Ornidazole suppresses CD133+ melanoma stem cells via inhibiting hedgehog signaling pathway and inducing multiple death pathways in a mouse model.

Aim: To evaluate the inhibitory effects of ornidazole on the proliferation and migration of metastatic melanoma cell line (B16F10) in vitro and its anti-cancer effects in vivo using a melanoma mouse model.

Methods: We investigated the effects of ornidazole on cell viability (Crystal Violet and MTT assay) and migration ability (wound-healing assay) of B16F10 melanoma cells, and its ability to trigger DNA damage (Comet assay) in vitro. We also sorted CD133+ and CD133- cells from B16F10 melanoma cell line and injected them subcutaneously into Swiss albino mice to induce tumor formation.

The effects of daylight exposure on melatonin levels, Kiss1 expression, and melanoma formation in mice.

Aim: To determine how daylight exposure in mice affects melatonin protein expression in blood and Kiss1 gene expression in the hypothalamus. The second aim was to assess the relationship between skin cancer formation, daylight exposure, melatonin blood level, and kisspeptin gene expression level.

Methods: New-born mice (n=96) were assigned into the blind group or daylight group.

Genetic polymorphisms of estrogen receptor alpha and catechol-O-methyltransferase genes in Turkish patients with familial prostate carcinoma.

Objectives: Estrogen is one of the most crucial hormones participating in the proliferation and carcinogenesis of the prostate glands. Genetic polymorphisms in the estrogen metabolism pathway might be involved in the risk of prostate carcinoma development. We evaluated the association between genetic polymorphisms in estrogen receptor alpha (ESR1) and catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) genes and the risk of developing familial prostate carcinoma.

Association between pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders associated with streptococcal infections disease and tumor necrosis factor-α gene-308 g/a, -850 c/t polymorphisms in 4-12-year-old children in Adana/Turkey.

Objectives: Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal Infections (PANDAS) is a newly defined disease in neuropsychiatry and occurs with an autoimmune mechanism after Group A Beta Hemolytic Streptococcus (GABHS) infection. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), encoded by TNF-α gene has an important role in the apoptotic mechanisms of autoimmune diseases. Recently, TNF-α polymorphisms and autoimmune/psychiatric disorders have been reported to be related.

Detection of cytochrome P450-2A6, -3A5 and -4B1 with real-time polymerase chain reaction in prostate tissue.

Cytochrome P450 (CYP) is a heme-containing enzyme superfamily metabolizing a wide variety of xenobiotics, including drugs and carcinogens. The majority of CYP genes are expressed in the liver, however, some CYP isoforms are also reported for a number of extra hepatic tissues. We analyzed Cytochrome P450-2A6, -3A5 and -4B1 mRNAs using real-time reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in a total of 21 homogenized prostate tissues with or without malignancy.

The importance of arginine mutation for the evolutionary structure and function of phenylalanine hydroxylase gene.

Phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH) gene mutations were investigated in 23 (46 alleles) unrelated phenylketonuria (PKU) patients in Cukurova region. First, all exons of PAH gene were screened by denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC), and then, the suspicious samples were analyzed by direct sequencing technique. Consequently, the following results were obtained: IVS10-11g-->a splicing mutation in 27/46 (58.

Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of natural leishmania infections in phlebotomine sand flies from southeastern Turkey.

In total, 320 phelebotomine sand flies from Alibozlu (Osmaniye), Kizyusuflu (Osmaniye), and Sanliurfa in southeastern Turkey were tested for the detection and identification of Leishmania in vector sand flies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay with species-specific monoclonal antibodies. We used monoclonal antibodies that recognize both Leishmania tropica and Leishmania major, and a monoclonal antibody specific only to L. tropica.

Artificial bloodfeeding of Anopheles sacharovi on a membrane apparatus.

Anopheles sacharovi, the main human malaria vector in Turkey, has been maintained in our laboratory by feeding on anesthetized rabbits for about 20 years but it is a difficult species to colonize and bloodfeed. To eliminate the need for keeping and using live rabbits to supply blood meals, artificial bloodfeeding methods with suitable membrane apparatus were investigated. The feeding apparatus designed by the World Health Organization and 3 other types designed by us (for feeding on preserved human blood) were tested.

DHPLC mutation analysis of phenylketonuria.

Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography (DHPLC) is a sensitive and fast method for the detection of mutations which has been successfully used for mutation screening in several disease-related genes. Phenylketonuria (PKU, OMIM* 261600; McKusick 1986) is one of the most common autosomal recessive disorders in Europe. Mutations in the PAH gene mainly involve point mutations.

Detection of knockdown resistance mutations in Anopheles sacharovi (Diptera: Culicidae) and genetic distance with Anopheles gambiae (Diptera: Culicidae) using cDNA sequencing of the voltage-gated sodium channel gene.

The knockdown resistance (kdr) mutation in the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (VGSCG), an important resistance mechanism against pyrethroids, was studied in Anopheles sacharovi Favre. It was found that the specific primers Agd1 and Agd2 used for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of Anopheles gambiae Giles VGSCG also amplified this genomic region in An. sacharovi.