The levels of oxidative stress biomarkers of liver and mammary tissues of apparently mice.

Objective: In the present study, the levels of antioxidant systems such as glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione-S-transferase (GST) and, also reduced glutathione (GSH) in liver and breast tissues were examined in order to obtain basal data for subsequent toxicological investigations. Additionally, the level of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (TBARS) was measured in liver and breast tissues as an index of lipid peroxidation. Materials and Methods: Sixty-six apparently healthy mice (36 male, 30 female) had normal liver and breast tissues (histopathological data) were taken into the study. The tissues were homogenised with ice-cold 1.15 % KCI. The activities of antioxidant enzymes, the levels of GSH and TBARS were measured as spectrophotometric in the supernatant obtained from centrifugation at 14.000 rpm. Results: The levels of antioxidant systems and TBARS in liver were significantly higher than those found in breast tissue of female and male mice (P 0.05). On the other hand, the levels of CAT, SOD, GST, GSH and TBARS in male liver except G6PDH enzyme were higher than female liver (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Results suggest that antioxidant defense of the liver tissue was higher compared to breast tissue possibly due to a compensatory response to various toxic substances in liver and thereby protects the cells against oxidative damage. [Cukurova Med J 2013; 38(1.000): 7-14

Head circumference measurement of urban children aged between 6 and 12 in Malatya, Turkey

Head circumference (HC) is one of the most significant findings in physical examination, especially in the evaluation of the development and early diagnosis of neurological disorders in children. In the standard charts for developmental evaluation of Turkish children, there is no HC reference values for children over 6 years of age. Since the HC standards show differences among races and generations, many researchers have obtained normal values for their own populations, and recommend periodic reevaluation of these standards. In this study, the HC of 1826 healthy children (945 male, 881 female) aged between 6 and 12 years was measured in order to establish the Turkish standards. The sample represented various socioeconomic levels in the city of Malatya, Turkey. The study was conducted in ten schools and measurements were done twice by a pediatrician and the mean was recorded. Charts and graphs for boys and girls were prepared separately. Results were compared to the values of other populations. HC values of Turkish children were similar to that of Irish children. The data obtained in this study may replace the Nelhaus criteria to be used in clinics. However, a more widespread study should be carried out by including children from different regions of Turkey. © 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved

A randomized pilot study of acupuncture treatment for primary dysmenorrhea

Conclusion: Acupuncture was as effective as NSAID therapy for patients with primary dysmenorrhea. Since this was a pilot study with a small sample size and short follow-up period, larger studies are needed to clarify the effect of acupuncture in the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved