Publications by authors named "Merve Acıkel Elmas"

Antibiotic-resistant microorganisms have become a serious threat to public health, resulting in hospital infections, the majority of which are caused by commonly used urinary tract catheters. Strategies for preventing bacterial adhesion to the catheters' surfaces have been potentially shown as effective methods, such as coating thesurface with antimicrobial biomolecules. Here, novel antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) were designed as potential biomolecules to prevent antibiotic-resistant bacteria from binding to catheter surfaces.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Here, we revealed the reversibility of cabazitaxel (CBZ)-induced apoptosis in PC-3 castration resistant metastatic prostate cancer cells (mCRPC) through the hallmarks of apoptosis. The recovery of PC-3 cells from apoptosis upon removal of CBZ at different recovery periods was evaluated by Annexin V, DNA damage, oxidative damage, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, and caspase activation. Our results showed that the administration of CBZ caused apoptosis for 72 h in PC-3 cells.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Nowadays, it is very important to produce new-generation drugs with antimicrobial properties that will target biofilm-induced infections. The first target for combating these microorganisms, which are the source itself. Antimicrobial peptides, which are more effective than antibiotics due to their ability to kill microorganisms and use a different metabolic pathway, are among the new options today.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) are chronic diseases that are not fully understood. Drugs in use can only be applied for a short time due to their side effects. Therefore, research is needed to develop new treatment approaches.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is found in refined foods. Apocynin (APO) is a selective NADPH oxidase (NOX) inhibitor. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate possible effects of MSG and the curative effects of APO in rats.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of apocynin (APO) on hormone levels, the blood-testis barrier, and oxidative biomarkers in monosodium glutamate (MSG) induced testicular degeneration.

Methods: Sprague Dawley male rats (150-200 g; n = 32) were randomly distributed into four groups: control, APO, MSG, and MSG + APO. MSG and MSG + APO groups were administered MSG (120 mg/kg) for 28 days.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

(1) Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the gastroprotective potential of ferulic acid (FA) on indomethacin-induced gastric ulcers in rats with macroscopic and microscopic examinations along with biochemical assays. (2) Methods: After 24 h starvation, the ulcer was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by subcutaneous indomethacin (25 mg/kg) injection. Fifteen minutes after ulcer induction, rats were treated with either tween 80 or FA.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Acute pancreatitis is a systemic inflammatory disorder characterized by the hyperactivation of digestion enzymes and the release of proinflammatory cytokines. Ferulic acid (FA) is a hydroxycinnamic acid derivative that has recently been shown to have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Aim: The anti-inflammatory effects of FA were investigated in the pancreaticobiliary duct ligation (PBDL)-induced pancreatitis model.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Obesity and male infertility are problems that affect population. Exercise is a nonpharmacological way to reduce the negative health effects of obesity. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of exercise on hormone levels, blood-testis barrier, and inflammatory and oxidative biomarkers in rats that became obese due to a high-fat diet (HFD).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Transplantation is lifesaving and the most effective treatment for end-stage organ failure. The transplantation success depends on the functional preservation of organs prior to transplantation. Currently, the University of Wisconsin (UW) and histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate (HTK) are the most commonly used preservation solutions.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Delayed autologous nerve graft reconstruction is inevitable in devastating injuries. Delayed or prolonged repair time has deleterious effects on nerve grafts. We aimed improving and accelerating nerve graft reconstruction process in a rat long nerve defect model with loop nerve graft prefabrication particularly to utilize for injuries with tissue loss.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Herein, we examined the modulatory effects ofApocynum (APO) on Monosodium Glutamate (MSG)-induced oxidative damage on the brain tissue of rats after long-term consumption of blood serum components by biochemical assays, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR), and machine learning methods. Sprague-Dawley male rats were randomly divided into the Control, Control + APO, MSG, and MSG + APO groups (n = 8 per group). All administrations were made by oral gavage saline, MSG, or APO and they were repeated for 28 days of the experiments.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study aimed to investigate how the combined use of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and exercise, to reduce the possible side effects and/or increase the benefits of exercise, would affect oxidative stress, utrophin, irisin peptide, and skeletal, diaphragmatic, and cardiac muscle pathologies. In our study, 20 mdx mice were divided into four groups. Groups; sedentary and placebo LLLT (SC), sedentary and LLLT (SL), 30-min swimming exercise (Ex), and 30-min swimming exercise and LLLT (ExL).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The seminiferous tubules where spermatogenesis occurs are enveloped and protected by the Sertoli cells to support germ cells undergoing meiosis to produce haploid gametes. Clearly, induction of apoptosis in seminiferous tubules leads to abnormalities in spermatogenesis and male infertility. Studies demonstrated that increased hyperlipidemia impairs male infertility and spermatogenesis by enhancing seminiferous tubules apoptosis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The SARS-CoV-2 virus caused the most severe pandemic around the world, and vaccine development for urgent use became a crucial issue. Inactivated virus formulated vaccines such as Hepatitis A and smallpox proved to be reliable approaches for immunization for prolonged periods. In this study, a gamma-irradiated inactivated virus vaccine does not require an extra purification process, unlike the chemically inactivated vaccines.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Hair shaft diameter is one of the most important factors for the outcome of follicular unit extraction (FUE) surgery. In fact, the hair shaft is elliptical. Therefore, it has a long and short axis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

COVID-19 outbreak caused by SARS-CoV-2 created an unprecedented health crisis since there is no vaccine for this novel virus. Therefore, SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have become crucial for reducing morbidity and mortality. In this study, in vitro and in vivo safety and efficacy analyzes of lyophilized vaccine candidates inactivated by gamma-irradiation were performed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of caffeic acid (CA) have been reported recently. In this study, the therapeutic effects of CA on ethanol-induced ulcer and the roles of nitric oxide and cholinergic pathways in these effects were investigated. Ulcer was induced by ethanol via oral gavage.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background/aims: This study was aimed to investigate the protective effects of swimming exercise on nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) associated with high fat diet-induced obesity, using microscopical and biochemical parameters.

Materials And Methods: Sprague Dawley male rats were fed either standard chow (STD group; 6% fat) or high-fat diet (HFD group; 45% fat) for 18 weeks. Animals were divided into four groups, STD, STD + EXC, HFD, HFD + EXC.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Relapsed and refractory CD19-positive B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are the focus of studies on hematological cancers. Treatment of these malignancies has undergone recent transformation with the development of new gene therapy and molecular biology techniques, which are safer and well-tolerated therapeutic approaches. The CD19 antigen is the most studied therapeutic target in these hematological cancers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The novel coronavirus pneumonia, which was named later as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, namely SARS-CoV-2. It is a positive-strand RNA virus that is the seventh coronavirus known to infect humans. The COVID-19 outbreak presents enormous challenges for global health behind the pandemic outbreak.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

We investigated the protective effects of swimming exercise on high-fat diet-induced heart and aorta damage by evaluating oxidative stress and the endothelial nitric oxide (NO) system. Sprague Dawley rats were fed either standard chow (STD, 6% fat) or high-fat diet (HFD; 45% fat) for 18 weeks, with half of the animals trained by daily swimming sessions (EXC; 1 h per day for 5 days/week) for the last 6 weeks of the experimental period and half kept sedentary (SED). Heart and aorta tissues were prepared for routine light and electron microscopy evaluation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

It has been previously shown that acetylcholine (ACh) may affect pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. The role of the cholinergic system in radiation-induced inflammatory responses and tissue damage remains unclear. Therefore, the present study was designed to determine the radio-protective properties of the cholinergic system in the ileum and the liver of rats.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF