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Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the varying degrees of obesity and blood glucocorticoid levels in obese children and adolescents with and without metabolic syndrome features., Methods: We studied 241 obese children and adolescents aged between 2 and 17.6 years; 127 boys and 114 girls. All children underwent an oral glucose tolerance test. Measurements included blood pressure, cortisol, ACTH, and lipid profiles. The diagnosis of metabolic syndrome was defined according to the criteria adapted from World Health Organisation and National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel-III guidelines., Results: Blood cortisol and ACTH levels were higher in patients with MS than without MS (p = 0.02). ACTH levels increased with weight (r = 0.13, p = 0.02), systolic blood pressure (r = 0.21, p = 0.002), diastolic blood pressure (r = 0.17, p = 0.01), fasting glucose (r = 0.17, p = 0.01). Cortisol production was only correlated with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.12, p = 0.05)., Conclusions: Results from the present study indicates that there may be a link between cortisol production and the metabolic syndrome in obese children and adolescents.

In addition to metabolic and neuroendocrine actions, the recently discovered hormone ghrelin has been found to have inhibitory effects on inflammatory processes. This novel finding suggests possible involvement of the peptide in the pathogenesis of inflammatory disorders including the inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system, multiple sclerosis (MS). The aim of the present study was to evaluate serum ghrelin levels in patients with MS. Serum ghrelin levels were measured in 40 MS patients and 20 controls. Control subjects were selected from healthy individuals, matched for age, sex and BMI. Fasting plasma levels of ghrelin were determined by radioimmunoassay. Serum ghrelin level was significantly higher in MS group (226.16 +/- 35.84 pg/ml, n=40) than that in the control group (113.04 +/- 11.28 pg/ml, n=20, P<0.001). Both, relapsing remitting and secondary progressive MS patients had ghrelin levels significantly higher than controls, while there was no significant difference between the ghrelin levels of patients with these two categories of MS. This study for the first time shows that patients with MS have higher levels of ghrelin and this increase in circulating ghrelin level may function against the proinflammatory process in these patients.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ibuprofen on plasma nitrite/nitrate levels, as indirect indicators of nitric oxide, in correlation with blood pressure in a rabbit model of endotoxin-induced shock., Methods: A total of 28 rabbits were randomly divided into four groups. Control group received physiological saline, while endotoxin (ETX, E. Coli, 055:B5, 2 mg/kg, i.v.) was administered to the rabbits in the other groups: group II receiving only ETX, in addition to ETX group III received ibuprofen (30 mg/kg) 30 minutes after ETX administration, whilst the group IV received ibuprofen (30 mg/kg) 30 minutes before ETX. Arterial blood pressure and plasma levels of nitrite/nitrate were determined immediately before (time 0) and 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, and 300 minutes after ETX administration., Results: ETX administered groups had significantly higher plasma levels of nitrite/nitrate than the control group, at all consecutive measurements except at time O. Treatment with ibuprofen, either before or after ETX, partly restored the elevated levels of nitrite/nitrate. ETX also caused a significant decrease in blood pressure which was prevented in ibuprofen treated groups., Conclusion: Results from this study indicate that administration of ibuprofen prevents sudden reductions in blood pressure by inhibiting excessive production of nitric oxide in rabbit model of endotoxin-induced shock and this may be of importance for providing crucial time for therapeutic intervention and survival in septic shock.

Objective: Recent studies have concluded that an energy expenditure by an acute exercise session has no immediate effect on leptin levels while some showed a decline in leptin levels. The purpose of this study was to investigate any possible effects of training status of the subjects on acute exercise-leptin relationship in obese patients., Materials and Methods: Fourteen obese sedentary females were enrolled to the study and effects of acute incremental exercise on serum leptin levels were determined at rest and at maximal exercise performance. Then, they participated to a 12-weeks endurance aerobic training programme performed in the laboratory on a computer controlled cycle ergometer and their leptin levels were re-evaluated and the leptin-acute exercise relationships obtained under different training levels in the same group of subjects were compared. The body compositions were determined by bioelectrical impedance. Pre and post training blood samples were taken at rest and at the maximal exercise performance. Serum leptin levels were analysed in duplicate by RIA. Data were evaluated using, paired t and Pearson's tests., Results: Leptin levels were not acutely affected by the incremental exercise either before (23.62+/-3.5 ng/ml and 22.62+/-3.6 ng/ml) or after (13.13+/-3.4 ng/ml and 13.82+/-3.6 ng/ml) endurance training. The marked decrease in leptin levels following training was closely correlated with fat mass loss R= 0.899 (P= 0.0001)., Conclusions: This study indicates that an increase in energy expenditure by acute exercise has no significant acute effect on leptin level regardless of the training status of the subjects and decrease in leptin levels after a 12-weeks endurance aerobic training programme are closely associated with the fat mass loss.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pinealectomy and pinealectomy plus melatonin administration on thymus weight and histology in adult Wistar-albino rats., Methods: The animals were divided into three groups. Group I and Group II were designated as control (sham-pinealectomized) and pinealectomized rats, respectively. They received 10% ethanol (0.1 ml per day s.c.) alone. The rats in Group III were pinealectomized and daily injected with melatonin (3 mg/kg/0.1 ml 10% ethanol per day s.c.) commencing on the day seven after surgical operation. Injections were applied for two months., Results: The thymus atrophied and its weight decreased after pinealectomy (p<0.001). The cortico-medullary boundary could not be distinguished and in the thymus induced a loss of lymphoid elements, increased number of phagocytic macrophages and enlarged blood vessels. Melatonin prevented the thymic involution., Conclusions: These results suggest that pinealectomy decreases thymus weight and that long-term administration of melatonin restores thymus weight to normal levels.

Objective: To investigate the possible correlation between plasma malondialdehyde and homocysteine levels of preeclamptic patients., Design: Venous blood samples of 20 preeclamptics and 20 healthy pregnant controls were collected. Plasma malondialdehyde and homocysteine concentrations were measured and the correlation between them was investigated. Mann Whitney U test and Spearman correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis., Setting: University of Firat, Medical School., Results: Plasma malondialdehyde and homocysteine concentrations were higher in preeclamptic patients (p<0.05) and a positive correlation between these parameters was found (r: 0.77, p<0.01, n:20)., Conclusion: Our results may put forward some new strategies in the research of etiopathogenesis and treatment of preeclampsia.

Objectives: To comparatively investigate the effects melatonin and oxytetracycline as antioxidants on autologous intraperitoneal ovary transplantation in rats., Setting and Design: 28 adult female Wistar rats with regular estrous cycles were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 (n=7) was the control group; Group 2 (n=7) bilateral oophorectomy and intraperitoneal transplantation group; and Groups 3 (n=7) and 4 (n=7) firstly received 20 mg/kg/IP melatonin and 10 mg/kg/IP oxytetracycline., respectively and fifteen minutes after that, they had bilateral oophorectomy and intraperitoneal transplantation. Ovarian tissue and blood malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx) levels were determined. Vaginal cytology and ovarian necrosis were histopathologically investigated. Kruskall Wallis analysis of variance was used in the statistical analysis of data., Results: Ovarian necrosis, tissue MDA and plasma MDA levels were significantly higher in Group 2 compared to the Groups 1, 3 and 4 (p<0.03). SOD and GSHPx levels were significantly lower in group 2 compared to the groups 1, 3 and 4 (p<0.03). Melatonin was found to be more effective on ovarian necrosis and tissue MDA level than the use of oxytetracycline following autologous intraperitoneal ovary transplantation (p<0.03). There was a significant positive correlation between tissue MDA level and ovarian necrosis and a very strong negative correlation between tissue MDA and SOD level (rs = +/-0.9, n=28, p=0.000)., Conclusion: Although both melatonin and oxytetracycline were found to be effective in autologous intraperitoneal pelvic ovary transplantation, melatonin is more effective against both the ovarian necrosis and tissue MDA level in rats.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of photoperiod on testes in rat., Design: For this purpose 21 male Wistar rats were used. Animals were divided into three groups. Control rats in group I were kept under 12 hrs light: 12 hrs dark conditions (12L: 12D) for 10 weeks. Animals in group II were exposed to long photoperiods (18L: 6D), while rats in group III were exposed to short photoperiods (6L: 18D) for 10 weeks. At the end of the experiment, all animals were killed by decapitation and blood samples were obtained. Serum testosterone levels were determined with the use of a chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. The testes of all rats were removed and weighed. Testicular tissue was processed semiquantitative evaluation of immunohistochemical testosterone staining. Intensity of immunostaining was determined on a scale between 0 (no staining) and 5 (heavy staining). For morphometric comparison, diameters of seminiferous tubules in each group were measured., Results: In rats exposed to long photoperiods, testicular weights, diameters of seminiferous tubules and serum testosterone levels were significantly increased as compared to those in control rats. Whereas, exposure of rats to short photoperiods resulted in significantly decrease of testicular weights, diameters of seminiferous tubules and serum testosterone levels as compared to those in control rats and rats maintained in long photoperiods. Immunostaining of testosterone was moderate (3+) in control rats, heavy (5+) in rats exposed to long photoperiods and minimal (1+) in rats exposed to short photoperiods., Conclusions: The results of our study indicate that testicular functions increase after exposure to long photoperiods and decrease after exposure to short photoperiods.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effects of ovariectomy and ovariectomy followed by estradiol benzoate administration on the ultrastructure of pinealocytes in female rat., Design: For this purpose 15 female Wistar rats were used. Animals were divided into three groups. Group I and II were designated as sham-ovariectomized (control) and ovariectomized, respectively. Group III was ovariectomized and daily injected with estradiol benzoate for one month. At the end of the experiment, all animals were anesthetized with ketamine for fixation by vascular perfusion. Pineal glands of groups I, II and III were removed. All specimens were examined by electron microscopy., Results: Ovariectomy caused an increase of lipid droplets, mitochondria and ribosomes. Rough endoplasmic reticulum was extensive in the cytoplasm. Estradiol administration to ovariectomized rats resulted in formation of less extensive lipid droplets, mitochondria and ribosomes compared to pinealocyte ultrastructure of both control and ovariectomized rats. Extensiveness of rough endoplasmic reticulum in the pinealocytes of estradiol-administrated rats was similar to that in controls., Conclusions: The results confirm relationship between the pineal gland and gonads in the rat and it has been suggested that estradiol benzoate reverses the ultrastructural changes, which indicate increased cell activation, occurring in the pinealocytes after ovariectomy.

Objectives: Pulmonary edema has been shown to occur following ischemia-reperfusion injury in a variety of organs and effects of several pharmacological agents on ischemia-reperfusion-induced damage has been investigated previously. However, there are only a few studies in the literature about pulmonary injury following adnexial ischemia-reperfusion. In this study we aimed at investigating pulmonary changes following adnexial ischemia-reperfusion and the effects of melatonin on noncardiogenic pulmonary edema secondary to adnexial ischemia-reperfusion., Methods: A total of 32 Dunkin-Harley guinea pigs were randomly divided into four groups. In group I, oopherectomy was performed following adnexial torsion of three hours (ischemia). Adnexial torsion of three hours followed by a 3 hours detorsion period (reperfusion) and then oopherectomy was performed in remaining three groups. No therapy was given in group one and two while isotonic saline and melatonin was applied intraperitoneally in groups three and four, respectively. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of operated ovaries and lungs and polimorphonuclear leucocyte infiltration of lungs were determined., Results: MDA levels in serum, ovary and lungs were higher in detorsion groups (groups II, III) than torsion group (group I) (p<0.01). Melatonin administration significantly decreased the polimorphonuclear leukocytes infiltration of lung parenchime and MDA levels in serum, ovaries and lungs (groups II and IV; groups III and IV; p<0.01, p<0.01). MDA levels and lung tissue PNL infiltration levels of melatonin administered detorsioned group was similar to those levels of only salphingo-oopherectomy performed group (Group I and IV, p>0.05)., Conclusion: Pathophysiology of ischemia-reperfusion must be considered in the cases of adnexial torsion where detorsion is thought. As an antioxidant, melatonin administration might be helpful in decreasing post-operative morbidity by decreasing reperfusion injury of lungs.