Mode-locked ytterbium-doped fiber laser with zinc phthalocyanine thin film saturable absorber.

A stable mode-locked laser was demonstrated using a newly developed zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) thin film as passive saturable absorber (SA) in ytterbium-doped fiber laser (YDFL). The ZnPc thin film was obtained using a casting method and then inserted between the two fiber ferrules of a YDFL ring cavity to generate mode-locked pulses. The resulting pulsed laser operated at a wavelength of 1034.

Asprosin, visfatin and subfatin as new biomarkers of obesity and metabolic syndrome.

Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) and obesity are important public health problems associated with adipose tissue mass. Asprosin, visfatin, and subfatin are new members of which fate in MetS and obesity has not been fully revealed yet. Thus, this study was to investigate the association between asprosin, visfatin, subfatin, and biochemical values, demographic data, and body composition measurement values in MetS patients with and without obesity.

Ellagic acid inhibits proinflammatory intermediary manufacture by suppressing NF-κB/Akt, VEGF and activating Nrf-2/Caspase-3 signaling pathways in rat testicular damage: a new way for testicular damage cure and approach.

Ellagic acid (EA) has protective effect on testicular damage and this natural compound decreases oxidative damage. The present study aims to examine the preventive effect of ellagic acid (EA) against carbon tetrachloride (CCl)-induced testicular tissue damage in rats. In testicular tissue, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Nuclear factor erythroid-2 related factor 2 (Nrf-2), B-cell lymphoma-2 (Bcl-2), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-κB), cysteine aspartic proteases (caspase-3) and protein kinase B (Akt) synthesis levels were analyzed by western blot method, reactive oxygen species (ROS) was measured by malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, Glutathione (GSH) level and catalase (CAT) by spectrophotometer.

Wnt signaling pathway activities may be altered in primary Sjogren’s syndrome.

Background/aim: Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease and its pathogenesis is still not completely clear. The wingless (Wnt)/β-catenin pathway has recently been shown to play an important role in inflammation. This study aims to determine the serum and saliva levels of Dickkopf (DKK)1 and sclerostin and to evaluate Wnt-1 and Wnt-3a expression in the salivary gland in patients with primary SS.

The impact of ellagic acid on some apoptotic gene expressions: a new perspective for the regulation of pancreatic Nrf-2/NF-κB and Akt/VEGF signaling in CCl-induced pancreas damage in rats.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential effect of ellagic acid (EA) in the treatment of pancreatic injury. EA has been found to have strong anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and anticancer properties. The effects of EA on pancreati˜c star cell (PSC) activation and cell functions have been evaluated and it has been shown that it inhibits the activation of basic cell functions and PSCs and it has antidiabetic activity through its effect on β-pancreas cells.

Saliva/serum ghrelin, obestatin and homocysteine levels in patients with ischaemic heart disease.

Background: We aimed to compare ghrelin, obestatin, homocysteine (Hcy), vitamin B and folate levels in the serum and saliva of ischaemic heart disease patients.

Methods: Serum and saliva were collected from 33 ischaemic heart disease (IHD) patients and 28 age- and body mass index-matched healthy individuals. Levels of acylated and desacylated ghrelin, obestatin and Hcy were determined using the ELISA method.

Lapatinib ameliorates experimental arthritis in rats.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its ligands are commonly expressed by synovial cells. The aim of the present study was to detect the potential effect of lapatinib an inhibitor of EGFR tyrosine kinases on collagen-induced arthritis. Thirty Wistar albino female rats were randomized into three groups.

Pemetrexed ameliorates experimental arthritis in rats.

Pemetrexed (PMTX) is an anti-folate drug as methotrexate. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of PMTX on collagen-induced arthritis (CIA). Forty Wistar albino rats were randomized into four groups.

Effect of lycopene against cisplatin-induced acute renal injury in rats: organic anion and cation transporters evaluation.

In the present study, we investigated the effects of lycopene on the expression of organic anion transporters (OATs), organic cation transporters (OCTs), and multidrug resistance-associated proteins (MRPs) of cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity in rats. Twenty-eight 8-week-old Wistar rats were divided into four groups: control, lycopene-treated (6 mg/kg BW by oral gavage), cisplatin-treated (7 mg/kg BW, IP), and lycopene in combination with cisplatin-treated groups. In the presence of cisplatin, serum urea nitrogen (urea-N) (48.

Alteration in chromogranin A, obestatin and total ghrelin levels of saliva and serum in epilepsy cases.

This study was designed to measure the levels of chromogranin A (CgA), ghrelin and obestatin in serum and saliva (including CgA expression in healthy tissue) in epileptic patients to determine any significant differences between these patients and healthy controls. Samples were obtained from a total of 91 subjects: 10 newly-diagnosed primary generalized epilepsy (PGE) patients who had started treatment with valproic acid and phenytoin for seizure control; 18 PGE patients who were previously and currently receiving treatment with valproic acid and phenytoin for seizure control; 37 patients with partial epilepsy (PE) (simple, n=17 or complex, n=20) who had been and were still being treated with carbazebime for seizures; and 26 healthy controls. CgA immunoreactivity in healthy salivary gland was analyzed by immunohistochemistry and ELISA.

Nesfatin-1 and ghrelin levels in serum and saliva of epileptic patients: hormonal changes can have a major effect on seizure disorders.

Nesfatin-1 and ghrelin are the two recently discovered peptide hormones involved in the control of appetite. Besides its main appetite-control function, ghrelin also has anticonvulsant effects, while nesfatin-1 causes depolarization in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN). The aims of this study, therefore, were to investigate: (i) whether there are differences in the concentrations of nesfatin-1 and ghrelin in saliva and serum samples between eplilepsy patients and normal controls and (ii) whether salivary glands produce nesfatin-1.

Changes in appetite hormone (ghrelin) levels of saliva and serum in acute appendicitis cases before and after operation.

This study was designed to measure the levels of serum and saliva ghrelin concentrations before and after surgery in an attempt to clarify whether this hormone plays any significant roles in acute appendicitis and cholelithiasis patients when compared with healthy controls. Samples were obtained from 20 patients with appendicitis, 10 patients with cholelithiasis before and after operation, and 16 healthy controls. The levels of ghrelin (acylated) were measured by means of a RIA assay.

Presence of obestatin in breast milk: relationship among obestatin, ghrelin, and leptin in lactating women.

Objective: The peptide hormones ghrelin and leptin have been found in blood and breast milk. This study was undertaken to investigate whether breast milk also contains obestatin, which is derived from the same gene as ghrelin but has opposite actions, and to characterize the relations among serum and milk ghrelin, obestatin, and leptin levels in lactating mothers.

Methods: Venous blood, colostrum, and mature milk were obtained from healthy lactating women (n = 31) just before suckling.

Determination of saturated and unsaturated Fatty acids amount in leukocyte membranes from subjects fed with solid and fluid oils.

Modifications in dietary fatty acid intake might lead to a modification in membrane phospholipid fatty acid composition. The purpose of this study was to investigate relationship between different type of oil consumption and leukocyte membrane phospholipid composition. This study was carried out in subjects utilizing butter (n = 15), margarine (n = 15), fluid oil (n = 15) and mixed types of oils (n = 15) in total 60 subjects.

Serum arylesterase and paraoxonase activity in patients with chronic hepatitis.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between serum paraoxonase (PON1), AST, ALT, GGT, and arylesterase (AE) activity alterations and the degree of liver damage in patients with chronic hepatitis.

Methods: We studied 34 chronic hepatitis patients and 32 control subjects, aged between 35 and 65 years, in the Department of Infection and Clinical Microbiology at the Firat University School of Medicine. Blood samples were collected from subjects between 8:00 and 10:00 a.

A comparison of leptin and ghrelin levels in plasma and saliva of young healthy subjects.

In the last 10 years, saliva has been increasingly used as a diagnostic fluid and in predictions of disease progression. Leptin and ghrelin are synthesized in several tissues including the salivary glands. The action of ghrelin is antagonistic to that of leptin.

Betaine or taurine administration prevents fibrosis and lipid peroxidation induced by rat liver by ethanol plus carbon tetrachloride intoxication.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of betaine or taurine on liver fibrogenesis and lipid peroxidation in rats. Fibrosis was induced by treatment of rats with drinking water containing 5% ethanol and CCl(4) (2 x weekly, 0.2 ml/kg, i.

The level of antioxidant enzymes, plasma vitamins C and E in cement plant workers.

Background: Chronic exposure to cement dust has been reported to lead to several health problems. This study was designed to investigate the plasma oxidant and antioxidant status in cement plant workers and control subjects.

Methods: Twenty-eight volunteer male cement plant workers and 30 volunteer office male workers (control) aged 29-54 years participated.

Effects of norepinephrine on NMDA-induced neurotoxicity in cerebellar granular cell culture of rat pups.

In this study, norepinephrine was tested in 0.1, 1, 10, 25 and 50 microM doses in 100 microM NMDA toxicity on cerebellar granular cell culture of rats. NMDA in 100 microM concentration induced cell death significantly with respect to controls.

[The prevalence of gout and hyperuricemia among the workers of a meat-packing plant complex].

An attempt was made to study the incidence of gout and hyperuricemia among the workers of the Moscow meat-packing plant exposed to high food purine loads. Using extensive clinical material (535 men and 1121 women) the authors established that gout was diagnosed 33 times more often in men of this plant than in the muscular population of other towns of the country. Moderate hyperuricemia was revealed in every second of the examinees.