No abstract

Background/Aim:Ankaferd blood stopper (ABS) is a herbal extract that enhances mucosal healing. In this study, we aimed to investigate the efficiency of ABS in the treatment of experimental distal colitis.Materials and Methods:Twenty one male albino rats were divided into three groups: Sham control (Group 1), colitis induced by acetic acid and treated with saline (Group 2), colitis induced by acetic acid and treated with ABS (Group 3). At end of the 7th day of induction, all the rats were lightly anesthetized with intramuscular ketamine (8 mg/kg) and thereafter laparotomy and total colectomy were performed. The distal colon segment was assessed macroscopically and microscopically. In addition malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and nitric oxide (NO) levels of the colonic tissue and changes in body weight were measured.Results:The MDA and NO levels of the colonic tissues and weight loss were significantly higher in Group 2 compared to Group 1 and Group 3. Microscopic and macroscopic damage scores were significantly higher in Group 2 and Group 3 than Group 1 (P: 0.001, P: 0.004, respectively). Although the microscopic and macroscopic damage scores in Group 3 were slightly lower than Group 2, the difference was not statistically significant. The SOD levels of the colonic tissues were not different between the three groups.Conclusion:Weight alterations and high-levels of the colonic tissue MDA and NO suggested that ABS might have anti-inflammatory effects on experimental distal colitis. However, this suggestion was not supported by histopathological findings.

To investigate whether there is any association between nasopharyngeal reflux and adenoid hypertrophy in children by using 24-h pH monitoring with dual probe and to determine whether Helicobacter pylori simply colonises in adenoid tissue or it is present there temporarily due to extraesophageal reflux. A prospective study at a tertiary referral center. Thirty-two patients who underwent adenoidectomy, aged ranged between 4 and 13 were included. All children with adenoid hypertrophy underwent 24-h pH monitoring with a dual probe. Proximal probe was placed in the nasopharynx. The presence of nasopharyngeal reflux and gastroesophageal reflux were investigated by 24-h pH monitoring. The presence of H. pylori was investigated in adenoidectomy samples by HP-fast test. Of the 32 patients who underwent adenoidectomy, 5 had nasopharyngeal reflux positivity while 27 patients did not show nasopharyngeal reflux positivity with pH monitorisation. Helicobacter pylori could not be detected in 5 nasopharyngeal reflux positive children while 3 of 27 nasopharyngeal reflux negative children showed H. pylori positivity, one of them in the mucosa and others in the core. This study demonstrated the high incidence of nasopharyngeal reflux and gastroesophageal reflux in adenoid hypertrophy and the possible colonisation of H. pylori in the adenoid tissue. This may change the assesment of children with adenotonsillar hypertrophy in near future. However, more placebo controlled and double blind studies and larger series are still needed to support this hypothesis.

PurposeIn our study, the effects of harmonic scalpel, scalpel, and monopolar electrocautery usage on the health and healing of colon anastomosis after resection was investigated.MethodsIn this study, 120 female albino Wistar rats were divided into 3 groups each containing 40 rats. Group A, resection with scalpel; group B, resection with monopolar electrocautery; group C, resection with harmonic scalpel. The groups were divided into 4 subgroups consisting of 10 rats and analysed in the postoperative 1st, 3rd, 5th, and 7th days. Anastomotic bursting pressures, hydroxyproline levels and histopathological parameters were surrogate parameters for evaluating wound healing.ResultsThe tissue hydroxyproline levels did not show any significant difference between the groups and subgroups. The mean bursting pressure of group A on the 5th day was significantly higher than groups B and C (P < 0.001). When the fibroblast and fibrosis scores were evaluated, scores of group C on the 5th day were significantly higher than the other groups, but the results of bursting pressures and biochemical parameters did not support the fibroblast and fibrosis scores. There were not any significant differences between the groups in other histopathologic parameters.ConclusionThe use of monopolar electrocautery needs more attention since the device causes tissue destruction. The obliterating effect of harmonic scalpel on luminal organs is an important problem, especially if an anastomosis is planned. Despite the disadvantages of scalpel, its efficacy on early wound healing is better than the other devices.

No abstract

Ankaferd Blood Stopper (ABS) is an herbal extract that enhances mucosal healing. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of ABS on the healing of the esophagus and prevention of stricture development after esophageal caustic injuries in rats. The study included 50 rats. Rats were divided into five groups: group 1 (no injury, sham surgery), group 2 (injury + no ABS + study after 2 weeks of injury), group 3 (injury + ABS + study after 2 weeks of injury), group 4 (injury + no ABS + study after 4 weeks of injury), and group 5 (injury + ABS + study after 4 weeks of injury). Standard esophageal burn injury was created by applying 50% NaOH solution to distal esophagus of about 1.5 cm. To rats in the sham group, isotonic solution was given instead of NaOH. ABS (2 mL/day) was given via oral route to group 3 and 5 rats. Fourteen days (group 2 and 3) and 28 days (group 4 and 5) later, all the live rats were killed. The distal esophageal segments of all rats were removed and divided into two equal parts for biochemical and histopathological examination. Mortality rate, weight changes, inflammation, stenosis index (SI), and biochemical measurements were evaluated. The SI was found as 0.31 ± 0.03 in group 1, 0.533 ± 0.240 in group 2, 0.568 ± 0.371 in group 3, 0.523 ± 0.164 in group 4, and 0.28 ± 0.03 in group 5. The SI and inflammation in ABS-treatment group 5 was significantly lower than that in non-treatment group 4 (P= 0.005). There were no significant differences between inflammation and SI among other groups. The mortality rate was 14.2% in group 1, 37.5% in untreated group 2, 14.2% in ABS-treated group 3, 80% in untreated group 4, and 33.3% in ABS-treated group 5. The mortality rate in group 4 was significantly higher than other groups (P= 0.025). Decrease rates in mean body weights of the groups were as follows: group 1, 1%; group 2, 15%; group 3, 14%; group 4, 46%; and group 5, 15%. Biochemical tests other than albumin and creatinine were comparable among the groups. Treatment with ABS prevents inflammation, scar formation, weight loss, and mortality in esophageal caustic injuries. Additional studies to evaluate the clinical benefits of ABS in esophageal caustic injury are recommended.

Background: The present study investigated the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in wound healing suppressed by corticosteroid in rats. Methods: Forty rats were separated into four groups. To disrupt the wound-healing processes, intraperitoneal single dose 10 mg/kg methylprednisolone was administered to all rats with the exception of Sham-S group. Then, full-thickness incision was performed to the abdominal skin of all animals, and PRP or MSCs were applied to the incision line except the Sham-S and Sham-M group animals. Ten days later, all animals were sacrificed to investigate: tissue collagenization, inflammation, and re-epithelialization grades histopathologically; and tissue hydroxyproline (HP), interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α levels biochemically. Results: Collagenization (p = 0.003) and inflammation grade (p = 0.002) values were higher in PR group. Tissue HP level value was found to be high in MC group (p < 0.001). Tissue IL-1β level value of Sham-M group was lower than those of other groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: This preliminary study revealed that PRP could improve the histopathological grades in wound healing which was suppressed by corticosteroid in rats, while MSCs could show their therapeutic effects via biochemical route. These positive effects were more salient in PR group.

Background/Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate if there is a diagnostic expressive difference in the angle of His, upper and lower esophageal diameter (UED and LED), wall thickness of cervical esophagus (WTCE) measured by cervical and transabdominal ultrasonography (USG) between children with (+) and without gastroesophageal reflux (GER–). Methods: 50 children were separated into 2 groups. Group 1 was the control group (n = 30) consisting of children who had no symptoms of GER and had no GER detected in USG. Group 2 was the study group (n = 20) consisting of children with complaints related to GER, and who were GER+ by USG and esophageal pH monitoring. The USG examinations were completed after having observed 3 episodes of reflux or after 30 min if no reflux was detected. The angle of His, UED, LED and WTCE were measured. In 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring, acid contact to the proximal or distal probe greater than 5.0% of the total time below pH 4 was accepted as pathologic reflux. Results: The age range of the 50 children (30 boys) was 4–13 years. Between the 2 groups there were no differences with regard to age and gender. Values of UED, LED and WTCE were statistically higher in group 2 compared with group 1. The angle of His was higher in the control group, but this was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study is the first in the literature that shows that measuring UED, LED and WTCE by USG, which is a noninvasive, readily available repeatable, cheap and fast technique, has a high diagnostic value in children with suspected GER.