EFFICACY OF HOT WATER AND CHEMICAL SEED TREATMENTS ON BACTERIAL SPECK OF TOMATO IN TURKEY

WOS: 000436522600071Bacterial speck, caused by Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato (Pst), is an economically important disease of tomato, that causes yield loss of marketable fruit. Management of bacterial speck is a challenge in commercial nurseries, fields or greenhouses. This is due to the limited efficacy of current disease management strategies, since the pathogen acquires resistance to antibiotics and copper-based compounds in Turkey. The pathogen is seed- borne and no disease resistant tomato cultivars are commercially available. Therefore, it is essential to develop alternative disease control strategies. In this study, physical and chemical seed treatments that provide disease suppression were assayed individually or combined under climatic conditions and the colonization ability ofPseudomonas syringae pv. tomato on/in inoculated seeds was compared with untreated seeds. All seed treatments significantly reduced the Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato population on seeds and significantly decreased disease incidence and disease severity. Mean bacterial populations on the plate dilutions was diminished up to 100% in hot water treated tomato seeds. The efficacies of treatments on disease incidence and severity provide evidence of significance and greater than 57%. Treatments did not significantly affect seed germination and seed germination ranged from 76% to 91%. Based on our results, we recommend that hot water seed treatment be used to combat bacterial speck as a first step of disease management in nurseries.Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects UnitErciyes University [FBA-2016-6457]Acknowledgements are extended to Assoc Prof Dr Zeki Gokalp (Certified English Translator and an expert in Biosystems Engineering) for his critical reading and thorough syntactic corrections of the manuscript. This study was partially founded by Erciyes University Scientific Research Projects Unit (Grant no: FBA-2016-6457)

Effects of homocysteine on adipocyte differentiation and CD36 gene expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes

Demir, Selim/0000-0002-1863-6280WOS: 000377699100007PubMed: 26691520The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of homocysteine (Hcy), a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke and obesity, on expression of CD36 that regulates uptake of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) by adipocytes and differentiation of 3T3-L1 cells to adipocytes. Cell viability was determined using MTT assay, and density of triglycerides were measured with Oil Red O staining. the expression levels of CD36 were analyzed using SYBR green assay by quantitative RT-PCR. Our results showed that the addition of Hcy inhibited differentiation of 3T3-L1 preadipocytes in a dose-dependent manner without a significant cell toxicity (p 0.05) compared to differentiated adipocytes. Hcy reduced adipocyte differentiation, but had no effect on the expression level of CD36 in vitro conditions. the effect of Hcy on uptake and clearance of Ox-LDL by adipose tissue now needs to be investigated in vivo.Karadeniz Technical University Research FundThis study was supported by the Karadeniz Technical University Research Fund

The effects of apelin on myometrium contractions in pregnant rats

Serhatlioglu, Ihsan/0000-0002-2384-7971; Kutlu, Selim/0000-0001-9257-4797WOS: 000444259700013PubMed: 30213292Apelin, which is a new hormone, is secreted especially in the brain by hypothalamus as well as by many other organs like the stomach, fat tissue, and the heart. For apelin, whose possible effects on many bodily functions like the endocrine system, cardiovascular system and metabolic activities are still under investigation, the reproductive system is also an important target area. the purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of plasma apelin levels in rats that were in diestrus, pregnancy and lactation periods, and to examine its possible effects on myometrium contractions of pregnant rats and non-pregnant rats that were in diestrus period. the plasma apelin concentrations in female adult Wistar rats were determined with the ELISA method in the diestrus period, and on the 12th, 18th, and 21st days of the pregnancy, and on the 2nd and 10th days of lactation (n=7 for each group). in addition, the effect of apelin at 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 mu M doses on isometric contractions in the rat uterus on the 21st day of pregnancy and in diestrus period was tested by using isolated organ bath. This protocol was repeated under conditions that were pre-treated with protein kinase C inhibitor in calcium-free medium, and the possible effect of apelin on contractions and the mechanisms that might mediate this effect were investigated. When plasma apelin levels were compared with the rats in diestrus period, the apelin concentrations in the 21-day pregnancy group were high at a significant level (p<0.05); and low at a significant level in the 2-day lactation group (p<0.05). in myometrium contraction trials, it was observed that apelin induced the contractions. Apelin increased the frequency of the myometrium contractions at a significant level when applied at 1 mu M and 10 mu M concentrations (p<0.05 and p<0.001). Only after the apelin application at 10 mu M concentration did the amplitude of the contractions increase at a significant level (p<0.01). in the myometrium of the rats that were on the 21st day of pregnancy, the frequency of the contractions was statistically significant at 0.1 mu M, 1 mu M and 10 mu M doses (p<0.01). in addition, the amplitude of the contractions increased at a statistically significant level at 1 mu M and 10 mu M dose application (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). the apelin application induced the contractions in calcium-free medium. When apelin was applied after the pre-application with protein kinase C inhibitor, no contractions were observed. the present study showed that apelin levels were increased at the end of pregnancy in rats, and the hormone induced the uterus contractions. This effect does not occur with protein kinase C inhibitor and in calcium-free medium, which shows that protein kinase C pathway might play a role in these mechanism. These findings show that apelin might be an endogenous peptide that plays a role on uterine contractions at birth in rats.[FUBAP-1963]This work was supported by FUBAP-1963

Serum carbonic anhydrase I and II autoantibodies in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia

Demir, Selim/0000-0002-1863-6280;WOS: 000456093400006PubMed: 30588172Cancer is the second most important cause of mortality, and millions of people either have or have had the disease. Leukaemia is one of the most common forms of cancer. Autoantibodies that have developed against the organism's self-antigens are detected in the sera of subjects with cancer. in recent years carbonic anhydrase (CA) autoantibodies have been determined in some autoimmune diseases and carcinomas, but the mechanisms underlying this immune response have not yet been fully explained. the purpose of this study was to determine CA I and II autoantibodies in subjects with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) and to provide a novel perspective regarding the autoimmune basis of the disease. Autoantibody levels were investigated using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum samples from 37 patients with CLL and 37 healthy peers. Anti-CA I titres in the CLL group were significantly higher compared with the control group (p = 0.0001). However, there was no significant difference between CLL and control groups in terms of anti-CA II titres (p = 0.278). the prevalences of CA I and II autoantibodies in patients with CLL in this study were 27% and 24.3%, respectively. Our results suggest that these autoantibodies may be involved in the pathogenesis of CLL. More extensive studies are now needed to reveal the entire mechanism

Circulating parameters of oxidative stress and hypoxia in normal pregnancy and HELLP syndrome

Demir, Selim/0000-0002-1863-6280WOS: 000451837100015PubMed: 30129291Background. the HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) is a complication of severe pre-eclampsia, a condition characterized by oxidative stress elevation caused by disequilibrium between lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defense mechanisms, which, in turn, results in endothelial compromise and free radical-mediated cell damage. While several studies have examined the relationship between pre-eclampsia and oxidative stress, research investigating oxidative and hypoxic status in HELLP syndrome is limited. Objectives. the aim of this study was to compare the levels of oxidative stress markers - total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and malondialdehyde (MDA) - and a hypoxia marker- carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) - in patients with HELLP syndrome and in healthy pregnant women. Material and methods. A total of 23 women with HELLP syndrome and 30 healthy pregnant women were included in the study. Serum levels of oxidative stress markers were determined using colorimetric methods, while serum levels of CA IX were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit. Results. the TOS, OSI, MDA, and CA IX levels were significantly higher in women with HELLP syndrome than in the controls (p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001, p = 0.0001, and p = 0.008, respectively). Conclusions. Increased levels of oxidative stress and hypoxia markers in women with HELLP syndrome suggest that oxidative stress and hypoxia may be significantly involved in the pathophysiology of the disease. Furtherfollow-up studies are now needed to investigate the prognostic roles of these parameters in patients with HELLP syndrome

Detection of autoantibodies against carbonic anhydrase I and II in the plasma of patients with gastric cancer

Demir, Selim/0000-0002-1863-6280WOS: 000401601400009PubMed: 28680333Cancer is the second leading cause of death and gastric cancer is the fourth most common cancer type worldwide. Investigation of autoantibodies in cancer patients has been a popular research area in recent years. the aim of the current study was to investigate carbonic anhydrase I and II (CA I and II) autoantibodies in the plasma of subjects with gastric cancer based on the information and considerations of autoimmune relation of gastric cancer. Anti-CA I and II antibody levels were investigated by ELISA in plasma samples of fifty two patients with gastric cancer and thirty five healthy peers. Anti-CA I and II antibody titers of the gastric cancer group were significantly higher compared with the control group (p = 0.004, p = 0.0001, respectively). Plasma anti-CA I levels of the metastatic group were lower than the non-metastatic group and this difference was found statistically significant (p < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference between plasma anti-CA II levels of the groups. CA I and II autoantibody titers in patients with gastric cancer were found higher compared to healthy subjects and the results suggest that these autoantibodies may be involved in the pathogenesis of gastric cancer