Background : Estrogen is beneficial to patients with Alzheimer's disease but has a limited clinical use due to its proliferative and oncogenic effects on non-neuronal estrogen responsive cells. Methods : In an attempt to find an estrogen substitute that retains the beneficial effects of estrogen with minimal side effects, we compared the neuroprotective and proliferative effects of genistein, a selective estrogen receptor agonist, with those of estrogen. Results : Genistein and 17 -estradiol showed comparable levels of protection against A-induced death of cultured SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells, which was blocked by an estrogen receptor antagonist, ICI 182,780. On the other hand, 17 -estradiol, but not geninstein, induced proliferation of uterine endometrial cells. Conclusions : Our results suggest genistein as a potential alternative to estrogen in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Neuroprotective Effect of Genistein Against beta Amyloid-Induced Neurotoxicity

Infections by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii are widely prevalent in humans and animals in Turkey but little is known of the burden of their clinical toxoplasmosis. Many early papers on toxoplasmosis in Turkey were published in Turkish and often not available widely. Here, we review prevalence, clinical spectrum, epidemiology and diagnosis of T. gondii in humans and animals in Turkey. This knowledge should be useful to biologists, public health workers, veterinarians and physicians. Although one-third of the human population in Turkey is seropositive, the rate of congenital toxoplasmosis is unknown and no information is available in children 12 years old or younger. One large outbreak of acute toxoplasmosis has been reported in 14-18-year old school children in Turkey. An alarming rate (36%) of T. gondii tissue cysts were reported in tissues of sheep and water buffalo meats destined for human consumption; these reports require verification. Genetically, T. gondii strains from domestic cats and wild birds in Turkey were generally classical type II and III, like those prevalent in Europe. A separate genotype, Type 1 Africa, was isolated from two congenitally infected children and a domestic cat in Turkey.

https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/FE825B5F73653633FDEDC46BBE786D2F/S0031182019001318a.pdf/div-class-title-a-review-of-toxoplasmosis-in-humans-and-animals-in-turkey-div.pdf

A review of toxoplasmosis in humans and animals in Turkey.

Context: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is resistant to antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) and is associated with cognitive impairment. The modern Chinese medicine, compound Danshen dripping pills (CDDP), is...

Protective effect of compound Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) dripping pills alone and in combination with carbamazepine on kainic acid-induced temporal lobe epilepsy and cognitive impairment in rats.

Objective: To investigate the effects of thymoquinone (TQ) in a penicillin-induced epilepsy model in rats. Methods: This experimental study included 56 adult male Wistar rats. Experiments were performed in the Research Laboratory of the Department of Physiology, Medical School, Duzce University, Duzce, Turkey, between October 2013 and December 2014. Animals were divided into the following 7 groups: sham, control, only thymoquinone, vehicle (Dimethylsulfoxide), and doses of 10, 50, and 100 mg/kg of TQ. After rats were anesthetized, the left part of the skull was removed. A pair of silver/silver chloride electrodes was placed on the somatomotor area, and electrocorticographic recording was started. After 5 minutes basal activity was recorded, and TQ was applied intraperitoneally. At the thirtieth minute after TQ, epileptiform activity was induced by intracortical penicillin. The first spike latency, spike frequency, and the amplitude of epileptiform activity were analyzed statistically. Results: The different doses of TQ significantly increased the latency time to onset of first spike wave, and decreased the frequency, and amplitude of epileptiform activity in the first 20 minutes compared with the control group. Conclusion: Thymoquinone shows potential as an antiepileptic drug resulting from its effects of prolonged latency time, and reduced spike wave frequency and amplitude of epileptiform activity.

https://nsj.org.sa/content/nsj/21/2/131.full.pdf

Effects of thymoquinone, the major constituent of Nigella sativa seeds, on penicillin-induced epileptiform activity in rats.

Toxoplasma gondii is an apicomplexan parasite causing toxoplasmosis, a common disease, which is most typically asymptomatic. However, toxoplasmosis can be severe and even fatal in immunocompromised patients and fetuses. Available treatment options are limited, so there is a strong impetus to develop novel therapeutics. This review focuses on the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology and treatment of T. gondii infection. Chemical compounds that modify redox status can reduce the parasite viability and thus be potential anti-Toxoplasma drugs. On the other hand, oxidative stress caused by the activation of the inflammatory response may have some deleterious consequences in host cells. In this respect, the potential use of natural antioxidants is worth considering, including melatonin and some vitamins, as possible novel anti-Toxoplasma therapeutics. Results of in vitro and animal studies are promising. However, supplementation with some antioxidants was found to promote the increase in parasitemia, and the disease was then characterized by a milder course. Undoubtedly, research in this area may have a significant impact on the future prospects of toxoplasmosis therapy.

https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/11/5705/pdf

Oxidative Stress as a Possible Target in the Treatment of Toxoplasmosis: Perspectives and Ambiguities.

Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite which causes toxoplasmosis worldwide. There are limited treatment options against T. gondii infection. Once transmitted, T. gondii can spread to many organs in the body, including the brain, liver and kidneys. One of the most common signs of toxoplasmosis is a rise in oxidative stress. Therefore, our aim was to determine the antioxidant levels in the brain, liver and kidney of rats infected with this parasite. In the present study, 2–4-months old Wistar albino rats were infected intraperitoneally with 1 x 104 mL of RH strain of T. gondii dispersed in 0.9% NaCl. Post-infection after 30 days, the experiment was terminated, the rats were sacrified, and the blood, brain, liver and kidney tissues were collected for analyses. Catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were determined by ELISA assay. Increased SOD and GSH-Px levels were found in the liver of infected rats compared to controls; however, similar changes were not observed in other tested organs. These results suggest the increased oxidative stress caused by T. gondii infection can be efficiently alleviated, at least in the liver, by increased levels of antioxidant enzymes during post-infection. Further research will be required to determine the potential mechanisms of increasing antioxidant levels in the liver at 30 days post-infection, as well as the potential differences in antioxidant enzyme levels during the acute and chronic phases of toxoplasmosis.

Acute toxoplasmosis and antioxidant levels in the liver, kidney and brain of rats

The number of ATP-dependent potassium channels in myocardial cells has been previously shown to change depending on gender and age. Different effects of the ATP-dependent potassium channel blocker, glybenclamide and ATP-dependent potassium channel opener, pinacidil on ischemia or reperfusion-induced arrhythmia observed in various research might depend on different ages and genders of the animals used. The aim of this study is to research the effect of ATP-dependent potassium channel modulators on ischemia-induced arrhythmia in animals of different ages and genders. Sprague-Dawley rats of different ages and genders were used in this study. Ischemia was produced by the ligation of the left coronary artery for 30 min. Electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, infarct area and blood glucose were determined during the 30 min of ischemia. An arrhythmia score from an ECG recorded during 30 min of ischemia was determined by examining the duration and type of arrhythmia. Different effects of glybenclamide and pinacidil on the arrhythmias were observed in male and female young and middle-age rats. Pinacidil decreased the infarct zone in younger female rats, but differences in the type and length of ischemia-induced arrhythmias between females and males disappeared in older age. The results of this study showed that the effect of ATP-dependent potassium channel modulators on ischemia-induced arrhythmia changed due to the age and gender of rats.

Effect of ATP-dependent channel modulators on ischemia-induced arrhythmia change depending on age and gender

Mongolian gerbils (28 males) were divided into four groups, control (C), treadmill-exercised (Ex), treated with the extract of Diospyros kaki (Dk), and exercised plus treated with the Dk extract (Ex+Dk). Animals of the respective groups were running-exercised for 30 min per day during 8 weeks, and the Dk extract (dose 20 mg/kg) was given by gavage during five days per week within the same period. After the treatment and exercise period, an epilepsy model was produced by penicillin G injection (500 IU) into the left somatomotor cortex, and the electrocorticogram (ECoG) was recorded during 120 min. The mean frequency of spike/wave complexes was significantly smaller in the Ex and Ex+Dk groups from the 65th min of the observation period and, in the Dk group, from the 75th min than the respective value in the C group (P 0.05). Thus, both the running exercise and Dk extract applications inhibit penicillin-induced epileptiform activity by altering the spike/wave frequency or severity of seizures observed in ECoG recordings. Further studies are needed to determine the effects of physical activity of different intensities and forms and to analyze the active compounds in the Dk extract.

/pdf/penicillin-induced-epileptiform-ecog-activity-in-gerbils-3q7vmoy9wd.pdf

Penicillin-Induced Epileptiform ECoG Activity in Gerbils: Effects of Physical Exercise and a Diospyros kaki Extract

OBJECTIVE The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of Toxoplasma gondii IgG and IgM antibodies in patients who were admitted in Abant Izzet Baysal University Education and Research Hospital between January 2010 and December 2016 with a suspicion of toxoplasmosis. METHODS Anti-T. gondii IgM and IgG antibodies and IgG avidity test determined by ELISA method in 14,262 serum samples belonging to the Abant Izzet Baysal University Education and Research Hospital were retrospectively investigated. RESULTS IgG was detected in 4079 serum samples with 78% negative, 21% positive, and 0.8% gray zone. IgM was detected in 13,671 cases with 98% negative, 1.2% positive, and 0.5% gray zone. (3.8%, n=540) and neurology (3.4%, n=478) patients who were referred to the Obstetrics and Gynecology Clinic (88.3%, n=12,588) for the majority of the cases requested for the detection of T. gondii antibodies. It has been found that a request has been made. CONCLUSION The seropositivity of T. gondii has been found to be so large that it should not be ignored. It has come to the conclusion that the events in the risk group should be taken into consideration for this parasite, and awareness should be established. In recent years, this awareness has been observed, especially in neurology clinics.

Investigation of a 6-year seropositivity of Toxoplasma gondii in Abant Izzet Baysal University Educational Research Hospital.

In a penciling-induced epilepsy model, Wistar rats (16 males, 16 females) were i.p. administered with an extract of Salvia miltiorrhiza (SmE; total dose 50 mg/kg) once a day for 15 days. The rats were divided into four equal groups, control and SmE-treated for each sex. After the treatment period, an epilepsy model was produced by penicillin G injection (500 IU) into the motor cortex; the electrocorticogram (EcoG) was recorded for 120 min, and statistical analysis was performed. In the male control group with penicillin-induced epilepsy, the spike frequency was significantly (P 0.05). Thus, the SmE exerts anticonvulsant effects in the male rat group, while its effect should be characterized as proconvulsant in the female group in the penicillin-induced epilepsy model. The difference (related to the presence of estrogen analogs in the SmE) is determined by dissimilar hormonal backgrounds in males and females. The SmE may be considered as the base for development of anticonvulsant drugs for clinical therapy of epilepsy in the future.

/pdf/effects-of-an-extract-of-salvia-miltiorrhiza-on-a-penicillin-55wtancif6.pdf

Hayriye Orallar

Papers

Acute toxoplasmosis and antioxidant levels in the liver, kidney and brain of rats

Effect of ATP-dependent channel modulators on ischemia-induced arrhythmia change depending on age and gender

Penicillin-Induced Epileptiform ECoG Activity in Gerbils: Effects of Physical Exercise and a Diospyros kaki Extract

Investigation of a 6-year seropositivity of Toxoplasma gondii in Abant Izzet Baysal University Educational Research Hospital.

Effects of an Extract of Salvia Miltiorrhiza on a Penicillin-Induced Epilepsy Model in Rats