The effect of an H-2-receptor antagonist on small-bowel colonization and bacterial translocation in newborn rats

Bacterial translocation (BT) is defined as the passage of enteric bacteria from the gastrointestinal tract to extraintestinal tissues. Bacterial overgrowth is one of the main promoting factors of BT, which is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of sepsis and necrotizing enterocolitis. It is believed that small-bowel colonization is established by bacterial spread through the rectum. Gastric acid is also involved in this process. An experimental study was designed for investigating the effect of gastric acid inhibition with the use of an H-2-receptor antagonist on intestinal colonization and BT in newborn rats. Animals were divided into two groups: the ranitidine group (n = 20) received ranitidine 10 mg/kg per day intramuscularly for 5 days; the control group (n = 30) received saline solution, Mesenteric lymph node, spleen, liver, stomach, small bowel/cecum, and large bowel specimens were obtained from each rat 5 days later and gram-negative and -positive aerobic bacteria identified by the use of chocolate and Endo agar. It is concluded that: (1) there was a strong correlation between gastric and small-bowel bacterial colonization in the ranitidine group; (2) no correlation between large-and small-bowel colonization could be demonstrated; and (3) BT occurred only in the ranitidine group

The protective role of melatonin in experimental hypoxic brain damage

Background: It is known that oxygen-derived free radicals play an important role in the pathogenesis of brain injury. Melatonin is a powerful scavenger of the oxygen free radicals. In this study, the protective effect of melatonin against the damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species during brain hypoxia was investigated in newborn rats using biochemical parameters

Phase II study of lapatinib in combination with vinorelbine in patients with HER2 positive recurrent or metastatic breast cancer: A multicentric Turkish Oncology Group (TOG) trial

Background: The aim of this explorative phase II study was to evaluate the activity and safety of lapatinib in combination with intravenous vinorelbine in women with HER2 positive metastatic or recurrent breast cancer