Pretreatment with Proline or an Organic Bio-stimulant Induces Salt Tolerance in Wheat Plants by Improving Antioxidant Redox State and Enzymatic Activities and Reducing the Oxidative Stress

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - In this study, the effects of seed soaking in proline (12 mM) or Moringa oleifera leaf extract (MLE; 6%) on the biomass, yield, and the antioxidant...     

Is high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation of the left primary motor cortex superior to the stimulation of the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in fibromyalgia syndrome?

Objective: To investigate effectiveness of two different high-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) protocols on pain, fatigue, quality of life (QoL) and depression in female patients with fibromyalgia.

Methods: Thirty patients were randomized into three groups. Fifteen sessions of 10?Hz (90% resting motor threshold-RMT, 1200 pulses) rTMS were applied to left primary motor cortex and left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in Group M1 (n:10) and Group DLPFC (n:10), respectively. Group sham (n?=?10) received 15 sessions of sham rTMS over 3?weeks. Visual Analogue Scale, Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire, Fatigue Severity Scale, Short-form 36, and Beck Depression Inventory were assessed at baseline and at the end of the treatments by a blinded-experienced assessor.

Results: Significant improvements in pain, QoL, and depression scores were observed in three groups. However, improvements in depression, physical functioning, physical role functioning, and general health perceptions were greater in active rTMS groups than in sham group. Emotional role functioning was only improved in Group M1. The decrease in VAS scores was significantly greater in Group M1 when compared to sham group. Change in physical role functioning was significantly greater in Group DLPFC than in Group M1.

Conclusions: Significant improvements in physical role functioning, physical functioning, depression, and general health perceptions were achieved in active rTMS groups. Further clinical studies on larger samples involving both sexes with longer follow-up durations are needed.     

Estimation of stature in Turkish adults using knee height

Body height is an important clinical indicator to derive body mass index (BMI), which is a useful screening tool for both excess adiposity and malnutrition. Height measurement in the elderly may impose some difficulties and the reliability is doubtful. Stature estimation from knee height is one of the commonly used methods; nevertheless no study has been carried out so far on the Turkish population. A cross sectional anthropometric study was conducted to develop body height estimation equations by using knee height measurement for Turkish people. Measurements of height and knee height were taken according to the International Biological Programme procedures from 1422 adults (610 males, 812 females) aged 18-90 years from Ankara, the capital city of Turkey. Samples were randomly split into two sub-samples, training and validation (control group) sub-samples. Height estimation equations were developed from the knee height measurements by linear regression analysis according to age groups and sexes. Males were significantly taller and have higher knee height values than females in all age groups. Height and the knee height variables showed a gradual decrease (P 50) with aging in females and males. Evaluated knee height equations for stature estimation were tested through the validation sample and the results showed high accuracy. The study presents sex and age specific regression equations for height estimation by using the knee height measurement for Turkish adults and suggests facilitating the accurate usage of knee height.     

Effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on treatment of experimentally induced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis endophthalmitis in a rabbit model

This study investigated the anti-inflammatory effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), a natural bee-produced compound, and compared it with corticosteroids in the treatment of experimentally induced methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) endophthalmitis in addition to intravitreal antibiotics. An experimental endophthalmitis model was produced in 24 New Zealand albino rabbits by unilateral intravitreal injection of 0.1 ml of 4.7 x 10(4) colony-forming units (CFU) methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis. The animals were then divided randomly into three treatment groups and a control group, group 1 (six rabbits), received only intravitreal vancomycin (1.0 mg/0.1 ml); group 2 (six rabbits), received both intravitreal vancomycin (1.0 mg/0.1 ml) and intravitreal dexamethasone (400 microg/0.1 ml) and group 3 (six rabbits), received both intravitreal vancomycin (1.0 mg/0.1 ml) and subtenon CAPE (10 mg/0.3 ml) after 24 h post-infection. No treatment was given to the control group. Treatment efficacy was assessed by clinical examination, vitreous culture and histopathology. There were no statististically significant differences between clinical scores of all groups in examinations at 24 and 48 h post-infection (p = 0.915 and p = 0.067 respectively), but in examinations at 72 h post-infection and after 7 days post-infection, although the clinical scores of treatment groups were not significantly different from each other, they were significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.05). The culture results of all groups were sterile. As a result, CAPE was found to be as effective as dexamethasone in reducing inflammation in the treatment of experimental MRSE endophthalmitis when used with antibiotics. More studies are needed to determine the optimal administration route and effective dosage of this compound.     

A quantitative framework for the design of acellular hemoglobins as blood substitutes: implications of dynamic flow conditions

The delivery of oxygen to tissue by cell-free carriers eliminates intraluminal barriers associated with red blood cells. This is important in arterioles, since arteriolar tone controls capillary perfusion. We describe a mathematical model for O(2) transport by hemoglobin solutions and red blood cells flowing through arteriolar-sized tubes to optimize values of p50, Hill number, hemoglobin molecular diffusivity and concentration. Oxygen release is evaluated by including an extra-luminal resistance term to reflect tissue oxygen consumption. For low consumption (i.e., high resistance to O(2) release) a hemoglobin solution with p50=15 mmHg, n=1, D(HBO2)=3 x 10(-7) cm(2)/s delivers O(2) at a rate similar to that of red blood cells. For high consumption, the p50 must be decreased to 5 mmHg. The model predicts that regardless of size, hemoglobin solutions with higher p50 will present excess O(2) to arteriolar walls. Oversupply of O(2) to arteriolar walls may cause constriction and paradoxically reduced capillary perfusion.     

Some morphological and anatomical observations during alleviation of salinity (NaCI) stress on seed germination and seedling growth of barley by polyamines

In this work, the effects of polyamine (cadaverine, putrescine, spermidine, spermine) pretreatments on the germination of barley seeds, seedling growth under saline (NaCI) conditions and on leaf anatomy of the seedlings grown for 20 days in pots with perlite containing different concentrations of NaCI prepared with Hoagland solutions following the germination period of 7 days were studied. The inhibitive effect of salt on seed germination and seedling growth was alleviated in varying degrees, and dramatically, by polyamine pretreatments at the levels of NaCI studied; particularly with lower levels of salt, the control seeds were able to germinate with great difficulty. Also, the successes of these pretreatments continued, even decreased, with higher levels of NaCI such that the control seeds showed no germination. On the other hand, on the various parameters of leaf anatomy of barley seedlings, interactions between pretreatments of polyamine and salinity, with some of these being statistically important, were observed.     

The change of blood Pb levels of basketball players after strenuous exercise

This study is related to the investigation of the Pb levels in blood of the 12 healthy University male basketball players before and after a strenuous training session by the use of square wave anodic stripping voltammetry. Although the results do not show acute lead intoxication it is obvious that blood lead levels show significant increase after training sessions. The average increase in blood lead levels is 297%. This increase is largely due to increased respiration rate during the training period.     

Protective Effects of Lamotrigine,Aripiprazole and Escitalopram on Depression-induced Oxidative Stress in Rat Brain

We investigated the effects of lamotrigine, aripiprazole and escitalopram administration and experimental depression on lipid peroxidation (LP) and antioxidant levels in cortex of the brain in rats. Forty male wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. First group was used as control although second group was depression-induced group. Aripiprazole, lamotrigine and escitalopram per day were orally supplemented to chronic mild stress (CMS) depression-induced rats constituting the third, fourth and fifth groups for 28 days, respectively. Depression resulted in significant decrease in the glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity, reduced glutathione and vitamin C of cortex of the brain although their levels and beta-carotene concentrations were increased by the three drugs administrations to the animals of CMS induced depression group. The LP levels in the cortex of the brain and plasma of depression group were elevated although their levels were decreased by the administrations. The increases of antioxidant values in lamotrigine group were higher according to aripiprazole and escitalopram supplemented groups. Vitamin A level did not change in the five groups. In conclusion, the experimental depression is associated with elevated oxidative stress although treatment with lamotrigine has most protective effects on the oxidative stress within three medicines.     

Gastric protection by alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone against ethanol in rats: involvement of somatostatin

The proopiomelanocortin-derived tridecapeptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) is a neuropeptide that exerts broad anti-inflammatory actions in mammals. This study aimed to investigate the effect of alpha-MSH on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats and to evaluate the involvement of endogenous somatostatin in the actions of the peptide. The rats received 1 mL 75% ethanol or saline orally. alpha-MSH was given (25 micro g/rat; i.p.) alone or following the somatostatin antagonist cyclo-(7-aminoheptanoyl-PH-E-d-Trp-Lys-THR) (10 microM/kg; i.p.) administration. Gastric lesions were scored macroscopically and microscopically following decapitation at 30 min after ethanol challenge. Gastric malondialdehyde (MDA) level, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and mast cell counts were assessed. Ethanol-induced gastric hemorrhagic lesions were characterized by increased gastric MDA level, MPO activity and mast cell counts. alpha-MSH treatment decreased the extent of tissue injury and reversed tissue MDA level, MPO activity and mast cell counts. The effect of the peptide on the severity of gastric lesions, MDA level and MPO activity was reversed by the somatostatin antagonist. In conclusion, alpha-MSH is beneficial in a rat model of gastric ulcer via mechanisms which partly involve the endogenous somatostatin.