Selenium alters the lipid content and protein profile of rat heart: an FTIR microspectroscopic study

Cardiovascular disease is one of the most important causes of morbidity and mortality in Western countries. In addition, it is well documented that selenium (Se) deficiency has been linked to cardiovascular diseases. This study was undertaken to present the effect of sodium selenite on left and right myocardia, and small veins of normal control rat heart at molecular level by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. The results mainly reveal that, Se treatment causes an increase in lipid content both in the saturated and unsaturated lipids, and an alteration in protein profile with a decrease in alpha-helix and an increase in beta-sheet structure of the rat heart which might be reflecting a slight subtoxic effect of selenium supplementation on normal rat heart at the dose used in this study.     

Education for expectant fathers in workplaces in Turkey

Worldwide, there is increasing recognition that if family and reproductive health programmes are to be successful, the involvement of men is essential. As part of the problem, men also have to be seen as part of the solution. The reality is that in many countries, including Turkey, men generally do not accompany their partners to health facilities for family planning, antenatal and postnatal services and are not expected to attend the labour or birth of their child. Workplace programmes are a potential strategy for meeting the reproductive health education needs of men in industrial cities such as Istanbul. This intervention study was developed to test the feasibility and effects of expanding a special programme for expectant fathers to large workplaces in Istanbul, with the aim of improving the health of Turkish families during the pregnancy, birth and newborn periods. The findings indicate that it is possible to train workplace physicians in Istanbul to conduct regular educational programmes for expectant fathers on reproductive health, and that such programmes may have beneficial effects, especially in the areas of pregnancy nutrition, exclusive breast-feeding, and support behaviours. Considering the difficulty of getting men to attend hospital or clinic-based educational programmes in large urban areas, bringing such training programmes to men at their places of work has the potential to be an important strategy. Given that large workplaces in Turkey already have full-time physicians charged with the duty of health education for employees, this is also a feasible strategy.     

Sex-related effects on diabetes-induced alterations in calcium release in the rat heart

The present study was designed to determine whether the properties of local Ca(2+) release and its related regulatory mechanisms might provide insight into the role of sex differences in heart functions of control and streptozotocin-induced diabetic adult rats. Left ventricular developed pressure, the rates of pressure development and decay (+/-dP/dt), basal intracellular Ca(2+) level ([Ca(2+)](i)), and spatiotemporal parameters of [Ca(2+)](i) transients were found to be similar in male and female control rats. However, spatiotemporal parameters of Ca(2+) sparks in cardiomyocytes isolated from control females were significantly larger and slower than those in control males. Diabetes reduced left ventricular developed pressure to a lower extent in females than in males, and the diabetes-induced depressions in both +dP/dt and -dP/dt were less in females than in males. Diabetes elicited a smaller reduction in the amplitude of [Ca(2+)](i) transients in females than in males, a smaller reduction in sarcoplasmic reticulum-Ca(2+) load, and less increase in basal [Ca(2+)](i). Similarly, the elementary Ca(2+) events and their control proteins were clearly different in both sexes, and these differences were more marked in diabetes. Diabetes-induced depression of the Ca(2+) spark amplitude was significantly less in females than in matched males. Levels of cardiac ryanodine receptors (RyR2) and FK506-binding protein 12.6 in control females were significantly higher than those shown in control males. Diabetes induced less RyR2 phosphorylation and FK506-binding protein 12.6 unbinding in females. Moreover, total and free sulfhydryl groups were significantly less reduced, and PKC levels were less increased, in diabetic females than in diabetic males. The present data related to local Ca(2+) release and its related proteins describe some of the mechanisms that may underlie sex-related differences accounting for females to have less frequent development of cardiac diseases.     

The role of gender differences in beta-adrenergic receptor responsiveness of diabetic rat heart

Since the mechanisms responsible for gender differences in cardiac contractile function have not been fully elucidated, we focused to determine the effect of gender difference on β-adrenergic receptors (β-ARs) signal transduction in ventricular cardiomyocytes from insulin-dependent diabetic (streptozotocin-induced) rats. Dose-response curves of left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) to isoproterenol (ISO) in females showed that there was only a ∼30% decrease in the maximum response without a significant shift in EC₅₀ in diabetic females. On the other hand, diabetes induced a clear rightward shift in the potency (5–10 folds) without a significant change in the maximum response in the males. In order to further determine of the underlying mechanism for this difference, we measured cAMP production and obtained dose-response curves with ISO stimulation in isolated cardiomyocytes. In diabetic females, there was no obvious change in the cAMP dose-response curve. On the other hand, there was a significant decrease in the maximum response without any apparent change in the potency of diabetic males. Our findings indicate that male and female rats are affected differently by diabetes in terms of LVDP responses to β-ARs stimulation. Also, the difference between their β-ARs induced cAMP responses may underlie this disparity.     

Gender related differential effects of Omega-3E treatment on diabetes-induced left ventricular dysfunction

The present study was designed to determine whether there are beneficial effects of intake of Ω-3E (containing 70% pure omega-3 and 2% natural vitamin E) in cardiac dysfunction of diabetic rats. We also examined whether there are gender-related differences in the responses to the intake of Ω-3E on the heart dysfunction. Experiments were performed by using Langendorff-perfused hearts from normal, diabetic (with 50 mg/kg streptozotocin), and Ω-3E (50 mg/kg body weight/day) treated diabetic 3-month-old Wistar rats. Ω-3E treatment of the diabetics caused small, but significant decrease (13% and 14% female versus male) in the blood glucose level. Ω-3E treatment of the diabetic female rats did not prevent diabetes-induced decrease in left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and increase in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) with respect to the control female rats. On the other hand, the treatment of diabetic male rats caused significant recovery in depressed LVDP. Furthermore, such treatment of diabetic female and male rats caused significant recovery in depressed rates of changes of developed pressure. This effect was more significant in males. Besides, Ω-3E caused significant further lengthening in the diabetes-induced increased time to the peak of the developed pressure in females, while it normalized the lengthening in the relaxation of the developed pressure in diabetic males. In addition, Ω-3E treatment caused significant restorations in the diabetes-induced altered activities of antioxidant enzymes without any significant gender discrepancy. Present data show that there are gender related differences in diabetic heart dysfunction and the response to antioxidant treatment.     

Clinicopathologic significance of eosinophilic pleural effusions in a population with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and cancer

OBJECTIVE: To reveal the diagnostic and prognostic significance of eosinophilic pleural effusions (EPEs) and assess their clinical implications. STUDY DESIGN: Seventy EPEs from 60 patients among 697 consecutive pleural effusions were investigated from 1996-2005 at Kocaeli University Hospital, Kocaeli, Turkey. Koss and Light's criteria were applied in the analysis, which comprised macroscopic, cytopathologic, biochemical and microbiologic examinations. RESULTS: Overall, cancerous underlying conditions were diagnosed in 22 patients (13 malignant and 9 paramalignant), 36.7% of EPEs. Benign causes were found in 43.3% (26 of 60) of the patients. Twelve pleural effusions (20.0%) were idiopathic. The comparison of pleural fluid and peripheral blood findings disclosed no significant difference among the various subgroups. CONCLUSION: EPE could be associated with inflammatory, benign, cancerous and paramalignant conditions. A closer search for a definite causes is warranted in the setting of EPEs, especially in populations with a high prevalence of tuberculosis and malignancy, such as in Kocaeli, Turkey, an industrial city in a developing country.     

Mitigation of salinity stress in cucumber seedlings by exogenous hydrogen sulfide

Journal of Plant Research - This research hypothesized that tolerance of cucumber seedlings to salinity stress could be increased by hydrogen sulfide (H2S) treatments. In pot experiments, the...     

The role of bronchial epithelial cell apoptosis in the pathogenesis of COPD

There is an increased airway inflammation in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and it has been suggested that there may also be problem in the apoptosis and renewal of cells. However, there are limited human airway cell studies, in particular those from larger airways such as bronchi. We cultured primary human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) from bronchial explants of smokers (n = 6) without COPD and smokers with COPD (n = 8). Apoptosis was studied by fluorescence activated cell sorting. qRT-PCR was used to assess mRNA expression for proteins involving apoptosis including p21^CIP1/WAF1, p53, caspase-8 and caspase-9. Although there was no difference in the rate of viable cells between cells from smokers and COPDs, the level of early apoptotic cells was significantly increased in COPD cells [mean ± standard error of mean (SEM) = 4.86 ± 3.2 %, p = 0.015] as compared to smokers (mean ± SEM = 2.71 ± 1.62 %). In contrast, the rate of late apoptotic cells was significantly decreased in COPD cells (mean ± SEM = 9.82 ± 5.71 %) comparing to smokers (mean ± SEM = 15.21 ± 5.08 %, p = 0.003). Although expression of mRNA for p21^CIP1/WAF1 and caspase-9 was similar in both groups, p53 and caspase-8 mRNA expression was significantly greater in COPD cells. These findings suggest that HBEC apoptosis is increased in COPD, and that this involves p53 and caspase-8 pathways.     

Postacute Effects of Kisspeptin‐10 on Neuronal Injury Induced by l‐Methionine in Rats

Apart from its effect on the regulation of reproductive function, recent studies indicate that kisspeptin may play roles in the antioxidant defense system. The antioxidant defense system and oxidative stress contribute to the etiology and pathogenesis of neuronal cell death after brain injury. We have investigated the postacute effect of kisspeptin‐10 on brain injury induced by l ‐methionine. DNA fragmentation, malondialdehyde (MDA), reduced glutathione levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities were analyzed. Our results showed that methionine treatment increases apoptotic cell death. Kisspeptin alone showed no side effect on apoptotic cell death. However, kisspeptin treatment reversed the proapoptotic effect of methionine associated with reduced MDA and increased glutathione levels. Furthermore, SOD activity was completely depleted in methionine‐treated animals. In conclusion, our results revealed that delayed kisspeptin‐10 treatment reduces neuronal cell death by activation of SOD activity.