A new combination therapy in severe acute pancreatitis--hyperbaric oxygen plus 3-aminobenzamide: an experimental study.

Objectives: This study was designed to evaluate effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) plus 3-aminobenzamide (3-AB) cotreatment on tissue oxidative stress parameters (TOSp), tissue histopathology scores (THSc), and bacterial translocations (Bact-Trans) in an experimental model of severe acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods: Seventy-five Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized into 5 groups. Group 1 received sham.

A case of pancreatic Burkitt lymphoma: radiological findings.

Burkitt lymphoma predominantly involving the pancreas is very rare. There is no specific clinical, laboratory, or radiological sign of the disease. Thus, the diagnosis, especially of focal involvement, is usually difficult.

Curcumin ameliorates impaired insulin/IGF signalling and memory deficit in a streptozotocin-treated rat model.

Increased serum insulin levels and reduced peripheral insulin activities seen in insulin resistance syndrome are associated with age-dependent cognitive impairment and Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease (SAD), suggesting a disturbance in the insulin signalling system in the brain and possibly being one of the causes of dementia. Therefore, the streptozotocin (STZ)-induced animal may be an appropriate model for the investigation of SAD and related dementia. This study was designed to investigate the beneficial effect of Curcumin (CUR), a neuroprotective agent, on intracerebroventricular (ICV) STZ-induced cognitive impairment in rats.

Ursodeoxycholic acid treatment improves hepatocyte ultrastructure in rat liver fibrosis.

Aim: To examine the ultrastructural changes after ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) treatment in hepatocytes from experimentally induced fibrotic livers.

Methods: Liver fibrosis was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats with CCl4 for 12 wk, and the rats were divided into two groups. Group I was treated with saline and group II with UDCA (25 mg/kg per day) for 4 wk.

Allopurinol in rat chronic pancreatitis: effects on pancreatic stellate cell activation.

Objectives: Activation of pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) is a key event in pancreatic fibrosis. Xanthine oxidase-derived free radicals are involved in the mechanism of chronic pancreatitis (CP). We here searched the in vivo effects of allopurinol on PSC activation and its relation to tissue oxidative stress and histological findings in rat CP.

Combination of allopurinol and hyperbaric oxygen therapy: a new treatment in experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis?

Aim: To investigate the individual and combined effects of allopurinol and hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy on biochemical and histopathological changes, oxidative stress, and bacterial translocation (BT) in the experimental rat acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods: Eighty-five Sprague-Dawley rats were included in the study. Fifteen of the eighty-five rats were used as controls (sham, Group I).

Pegylated interferon-alpha plus taurine in treatment of rat liver fibrosis.

Aim: To investigate the antifibrotic effects of peginterferon-alpha 2b and taurine on oxidative stress markers and hepatocellular apoptosis.

Methods: Sixty rats with CCl4-induced liver fibrosis were divided into 4 groups (n=15). Group 1 was left for spontaneous recovery (SR).

Is there any relation between insulin resistance and cognitive function in the elderly?

Background: Vascular risk factors are blamed as being involved in the pathogenesis of cognitive dysfunction in the elderly. Alzheimer's disease or vascular-type dementia could be part of a metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether there is any relation between insulin resistance and cognitive status of the elderly regarding normal, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Alzheimer's disease (AD), vascular dementia (VaD) and mixed dementia.

Antioxidant treatment with taurine ameliorates chronic pancreatitis in an experimental rat model.

Objectives: Based on the results of recent studies that reported depleted antioxidant capacity in patients with chronic pancreatitis (CP), prevention of free radical production has gained importance in antifibrotic treatment strategies in CP. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of taurine on oxidative capacity and fibrosis in experimental chronic rat pancreatic fibrosis.

Methods: CP was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by intraductal trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) dissolved in ethanol.

Acinar cell ultrastructure after taurine treatment in rat acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Objective: To evaluate the organelle-based changes in acinar cells in experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis (ANP) after taurine treatment and the association of electron microscopic findings with histopathological changes and oxidative stress markers.

Methods: The study was performed in February 2005 at Gulhane School of Medicine and Hecettepe University, Turkey. Forty-five rats were divided into 3 groups.

Rat liver fibrosis regresses better with pegylated interferon alpha2b and ursodeoxycholic acid treatments than spontaneous recovery.

Background/aims: Fibrosis and cirrhosis are common complications of chronic liver diseases. An imbalance between fibrogenesis and fibrolysis results in scarring of the liver parenchyma. We aimed to investigate the possible antifibrotic effectiveness of a newly modified interferon molecule peginterferon alpha2b (PEG-IFNalpha2b) which has better antiviral activity, and ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA).

The effect of activated protein C on experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is a local inflammatory process that leads to a systemic inflammatory response in the majority of cases. Bacterial contamination has been estimated to occur in 30-40% of patients with necrotizing pancreatitis. Development of pancreatic necrosis depends mainly on the degree of inflammation and on the microvascular circulation of the pancreatic tissue.

Is late antibiotic prophylaxis effective in the prevention of secondary pancreatic infection?

Background: Secondary infection of the inflamed pancreas is the principal cause of death after severe acute pancreatitis (AP). Although patients are not always managed early in the course of AP in clinical practice, prophylactic antibiotics that were used in experimental studies in rats were always initiated early after induction of pancreatitis. The effectiveness of antibiotics initiated later is unknown.

Deferoxamine and meropenem combination therapy in experimental acute pancreatitis.

Introduction: Recent data from the experimental clinical studies suggest that antibiotics having good penetration to pancreas may reduce mortality by preventing pancreatic infection, which is the most important prognostic factor in acute pancreatitis (AP). Deferoxamine is an active free oxygen radical scavenger, which has been shown to have a protective role in development of acute pancreatitis.

Aim: To determine the effects of combination of deferoxamine and meropenem in acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

The role of inducible nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, meropenem, and taurine in experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Introduction: Translocation of bacteria from the gut is one of the most important factors in the development of septic complications and mortality in acute pancreatitis.

Aims: To investigate whether S-methylisothiourea (SMT), taurine (TAU), and meropenem (MER) could effect bacterial translocation and the course of acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Methodology: Seventy male Sprague-Dawley rats were studied.

The evaluation of diagnostic methods for the detection of Helicobacter pylori in gastric biopsy specimens.

PCR is a rapid, sensitive and accurate method for the specific detection of Helicobacter pylori from gastric biopsy specimens. In our study, 104 gastric tissue specimens from symptomatic adult patients were examined by staining, culture, PCR and nested PCR methods for detection of H. pylori.

Comparison of effects of cholecystokinin and erythromycin on bile chemistry and gallstone formation in aged guinea pigs.

Background: There has been considerable interest in gall bladder motility in recent years. We compared the effects of cholecystokinin (CCK) and erythromycin on bile chemistry and gallstone formation in aged guinea pigs.

Methods: Two groups of guinea pigs (1-mo and 3-y old; n=40 each) were studied.