ObjectivesInteractions between neuropeptides and psychiatric disorders have been investigated for many years. The aim of this study was to evaluate oxytocin (OXT), arginine-vasopressin (AVP), and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and assess their interactions with each other, as well as investigate these changes with the manifestations of schizophrenia.Participants and methodsThirty-four individuals having acute schizophrenia and 24 healthy individuals as the control group were included in the study. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scales, Global Assessment of Functionality score, and Clinical Global Impression (CGI) scores were measured. Serum hormone levels were analyzed using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and were compared with the clinical findings.ResultsOXT levels were significantly lower and AVP levels were significantly higher in patients having acute schizophrenia than the control group. OXT was negatively correlated with Positive and Negative Syndrome Scales positive score and CGI score, while it was positively correlated with Global Assessment of Functionality score. AVP was negatively correlated with CGI score. ANP levels of the patients having schizophrenia were lower than the control group; however, there was no significant correlation with clinical findings.ConclusionThe obtained data indicate that the AVP level was higher, but OXT and ANP levels were lower in the patients having acute schizophrenia. Specifically OXT is related with reduced disease severity and increased functionality.

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Eight cases of interhemispheric subdural haematomas (ISDHs) are described. Trauma was the most common cause. Two patients were hydrocephalic and one of them had also agenesis of the corpus callosum. The diagnoses were established by CT. In one of the cases with chronic ISDHs, CT findings suggested a subdural empyema. Conservative treatment was preferred for neurologically stable patients. In one of the patients, the haematoma migrated to the cerebral convexity after liquefaction.

Sepsis is a systemic inflammatory response syndrome that causes lifethreatening tissue and organ dysfunctions caused by endogenous mediators in response to infection. 1 The inflammatory response initiated by cytokines is clinically manifested by various biological responses such as hypotension, vasoconstrictor agents, vascular hyporeactivity and septic shock. More than 30 million cases of sepsis are reported annually around the world, despite progress in the clinical management of sepsis, sepsis morbidity and mortality rates still remain high. 2 Especially comorbid liver dysfunction during sepsis is closely related to high mortality in patients. 3,4 The liver immune response in sepsis is responsible for the removal of endotoxins, it can also cause immune system suppression and organ damage because of uncontrolled inflammation. 4

Objective Premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) contributes significantly to female infertility. Cyclophosphamide (CYC has adverse effects on folliculogenesis. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous product rich in many growth factors. We evaluated the protective effect of PRP on in vitro fertilization in female rats with CYC-induced ovarian damage. Methods Twenty-eight adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 (control-sodium chloride 0.9%; 1 mL/kg, single-dose intraperitoneal [IP] injection); group 2 (CYC), 75 mg/kg, single-dose IP injection and sodium chloride 0.9% (1 mL/kg, single-dose IP injection); group 3 CYC plus PRP, CYC (75 mg/kg, single-dose and PRP (200 μl, single-dose) IP injection); and group 4 (PRP, 200 μl, single-dose IP injection). Results In the comparisons in terms of M1 and M2 oocytes, it was observed that the CYC group presented a significantly lower amount than the control, CYC/PRP, and PRP groups. (for M1, p = 0.000, p = 0.029, p = 0.025; for M2, p = 0.009, p = 0.004, p = 0.000, respectively). The number of fertilized oocytes and two-celled good quality embryos was found to be statistically significant between the CYC and control groups, CYC + PRP and PRP groups (p = 0.009, p = 0.001, p = 0.000 for oocytes, respectively. For embryos; p = 0.016, p = 0.002, p = 0.000). Conclusion Platelet-rich plasma can protect the ovarian function against damage caused by CYC, and, in addition, it improves oocyte count and the development of embryos as a result of oocyte stimulation during the IVF procedure.