Thymoquinone (TQ) is a plant extract that has been shown to have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant effects. Because of these activities, the authors hypothesized that TQ would reduce inflammation and oxidative stress and accelerate wound closure in a rat model of deep second-degree burns. For the purposes of this study, 40 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups of eight rats each. Group 1 was the control group, group 2 was the silver sulfadiazine group, group 3 was treated with systemic TQ, group 4 received topical TQ, and group 5 was administered topical and systemic TQ. After the deep second-degree burn damage was created, daily dressing changes and TQ administration were continued in the study groups for a period of 21 days. Systemic TQ was administered intraperitoneally at a dose of 2 mg/kg/day, whereas the topical treatment was applied using a 0.5% solution. The changes in the wound site were observed macroscopically, histopathologically, microbiologically, and biochemically in all groups. The smallest necrotic areas were observed at the end of the study in the groups that were administered a combination of systemic and topical TQ, or solely topical TQ (6.1 ± 1.6 cm and 6.7 ± 0.4 cm, respectively), whereas the largest necrotic areas were observed in the control group (11.2 ± 1.2cm). The total antioxidant state levels in the control group were significantly lower than in the other groups (P < .05), whereas the total oxidative stress levels were lower in the TQ groups compared with the control group (P < .05). The lowest bacterial counts were observed in the groups treated with both topical and systemic TQ (P < .05). TQ given systemically and/or topically reduced inflammation and oxidative stress and accelerated the rate of wound closure or reepithelialization.

In conclusion, marked bladder protection was found in 20 and 40 mg/kg RES applications compared to the control group, but this protection was weaker than with mesna.

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most important complications of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. The aim of this study is to investigate the curative and renal damage-reducing effects of safranal on inflammation and oxidative stress in diabetic nephropathy. Experimental type 2 diabetes was created in rats by use of high-fat diet (HFD) and streptozotocin (STZ) in the experimental animals. Safranal was then administered to two of the five experimental groups (type 2 diabetes group (DYB) and HFD groups) for a period of 4 weeks. At the end of the 10-week study, the serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (CREA) levels, renal tissue oxidative stress parameters (total antioxidant capacity (TAS), total oxidant capacity (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), GSH, NO), and cytokine levels (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-18, IFN-γ) were analyzed. In addition, the effect of safranal on the diabetic nephropathy-induced damage in renal tissue was also analyzed histopathologically. In this study, safranal was found to reduce dysfunction (lowered BUN and CREA levels) and tissue damage (histopathological data) that occur in renal tissue, by means of its both antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities. In the light of these results, we suggest that safranal contributes to the development of new treatment protocols in the treatment of type 2 diabetes and its complication diabetic nephropathy.

PURPOSE: To investigate the possible protective effect of thymoquinone (TQ) in cisplatin (CP) induced myocardial injury. METHODS:A total of 28 adult male Wistar-Albino rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups as follows: Group 1 (control), Group 2 (CP at 15 mg/kg dose), Group 3 (TQ 40 mg/kg/day for two days prior to CP injection and on third day, CP at 15 mg/kg dose was intraperitoneally administered and TQ treatment continued until fifth day) and Group 4 (TQ at 40mg/kg/day dose for five days). RESULTS:There was a significant increment in CP group in terms of congestion, edema and pycnotic nuclei in myocardial fibers, comparing with other groups. TQ group exhibited significant increase in expression of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2, comparing with CP group (p<0.05). In only CP administered group, expression of antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 was lowest comparing with other groups. CONCLUSION:Established data indicate that cisplatin is cardiotoxic and thymoquinone may be useful in treating CP-induced cardiac injury.

Objective. This study aims to evaluate whether alpha-lipoic acid and/or coenzyme Q10 can protect the prepubertal ovarian tissue from ischemia-reperfusion injury in an experimental rat model of ovarian torsion. Materials and Methods. Forty-two female preadolescent Wistar-Albino rats were divided into 6 equal groups randomly. The sham group had laparotomy without torsion; the other groups had torsion/detorsion procedure. After undergoing torsion, group 2 received saline, group 3 received olive oil, group 4 received alpha-lipoic acid, group 5 received coenzyme Q10, and group 6 received both alpha-lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10 orally. The oxidant-antioxidant statuses of these groups were compared using biochemical measurement of oxidized/reduced glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and malondialdehyde, pathological evaluation of damage and apoptosis within the ovarian tissue, and immunohistochemical assessment of nitric oxide synthase. Results. The left ovaries of the alpha-lipoic acid + coenzyme Q10 group had significantly lower apoptosis scores and significantly higher nitric oxide synthase content than the left ovaries of the control groups. The alpha-lipoic acid + coenzyme Q10 group had significantly higher glutathione peroxidase levels and serum malondialdehyde concentrations than the sham group. Conclusions. The combination of alpha-lipoic acid and coenzyme Q10 has beneficial effects on oxidative stress induced by ischemia-reperfusion injury related to ovarian torsion.

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AimThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of calcium channel blocker (CCB) amlodipine (AML), platelet rich plasma (PRP), and a mixture of both materials on bone healing.Materials and methodsFifty-six male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups: group A, tibia defect model with no treatment; group B, tibia defect model treated with AML, 0.04 mg daily by oral gavage; group C, tibia defect model treated with local PRP; group D, tibia defect model treated with local PRP and AML, 0.04 mg daily by oral gavage.ResultsAt day 21, bone healing was significantly better in groups C and D compared to group A (P<0.05), but comparisons showed no statistically significant difference in group B (P>0.05). At day 30, groups B and C showed no statistically significant difference (P>0.05) compared to group A, but bone healing in group D was significantly better than in group A (P<0.05). Statistically, AML did not affect alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity at 21 and 30 days (P>0.05), but PRP and AML + PRP increased ALP activity statistically (P<0.05).ConclusionIt can be concluded that AML had neither a positive nor a negative effect on bone healing, but when used in combination with PRP, it may be beneficial.

The aim of this study was to determine the presence and prevalence of larval stages of Dicrocoelium dendriticum and Brachylaima sp. in the first intermediate host, a species of land snail, Helix aspersa, in Turkey. A total of 211 snails were collected in April-May 2014 from pastures in Mersin District. Larval stages of D. dendriticum were identified under a light microscope. Hepatopancreas from naturally infected H. aspersa snails were examined histologically. The prevalence of larval stages of D. dendriticum and Brachylaima sp. in H. aspersa snails was found to be 2.4% and 1.9%, respectively, in Mersin, Turkey. Cercariae were not matured in sporocysts at the beginning of April; however, it was observed that cercariae matured and started to leave sporocysts by early-May. Thus, it was concluded that H. aspersa acts as an intermediate host to D. dendriticumin and Brachylaima sp. in Mersin, Turkey. A digenean trematode Brachylaima sp. was seen for the first time in Turkey.