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Aim: To demonstrate the possible protective efficacy of nintedanib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor with demonstrated antifibrotic and antitumor activity, in a model of acute lung injury (ALI), a severe lung disease, through NLR family pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) pathways. Materials and Methods: In this study, 40 male Wistar albino rats were used. These rats were divided into 5 groups of equal sizes. Before the experiment began, nintedanib was administered orally to selected groups at doses of 25 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg. At 24 hours, 12 hours, or 1 hour after nintedanib administration, rats selected for the lung injury model were administered intratracheal LPS. Interleukin (IL)-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) amounts were measured by ELISA method and NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β and NF-kB gene expressions were measured by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. Results: It was observed that administration of nintedanib lowered the elevated NLRP3, caspase-1, IL-1β, and NF-κB expressions and the IL-1β and TNF-α cytokine levels in the tissues of rats with LPS-induced ALI. The findings obtained for the rats included in the lung injury group that received 50 mg/kg nintedanib were most similar to those of the healthy control group. Conclusion: In rats modeled with ALI, nintedanib was shown to modulate the NLRP3/NF-κB signaling pathway and reduce the effects of ALI.

Aim: The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) plays important roles in oxidative stress and various gastroenterological mechanisms. Omapatrilat, an RAAS-acting agent, inhibits both neprilysin neutral endopeptidase (NEP) and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) and may therefore affect protective mechanisms against gastric ulcer. Therefore, this study examined the gastroprotective role of omapatrilat in a mouse model of gastric ulcer induced by indomethacin to reveal pharmacological and biochemical changes resulting from omapatrilat treatment. Materials and Methods: Forty-two BALB/c mice were divided into seven groups: control, 40 mg/kg omapatrilat only, 25 mg/kg indomethacin only, indomethacin and 40 mg/kg famotidine, and three groups with indomethacin and 10-40 mg/kg omapatrilat. All chemicals were administered by oral gavage in 0.5 mL of 0.9% NaCl solution at the determined doses. Stomach ulcers were induced by indomethacin in mice treated with famotidine (40 mg/kg) and omapatrilat (10-40 mg/kg). Stomach tissue samples were examined macroscopically. Oxidative stress biomarkers of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), NEP and ACE levels as well as superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured. Results: The best antiulcer activity was measured with 40 mg/kg omapatrilat, where the gastric damage observed in the ulcer groups was significantly reversed, and gave the most similar results to the specific famotidine treatment. In relation with the increasing omapatrilat dose, SOD activity was corrected as well as GSH and MDA levels. Also the levels of ACE and NEP decreased back towards those measured in the control group. Therefore, these macroscopic and biochemical findings indicating reversal of gastrotoxicity and gastric ulcer indications demonstrate the role of omapatrilat’s NEP and ACE inhibition in indomethacin toxicity, and its strong gastroprotective potential. Conclusion: Dual inhibition of NEP and ACE by omapatrilat may suppress oxidative stress associated with indomethacin-induced gastric ulcer. Therefore, the protective effect of omapatrilat in the treatment of ulcers may lead to the search for new treatment strategies.

Objective(s): We examined the antiosteoporotic effect of bosentan (Bose) by radiographic, histopathological, and molecular methods.Materials and Methods: Rats were divided into 4 groups of 8 rats each: one control (Sham), one osteoporosis only (OP), and two osteoporosis groups treated with Bose doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg (OP+Bose50, OP+Bose100). Six weeks later, Bose was administered for eight weeks to animals undergoing ovariectomy. The left femoral bone of the rats was evaluated in vitro after surgical removal. Bone mineral density (BMD) was analyzed by Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Endothelin 1 (ET-1), ET-A, and ET-B expressions were examined by real-time polymerase chain reaction (real time-PCR). In addition, bone tissue was evaluated histopathologically.Results: Compared with the osteoporosıs group, Bose significantly increased BMD values at both 50 and 100 mg/kg doses. ET-1 mRNA levels were significantly higher in the OP group than in the Sham group, while ET-1 mRNA levels were significantly lower in Bose treatment groups. ET-A mRNA levels were significantly lower in the OP group than in the Sham group, while ET-A mRNA levels were significantly higher in Bose treatment groups. Histopathological results supported the molecular results. Conclusion: Our study is the first to demonstrate the molecular, radiological, and histopathological effects of Bose in preventing osteoporosis in rats.

Objective(s): Ovarian ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) is an extremely complex pathological problem that begins with oxygen deprivation, progresses to excessive free radical production, and intensifies inflammation. The JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway is a multipurpose signaling transcript channel that plays a role in several biological functions. Trimetazidine (TMZ) is a cellular anti-ischemic agent. This study aims to investigate the effects of TMZ on ovarian I/R injury in rats.Materials and Methods: sixty four rats were divided into 8 groups at random: healthy(group1); healthy+TMZ20(group2); ischemia (I) (group 3); I+TMZ10(group4); I+ TMZ20(group5); I/R(group6); I/R+TMZ10(group7); I/R+TMZ20(group8). Vascular clamps were placed just beneath the ovaries and over the uterine horns for 3 hr to induce ischemia. The clamps were removed for the reperfusion groups, and the rats were reperfused with care to ensure that the blood flowed into the ovaries, subjecting them to reperfusion for 3 hr. TMZ was administered orally by gavage 6 and 1 hr before operations. At the end of the experiment, ovarian tissues were removed for biochemical, molecular, and histopathological investigation.Results: TMZ administration ameliorated ischemia/reperfusion-induced disturbances in GSH and MDA levels. TMZ treatment inhibited I/R-induced JAK2/STAT3 signaling pathway activation in ovarian tissues. TMZ administration also improved the increase in the mRNA expressions of IL-1β, TNF-α, and NF-κB caused by ischemia/reperfusion injury. Moreover, TMZ treatment improved histopathologic injury in ovarian tissues caused by ischemia/reperfusion.Conclusion: TMZ treatment protected rats against ovarian ischemia/reperfusion injury by alleviating oxidative stress and inflammatory cascades. These findings may provide a mechanistic basis for using TMZ to treat ovarian ischemia-reperfusion injury.

Pomegranate peel contains bioactive ingredients such as flavonoids, ellagitannins, phenolics and proanthocyanidin compounds with high antioxidant activity. Pomegranate peel has antiapoptotic, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects due to its high punicalagin content. We aimed to determine the effect of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced uveitis. Sixty rats were seperated randomly into twelve groups (n = 5). The healthy group received intraperitoneal normal saline, the uveitis group received 200 μg/kg LPS, the dexamethasone (DEX) group received 200 μg/kg LPS plus 1 mg/kg DEX, the PPE100, PPE300 and PPE500 groups received 200 μg/kg LPS plus 100, 300 and 500 mg/kg PPE, respectively. The eye tissues were collected at 3rd and 24th hour. and investigated molecularly (Relative quantification of gene expression), biochemically (Superoxide dismutase activity, Glutathione and Malondialdehyde levels) and histopathologically (staining with Harris Hematoxylin and Eosin Y). Tumor Necrosis Factor-α, vascular endothelial growth factor, and Caspase-3 levels markedly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in the uveitic rats following PPE administration. PPE administration significantly ameliorated uveitic disorders in oxidative stress factors including Glutathione, Superoxide dismutase and Malondialdehyde, with its effects raising in a dose-dependent manner. PPE eliminated histopathological changes in eye tissues due to uveitis. PPE can be a promising agent by contributing to alternative preventive treatment methods for uveitis with its anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, antiapoptotic and antiangiogenic effects.

Abstract Paracetamol is one of the drugs that cause hepatic damage. Fisetin has wide pharmacological effects such as anticancer, antiinflammatory and antioxidant. We aimed to evaluate the possible protective effect of fisetin on paracetamol-induced hepatotoxicity. Fisetin was administered at 25 and 50 mg/kg doses. Paracetamol was administered orally at a dose of 2 g/kg for induce hepatotoxicity 1 h after the fisetin and NAC treatments. The rats were sacrificed 24h after the Paracetamol administration. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), NFκB and CYP2E1 mRNA levels and Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels of livers were determined. Serum ALT, AST and ALP levels were measured. Histopathological examinations were also performed. Fisetin administration significantly decreased the ALT, AST and ALP levels in a dose dependent manner. In addition, SOD activity and GSH levels increased, and the MDA level decreased with the treatment of fisetin. The TNF-α, NFκB and CYP2E1 gene expressions were significantly lower in both doses of the fisetin groups compared with the PARA group. Histopathological examinations showed that fisetin has hepatoprotective effects. This study showed that fisetin has the liver protective effects by increasing GSH, decreasing inflammatory mediators and CYP2E1.

This study aimed to investigate changes in postmortem urotensin II receptor (UTR) levels in brain and kidney tissues in a rat model of cardiac ischemia. The rats were divided into two groups: a control group and a cardiac ischemia-induced group. Cardiac ischemia was created by an intraperitoneal injection of a single lethal dose of isoproterenol (ISO; 850 mg/kg). Plasma UT, blood urea nitrogen, and creatinine levels were determined 0 h postmortem. Brain and kidney UTR mRNA expression levels were determined 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h postmortem. The histopathological appearance of brain and kidney tissues was also evaluated. Plasma UT and plasma creatinine levels were increased in the cardiac ischemia-induced group as compared with those in the control group (P < 0.001). Ischemia resulted in histopathological changes in brain and cerebellum tissue. The morphological evaluation revealed Purkinje cell degeneration (P = 0.037) and dark neurons (P = 0.004). The UTR expression level decreased after 1 h postmortem in the brain and after 3 h postmortem in the kidneys in the cardiac ischemia-induced group as compared with that in the control group (P < 0.001). The observed changes in UTR expression levels may be valuable in clinical practice in the field of forensic medicine. These changes may be used as a marker in postmortem evaluations of sudden death caused by ischemia-induced cardiac shock.

Abstract Our aim is to investigate the potentially preventive effects of Aliskiren in a carrageenan-induced lung pleurisy model and to compare the standard anti-inflammatory agents, indomethacin and dexamethasone. The pleurisy model was induced through the injection of carrageenan (0.2 ml-%2) into the pleural cavity. After the experiment, serum and lung tissues were collected and biochemical, molecular and pathological examinations were performed. In our study, pleural inflammation decreased superoxide dismutase activity and the glutathione level and increased the malondialdehyde level in the lung of rats, while Aliskiren increased the superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione level and decreased the malondialdehyde level. In addition, carrageenan-induced pleurisy caused a significant increase in pro-inflammatory cytokines mRNA expressions (TNF-α, IL-1β, and NF-KB), while Aliskiren administration decreased their expressions as well as the standard treatments, indomethacin and dexamethasone, did. Aliskiren administration at the 200 mg/kg dose protected the lungs in the pathological evaluation, especially against inflammatory cell infiltration and edematous lesions. It appears that Aliskiren protects the lung from carrageenan-induced pleurisy damage by regulating inflammation and antioxidant-oxidant balance via Renin Angiotensin Aldosterone System inhibition.

We investigated the potential protective effects of montelukast (MLK) on cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)–induced tissue injury in vital organs — liver, heart, kidneys, and especially lungs — through inhibition of the proinflammatory cytokine response and the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in rats. The rat groups were (1) a 10-mg/kg MLK-treated CLP group; (2) a 20-mg/kg MLK-treated CLP group; (3) a 20-mg/kg MLK-treated, sham-operated group; (4) a CLP control group; and (5) a sham-operated control group. MLK treatment significantly decreased proinflammatory (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6) cytokine levels following CLP. The lipid peroxide level increased in the lung, heart, liver, and kidney tissues after CLP-induced sepsis, and myeloperoxidase activity increased in the lung, heart, and liver tissues. MLK attenuated this elevation in all tissues except the kidney, dose dependently. The glutathione levels and superoxide dismutase activity were significantly increased in the lung, liver, and kidney tissues after MLK treatment. MLK treatment after CLP also potentially reduced mortality. The lung and kidney tissues were the most protected by MLK under sepsis conditions. We can suggest that MLK reverses the systemic inflammatory reaction to polymicrobial sepsis and thereby reduces multiple organ failure.

Montelukast, a selective reversible cysteinyl leukotriene D4-receptor (LTD4 receptor) antagonist, is used in the treatment of asthma. We have investigated alterations in the glutathione (GSH) and activity levels of antioxidative enzymes [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione S-transferase (GST), and glutathione reductase (GR)] and myeloperoxidase (MPO), as markers of the ulceration process following oral administration of montelukast, lansoprazole, famotidine, and ranitidine, respectively, in rats with indomethacin-induced ulcers. In the present study, we found that 1) montelukast, lansoprazole, famotidine, and ranitidine all reduced the development of indomethacin-induced gastric damage, with this reduction occurring at a greater magnitude for montelukast, famotidine, and lansoprazole than for ranitidine; 2) montelukast and ranitidine both alleviated increases in the activity levels of CAT and GST enzymes resulting from gastric injury; 3) montelukast and ranitidine both ameliorated depressions in the GSH and activity levels of SOD and GR enzymes caused by indomethacin administration; and 4) all doses of montelukast, lansoprazole, and ranitidine decreased amplification of MPO activity resulting from induced gastric injuries. These results suggest that the gastroprotective effects of montelukast on indomethacin-induced ulcerations can be attributed to its ameliorating effect on oxidative damage and MPO activity. Keywords:: montelukast, indomethacin, gastroprotective effect, myeloperoxidase, antioxidant enzyme

The possible role of β-2 adrenergic receptors in modulation of inflammatory and nociceptive conditions suggests that the β-2 adrenergic receptor agonist, salbutamol, may have beneficial anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects. Therefore, in this study, we induced inflammatory and nociceptive responses with carrageenan-induced paw edema or cotton-pellet-induced granuloma models, both of which result in oxidative stress. We hypothesized that salbutamol would prevent inflammatory and nociceptive responses by stimulating β-2 adrenergic receptors and the prevention of generation of ROS during the acute inflammation process in rats. Both doses of salbutamol used in the study (1 and 2 mg/kg) effectively blocked the acute inflammation and inflammatory nociception induced by carrageenan. In the cotton-pellet-induced granuloma test, both doses of salbutamol also significantly decreased the weight of granuloma tissue on the cotton pellets when compared to the control. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of salbutamol were found to be comparable with those of indomethacin. Salbutamol decreased myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and lipid peroxidation (LPO) level and increased the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and level of glutathione (GSH) during the acute phase of inflammation. In conclusion, salbutamol can decrease acute and chronic inflammation, possibly through the stimulation of β-2 adrenergic receptors. This anti-inflammatory effect may be of significance in asthma treatment, where inflammation also takes part in the etiopathology. This study reveals that salbutamol has significant antioxidative effects, which at least partially explain its anti-inflammatory capabilities. These findings presented here may also shed light on the roles of β-2 adrenergic receptors in inflammatory and hyperalgesic conditions.