In this study, standard limb lead electrocardiograms (ECG) were recorded in 50 Pekin ducks. The ECG exhibited P, R, S, and T waves. A Q wave was observed in 30% of leads aVR aVL. All waves in lead I were of very low amplitude or almost isoelectric. The P wave was 20% negative, 80% positive in lead aVR and always positive in other leads. The duration and amplitude of P wave were 0.025 sec and 0.17 mV, respectively, and the P-R interval was 0.06 sec in lead II. A Q wave was observed in 30% of leads aVR and aVL but was invisible in other leads. The duration of QRS complex was 0.036 sec and its amplitude was 0.069 mV. The S wave (rS) was greater than the R wave in leads III and aVF. The R and S waves were equal in lead III (66%). The mean duration and amplitude of T wave were 0.05 sec and 0.22 mV, respectively. The T wave was negative in leads aVR and aVL and positive in other leads. The Q-T interval was 0.10 sec. The mean heart rate was 281.3 (220-375) beats/min. The average value of the mean electrical axis was +147 degrees (+95 degrees to -160 degrees).

The aim of this study was to examine the effects of vitamin C on malonaldehyde (MDA) and glutathione (GSH) concentrations, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activity in chickens stressed by adrenocorticotropin (ACTH). Sixty Leghorn chickens (20 weeks old) were randomly allotted to a control and a vitamin C treated group. An isotonic sodium chloride solution was administrated intramuscularly for a period of five days to the control group at a dose of 2.5 mL per chicken per day, and the treatment group received a vitamin C solution (containing 250 mg vitamin C/2.5 mL) intramuscularly for five days. On the fifth day of the experiment the chickens in both groups received 50 IU ACTH intramuscularly. Three hours after ACTH application blood samples were collected to determine the concentrations of MDA and GSH, and activities of SOD and GSH-Px in the blood. The concentration of MDA in the control group increased compared to that in the vitamin C treated group. After the ACTH application the activity of SOD increased in both groups, thought significantly so in the vitamin C treated group. The GSH-Px activity did not differ significantly between the treatments after ACTH application. It was concluded that intramuscularly administrated vitamin C facilitated an adaptation against stress and decreased negative effects of stress in chickens.

No abstract

[Purpose] The current study aimed to reveal the therapeutic effects of a pulsed electromagnetic field and swimming exercises on rats with experimental sciatic nerve injury, which was induced with crush-type neuropathy model damage, using electrophysiological methods. [Subjects] In the current study, the sample consisted of 28 adult male Wistar albino rats. [Methods] The rats were randomized into four groups (n=7). Swimming exercise and PEMF (2 Hz and 0.3 MT) were applied one hour a day, five days a week, for four weeks. Electroneuromyographic (ENMG) measurements were taken on day 7. [Results] When the data were evaluated, it was found that the 4 weeks of PEMF and swimming exercises led to an increase in motor conduction rates and a decrease in latency values, but the changes were not significant in comparison with the control and injury groups. The compound muscle action potential (CMAP) values of the left leg were lower in weeks 2, 3, and 4 in the swimming exercise group in comparison with the control group, although for the PEMF group, the CMAP values of the left leg reached the level observed in the control group beginning in week 3. [Conclusion] PEMF and swimming exercise made positive contributions to nerve regeneration after week 1, and regeneration was enhanced.

The duration and intensity of exercise are significant factors in oxidative, morphological, and functional changes of the gastrointestinal tract. This study aimed to investigate the effects of both exhaustive swimming and probiotic VSL#3 on rats that had been previously trained with moderate swimming. The rats were divided into four groups labeled: control (C), probiotic (P), exercise (E), and probiotic-exercise (PE). Groups P and PE were fed with probiotic mixture VSL#3. Groups E and PE had a 5-week moderate swimming program (1 h/day for 5 days/week), followed by a 1-week exhaustive swimming program (trained like in moderate program but 3 times with 150 min resting sessions, for 5 days/week). At the end of the program, the rats were euthanized. Malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and reduced glutathione levels were measured in tissue samples from the gastrocnemius muscle, heart, liver, kidney, and colon. In vitro contractile activity and histomorphology of the colon were also determined. Exercise and/or probiotic decreased the oxidative stress and also increased the level of one or more of the antioxidant enzymes in some of the organs. Probiotics had more pronounced effects on colon morphology than exercise but unexpectedly this effect was non-trophic. In the colon, the thickness of the tunica muscularis and the number of goblet cells were not affected; however, probiotic administration decreased the crypt depth and tunica mucosa thickness. Exercise increased the E max value of acetylcholine (ACh), while decreased its sensitivity. These findings suggest that exhaustive swimming does not cause oxidative stress and that probiotic consumption improves oxidative balance in trained rats. The probiotic intake does not alter the effect of exercise on the contractile activity of the colon. Colon mucosal changes induced by probiotics are independent of exercise.

Protein energy malnutrition has become a major health issue in developing countries. In the present study, the effect of protein deficiency on the small intestine and liver tissue content of macroelements and trace elements was investigated in weanling rats. Forty-five male weanling Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups. The control group (C) was fed a standard diet containing 25% casein, whereas the two experimental groups E1 and E2 consumed 12% and 3% casein, respectively, over a period of 45 d. The tissue samples were analyzed for zinc, copper, iron, manganese, calcium, and magnesium by atomic absorption spectroscopy. The protein-deficient groups showed increased levels of iron in both tissues and decreased manganese in small intestine tissue from the E1 group. No other differences were found for the other elements. These results suggest that protein deficiency might cause iron accumulation in the liver and intestine and decreases of manganese in the small intestine.

: Classical risk factors such as cholesterol and lipoproteins are currently not sufficient to explain all physiopathological processes of obesity-related vascular dysfunction as well as atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. Therefore, the discovery of potential markers involved in vascular dysfunction in the obese state is still needed. Disturbances in hemostatic factors may be involved in the developmental processes associated with obesity-related cardiovascular disorders. We hypothesized that alterations of several hemostatic factors in the obese state could correlate with the function and morphology of the aorta and it could play an important role in the development of vascular dysfunction. To test this, we fed mice with a high-fat diet for 18 weeks and investigated the relationships between selected hemostatic factors (in either plasma or in the liver), metabolic hormones and morphology, and ex-vivo function of the aorta. Here, we show that 18-week exposure to a high-fat diet results in a higher plasma fibrinogen and prolonged prothrombin time in diet-induced obese mice compared to the controls. In addition, liver levels or activities of FII, FX, activated protein C, AT-III, and protein S are significantly different in diet-induced obese mice as compared to the controls. Curiously, FII, FVIII, FX, activated protein C, PTT, and protein S are correlated with both the aorta histology (aortic thickness and diameter) and ex-vivo aortic function. Notably, ex-vivo studies revealed that diet-induced obese mice show a marked attenuation in the functions of the aorta. Taken together, aforementioned hemostatic factors may be considered as critical markers for obesity-related vascular dysfunction and they could play important roles in diagnosing of the dysfunction.

Moderate exercise stimulates immune system whereas intensive exercise may display immune-suppressive effect associated with the disruption of intestinal barrier. With this study, we tested the effects of moderate and intensive swimming exercises on some cytokines and oxidant variables and zonulin, an intestinal barrier marker, in rats. We also tested possible ameliorative effects of probiotic VSL#3 in both moderate and intensive exercise regimens. Twenty eight rats were randomly divided into 4 equal groups: Control-C, Probiotic-P, Exercise-E, Probiotic+Exercise-PE. The rats in group E and PE underwent moderate swimming exercise for 5 weeks. Following this period, intensive swimming exercise was performed for 5 days. The rats in group C and group P were sedentary. Probiotic VSL#3 was given to group P and PE in the water. At the end of the experiments, serum zonulin, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β, MDA, and protein carbonyl levels were determined. Evidences obtained from present study indicate that moderate swimming exercise improves barrier integrity of intestine and decreases oxidative stress. During the moderate swimming experiment, probiotic VSL#3 supplementation may also improve inflammatory response. On the other hand, intensive exercise does not led changes in the inflammatory response and oxidative stress, but beneficial responses of moderate exercise on the selected parameters probably disappear due to the intense exercise-induced mild stress. Keywords: Cytokine, Oxidative parameters, Probiotic, Rat, Swimming exercise, Zonulin Ratlarda Yüzdürme Egzersizi ve Probiyotik VSL#3'ün Zonulin İle Bazı Yangısal ve Oksidatif Değişkenlere Etkileri ÖzetYoğun egzersizler intestinal bariyerin bozulmasıyla ilişkili olarak immun-supresif etki oluşturabilirken, ılımlı egzersizler immun sistemi stimule eder. Bu çalışma ile ratlarda ılımlı ve yoğun yüzdürme egzersizlerinin bazı sitokinlere, oksidan değişkenlere ve intestinal bariyer belirteci zonuline etkilerini değerlendirdik. Ayrıca probiyotik VSL#3'ün hem ılımlı hem de yoğun yüzdürme periyodundaki olası iyileştirici etkilerini test ettik. Yirmi sekiz rat, rasgele 4 eşit gruba ayrıldı: Kontrol-C, Probiyotik-P, Egzersiz-E, Probiyotik+Egzersiz-PE. E ve PE grubundaki ratlara 5 hafta süreyle ılımlı yüzdürme egzersizi ve ılımlı yüzdürme periyodunu takiben 5 gün süreyle yoğun yüzdürme egzersizi yaptırıldı. C ve P grupları ise sedanter grupları oluşturdu. P ve PE gruplarına içme suyu ile probiyotik VSL#3 verildi. Deneylerin sonunda serumda zonulin, TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10, TGF-β, MDA ve protein karbonil düzeyleri belirlendi. Sonuçlar ılımlı yüzdürme egzersizinin bağırsak bariyer bütünlüğünü koruduğunu ve oksidatif stresi azalttığını göstermektedir. Ilımlı egzersiz sürecinde probiyotik VSL#3 alınması yangısal yanıtı da olumlu etkileyebilir. Diğer taraftan yoğun egzersiz herhangi bir yangısal yanıta ve oksidatif strese neden olmamıştır. Fakat ılımlı egzersizin ortaya çıkardığı faydalı yanıtlar muhtemelen yoğun egzersizin oluşturduğu hafif şiddetteki stres nedeniyle ortadan kalkmıştır.