, the miR223-3p gene may be utilized as a potential biomarker to predict a patient's capacity to lose weight. It is possible to identify patients who will not benefit from surgery and decide to perform a different kind of operation on them. However, additional research involving more patients, additional miRNAs, and various bariatric surgery techniques is required. [Med-Science 2023; 12(2.000): 557-61