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Objectives: Investigating the ameliorative effects of melatonin on cytokine levels, apoptosis, and NF-κB immunoreactivity in rats with cerulein-induced acute pancreatitis., Materials and Methods: Thirthy-two Wistar Albino rats were divided into four groups: Control group which didn't undergo acute pancreatitis induction and was left without treatment, pancreatitis group in which the acute pancreatitis was induced by 2 successive intraperitoneal doses of cerulein at a 2-hour interval (50 µg/kg and then 25 µg/kg), melatonin-treated pancreatitis group which was intraperitoneally administrated with 50 mg/kg of melatonin, 30 min before each cerulein injection, and melatonin group which was intraperitoneally administrated with 2 successive doses of melatonin (50 mg/kg each) at a 2-hour interval. Pancreatic tissue and blood samples were taken from animals of all groups. IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 levels were determined in blood samples. Apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL assay and the NF-κB was detected immunohistochemically in acinar cells of the exocrine pancreatic portion., Results: IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-10 levels in the acute pancreatitis group were significantly increased when compared to the control negative group. IL-1β and TNF-α levels in the melatonin-treated pancreatitis group were significantly lower than those of the acute pancreatitis group. While number of apoptotic cells and percentage of NF-κB immunopositive cells in the acute pancreatitis group were significantly increased compared to other groups and it was observed that these parameters were significantly reduced in the melatonin-treated pancreatitis group compared to the acute pancreatitis group., Conclusion: These findings suggest that melatonin administration can significantly reduce the severity of acute pancreatitis in rats., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Avian ceca play an important role in liquid absorption, cellulose digestion, and defensive mechanism. This study aims to demonstrate histological and histochemical characteristics of developing chicken cecum. For this purpose, 10 embryos on the 18th day of incubation, 10 chicks on hatching day and 10 chicks on the seventh day post-hatching were used. The histological sections prepared from proximal, middle, and distal parts of cecum were stained with Crossmon's triple stain, periodic-acid Schiff, Alcian blue (pH 2.5), Masson-Fontana's argentaffin silver stain and Gordon and Sweets's silver stain. Alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase (ANAE) and acid phosphatase (ACP-ase) were also demonstrated in the sections. In the proximal part, although the villi were rudimentary on the 18th day of incubation, well-developed villi were seen at seventh day post-hatching. In middle and distal parts, while it was seen that rudimentary folds appeared on the 18th day of incubation, mucosal folds were prominent and short villi were formed on the hatching day and seventh day post-hatching. Goblet cells and enteroendocrine cells were detected from the 18th day of incubation. The lymphoid follicles supported with reticular fibres were seen on the seventh day post-hatching in proximal cecum wall. While ACP-ase (+) lymphocytes were rarely observed, more ANAE (+) lymphocytes were in lymphoid follicles. As a result, development of cecum in chickens has been demonstrated by histological techniques in this study., (© 2023 Wiley-VCH GmbH. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The study aimed to determine the relationship between sexual self-efficacy and sexual self-consciousness levels and pregnant women's attitudes toward sexuality. The data of this descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational study were collected from 318 pregnant women between September 2020 and May 2021. A personal information form and the Sexual Self-Efficacy (SSES), Sexual Self-Consciousness (SSCS) Scale, and Attitude toward Sexuality in Pregnancy Scale (AStSdP) were used to collect the data. Six out of ten pregnant women had a positive attitude toward sexuality during pregnancy, and their sexual self-efficacy (26.35  ±  6.71) and sexual self-consciousness (24.75  ±  9.10) levels were moderate. Participants' AStSdP mean score had a moderate positive correlation with the SSES mean score, a low negative low level relationship with the SSCS mean score, and a moderate negative relationship with sexual shyness ( p  < .05). Risk factors for attitude toward sexuality during pregnancy were SSES total score (Odds Ratio [OR] = .90, 95 percent Confidence Interval [CI] = .86-.95), sexual shyness score (OR = 1.23, 95 percent CI = .901-1.02), and partner training (OR = 3.93, 95 percent CI = 1.58-9.77). Sexual self-consciousness, sexual shyness, and education level of the partner influenced pregnant women's attitudes toward sexuality during pregnancy. Attitudes toward sexuality, sexual self-efficacy, and sexual self-consciousness levels of pregnant women should be determined in prenatal follow-ups.

Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the possible embryotoxic effects of propofol, a general anaesthetic agent that is commonly used in clinical practice, on peripheral blood lymphocytes using enzyme histochemical techniques., Methods: For this purpose, 430 laying hen fertile eggs were used for this study. The eggs were divided into 5 groups as control, solvent-control (saline), 2.5 mg kg-1 propofol, 12.5 mg kg-1 propofol, and 37.5 mg kg-1 propofol, and injections were performed via the air sac just before the incubation. The peripheral blood alpha naphthyl acetate esterase and acid phosphatase-positive lymphocyte ratios were determined on the hatching day., Results: No statistically significant difference was found between both alpha naphthyl acetate esterase and acid phosphatase-positive lymphocyte ratios of the control and solvent-control groups. However, when compared with the control and solvent-control groups, statistically significant decreases were observed in the peripheral blood alpha naphthyl acetate esterase and acid phosphatase-positive lymphocyte ratios of the chicks from the propofol-injected groups. Besides, the difference between 2.5 mg kg-1 and 12.5 mg kg-1 propofol groups is not significant, whereas the difference between these 2 groups and the 37.5 mg kg-1 propofol group was statistically significant (P < .05)., Conclusions: It was concluded that propofol given to fertilised chicken eggs just before incubation caused significant decreases in both the peripheral blood alpha naphthyl acetate esterase and acid phosphatase-positive lymphocyte ratios.

Purpose: This study aims to examine the predictors of Orthorexia Nervosa behavior in women., Design and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 418 women of reproductive age in Turkey., Findings: More positive attitudes towards healthy eating and higher levels of control were significantly associated with more positive intentions. High Orthorexia Nervosa and low control were significantly associated with high body mass index., Practice Implications: Within the framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior, predictors of Orthorexia Nervosa behavior in women were determined as an attitude towards healthy eating, perceived behavioral control, intention, and body mass index., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine of the effects of in ovo administered BPA on embryonic development of the tibial growth plate using histological methods in chickens., Methods: Three hundred and ten fertile eggs of Isa Brown laying parent stock were divided into five groups as untreated control, vehicle-injected control, 50, 100, and 250 μg/egg BPA. At the 13th, 18th, and 21st days of incubation, eggs were randomly opened from each group until 10 live embryos were obtained. Embryos were weighed and crown-rump length was measured. Tibial tissue samples were taken from embryos. Tibia weight, relative tibia weight and tibia length were determined. Tissue samples were fixed in 10% buffered formalin solution. Sections were stained with Safranin O staining methods and zones in the growth plate were measured. Also, proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) was stained immunohistochemically., Results: The mortality in the BPA treated groups was higher than untreated control group. The results have revealed that mean relative embryo weights, crown-rump length, mean tibia weight, relative tibia weight, and tibia length of BPA treated groups were significantly lower when compared to the untreated control and vehicle-injected control groups. Also, proliferative zone get significantly narrowed, whereas the transitional and hypertrophic zone thickened and PCNA positive chondrocytes increased in growth plate of BPA treated groups., Conclusion: These results have suggested that developmental exposure to BPA adversely affected development of the tibial growth plate., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Bisphenol A (BPA), one of the endocrine disrupting chemicals, is the object of great concern because of its widespread use throughout the world. In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of in ovo administrated BPA on the bursa of Fabricius and percentage of acid phosphatase positive lymphocyte in peripheral blood by means of histological and enzyme histochemical methods. For this purpose, 310 fertile eggs of Isa Brown laying parent stock were used. The eggs were divided into 5 groups as control, vehicle control, 50, 100, and 250μg/egg BPA. At days 13, 18, and 21 of incubation, eggs were opened until 10 living embryos were obtained from each group. Tissue samples were taken from the obtained embryos and processed for enzyme histochemical methods in addition to routine histological techniques. It was observed that, in BPA-treated groups, embryonic development of bursa of Fabricius was retarded. It was also indicated that the percentage of peripheral blood ACP-ase positive lymphocytes was significantly decreased. These results suggested that a limited maternal transfer of BPA into the eggs might be lead to immunosuppression in chicks., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The effects of bisphenol A on the some plasma cytokine levels and distribution of CD8 + and CD4 + T lymphocytes in spleen, ilealPeyer's patch and bronchus-associated lymphoid tissue in rats were investigated. A total of fourty male Wistar Albino rats were divided into five groups including 8 rats in each one: control, vehicle, BPA 5, BPA 50 and BPA 500 groups. Doses of 5, 50 and 500 μg/kg BPA were dissolved in ethanol, then mixed with corn oil. The control group received no treatment. The vehicle group was given the ethanol-corn oil mixture. BPA 5, BPA 50 and BPA 500 groups were given, respectively, 5, 50, and 500 μg/kg/day orally. In blood samples, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10 and TNF-α plasma levels were determined with ELISA. Tissue samples (spleen, ileal Peyer's patches and lung) were processed by means of routine histological techniques. CD4 and CD8 were stained immunohistochemically. Data obtained from this study showed that, BPA causes the alteration on immune parameters including cytokine profile, distribution of CD8 + and CD4 + T lymhpocytes in spleen and ileal Peyer's patches. Present study indicated that BPA may affect immune systems even at lower doses.Disruption of immun system cells and cytokine levels can result in harmful outcomes triggering autoimmune diseases and immunodeficiencies., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.)

Glycyl-L-histidyl-L-lysine-Cu(II) (GHK-Cu(2+))-loaded Zn-pectinate microparticles in the form of hydroxypropyl cellulose (HPC) compression-coated tablets were prepared and their in vitro behavior tested. GHK-Cu(2+) delivery to colon can be useful for the inhibition of matrix metalloproteinase, with the increasing secretion of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPS),which are the major factors contributing in mucosal ulceration and inflammation in inflammatory bowel disease. The concentration of peptide was determined spectrophotometrically. The results obtained implied that surfactant ratio had a significant effect on percent production yield (1.25 to 1.75 w/w; 72.22% to 80.84%), but cross-linking agent concentration had not. The entrapment efficiency (EE) was found to be in the range of 58.25-78.37%. The drug-loading factor significantly increased the EE; however, enhancement of cross-linking agent concentration decreased it. The release of GHK-Cu(2+) from Zn-pectinate microparticles (F1-F8) in simulated intestinal fluid was strongly affected by cross-linking agent concentration and drug amount (50 mg for F1-F6; 250 mg for F7-F8), but not particularly affected by surfactant amount. Release profiles represented that the microparticles released 50-80% their drug load within 4 h. Therefore, the optimum microparticle formulation (F8) coated with a relatively hydrophobic polymer HPC to get a suitable colonic delivery system. The optimum colonic delivery tablets prepared with 700 mg HPC-SL provided the expected delayed release with a lag time of 6 h. The effects of polymer viscosity and coat weight on GHK-Cu(2+) release were found to be crucial for the optimum delay of lag time. The invention was found to be promising for colonic delivery.