The Morphological Grading and Comparison of Sutural Patency Among Cranial Sutures in Dry Human Skulls.

Objective: To investigate the degree of fusion (patency) among cranial sutures in human dry skulls in the Anatolia.

Methods: One-hundred fifty-eight human dry skulls that were accepted as adults according to the teeth eruption were macroscopically examined and photographed with Canon 400B (55 mm objective). The grades of fusion of coronal, sagittal, and lambdoid were quantitatively analyzed by using the modified grading scale.

Foramen arcuale: a rare morphological variation located in atlas vertebrae.

Objective: To investigate the incidence of foramen arcuale in dry atlas vertebrae which may cause clinical problems.

Materials And Methods: Eighty-one dry human cervical vertebrae were examined. The evaluated parameters of two atlas vertebrae including foramen arcuale were as follows: maximum antero-posterior, transverse diameters and areas of the right and left superior articular facets and transverse foramina; maximum antero-posterior diameters, heights, areas and central sagittal thickness of bony arch forming roof of foramen arcuale, respectively.

Morphological and Morphometric Analysis of Foramen Magnum: An Anatomical Aspect.

Objective: To investigate the detailed morphological and morphometric analysis of foramen magnum (FM) in dry cranii.

Methods: One hundred fifty skulls of unidentified sex were macroscopically examined and were photographed with Canon 400B (55 mm objective). According to tooth eruption of the skulls, they were accepted as adults.

Coexistence of Wormian Bones With Metopism, and Vice Versa, in Adult Skulls.

Objective: The aim of the study is to investigate coexistence of Wormian bones with metopism, and vice versa, in adult skulls.

Materials And Methods: A total of 160 dry adult human skulls of unknown sex and ages were randomly selected from the Gross Anatomy Laboratory of Medical School of Dokuz Eylul University. The skulls were examined for presence of metopism, Wormian bones (WB), and coexistence of WBs with metopism and vice versa.

The Incidence and Topographic Distribution of Sutures Including Wormian Bones in Human Skulls.

Objective: The Wormian Bones are accessory bones located within the cranial sutures and fontanelles. The present article examines the incidence of Wormian Bones and compares the number and topographic distribution between the sutures including Wormian Bones in skulls of West Anatolian Population.

Methods: One hundred fifty crania were examined.

Stereological Evaluation of the Optic Nerve Volume in Alzheimer Disease.

Optic nerve damage occurs in Alzheimer disease (AD) related to the loss of the retinal ganglion cells that contribute fibers to the optic nerve and reduction of the density of axons of the optic nerve. In this study the authors evaluated optic nerve volume changes and the relation between the cerebrum and optic nerve volumes in AD patients. The study evaluated the volumetric measurements of optic nerve by applying the stereological method on magnetic resonance images (MRI).

Comparison of the Effects of 13-cis Retinoic Acid and Melatonin on the Viabilities of SH-SY5Y Neuroblastoma Cell Line.

Objective: Neuroblastoma is one of common childhood tumors. Although its mortality is very high, there is no effective treatment yet. The aim of this project is to evaluate cytotoxic effects of melatonin (MLT) an endogen hormone and 13-cis retinoic acid (13-cis-RA) also named as isotretinoin an analogue of vitamin A on neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cell line.

Anatomic features of metopic suture in adult dry skulls.

The metopic suture (MS) lies on the midline of the forehead and extends from the frontal bone to the root of the nose. The aim of the current study was to evaluate morphologic features of the complete and incomplete MSs of skulls in the West Anatolian population and rates of the suture types. One hundred sixty crania of West Anatolian people with unknown ages and sex belonging to the anatomy department laboratory of Dokuz Eylül University Medical School were examined.

Stereological evaluation of the volume and volume fraction of intracranial structures in magnetic resonance images of patients with Alzheimer's disease.

In this study, we describe and adapt the relevant methods of magnetic resonance (MR) and stereology to estimate total brain volume (TBV), cerebral and cerebellar volume and their volume fractions within the brain. The study included 15 (8 males, 7 females) controls and 15 (8 males, 7 females) patients with Alzheimer's disease. The patients' MR images were obtained in both sagittal and axial planes.

Evaluation of cerebellar asymmetry with vertigo cases: a stereological study.

Aim: We aimed to evaluate the relevant methods of stereology to estimate cerebellar asymmetry according to gender in both adult right-handed vertigo cases and healthy cases.

Material And Methods: The study included 14 adult control subjects and 18 patients with vertigo. The volumes of the cerebellar hemispheres were determined on MRI using the point-counting approach of stereological methods.

Accidents of the elderly living in Kocaeli Region (Turkey).

The accidents seen in the elderly have a remarkable impact on their family life and the society they live in. In this study, we have aimed to assess the prevalence, types and characteristics of the accidents seen among the elderly. We performed a cross-sectional study.

Ultrastructural changes in hepatocytes after taurine treatment in CCl4 induced liver injury.

Aim: To search the organelle based changes in hepatocytes after taurine treatment in experimental liver fibrosis induced by CCl(4) administration.

Methods: Thirty rats were divided into two groups. Group 1 (n = 15) was injected with CCl(4) plus taurine and Group 2 (n = 15) with CCl(4) plus saline for 12 wk.

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).

Effects of long term hydrophilic bile acid therapy on in vitro contraction of gallbladder muscle strips in patients with cholesterol gallstones.

Aim: To evaluate ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) therapy on the in vitro contraction of gallbladder smooth muscle strips from cholesterol gallstone patients.

Methods: The contraction forces of gallbladder smooth muscle strips from 28 patients with cholesterol gallstones treated with UDCA were compared with contraction forces from 14 untreated patients. The strips were stimulated with increasing concentrations of cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8).

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).

The role of allopurinol in experimental acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Background & Objectives: Acute pancreatitis (AP) in its severe form can lead to severe complications and death. Translocation of bacteria from the gut is one of the most important factors in the development of septic complications and mortality in acute pancreatitis. Oxygen-derived free radicals have been suggested to play a major role in the pathogenesis of AP.

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).

Hyperbaric oxygen-induced changes in bacterial translocation and acinar ultrastructure in rat acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Background: We aimed to investigate the effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on bacterial translocation and acinar cell ultrastructure in a rat model of acute necrotizing pancreatitis.

Methods: Forty-eight male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Acute pancreatitis was induced in groups II and III.

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.

The effect of taurine treatment on oxidative stress in experimental liver fibrosis.

Oxidative stress is important in pathogenesis of liver fibrosis, which is the result of deposition of excessive ECM proteins produced by activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). Reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production decreases collagen accumulation in liver. We investigated the benefits of antioxidant therapy in liver fibrosis and its association with HSC apoptosis.