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The aim of this study was to investigate the short-term effects of statins on rat skeletal muscle with the use of electrophysiological methods. A total of 28 adult male Wistar albino rats were given atorvastatin, rosuvastatin, and pravastatin (40 mg/kg each) intragastrically for four weeks. At the end of the study, the gastrocnemius muscle was isolated from the surrounding tissues under deep anaesthesia. It was tied with silk thread in the Achilles tendon area and then connected to an isometric force transducer. The contractile properties of the gastrocnemius muscle were assessed. Serum levels of total cholesterol and creatine kinase (CK) were measured. The muscle tissue samples were stained with hematoxylin eosin and histopathologically evaluated under light microscope. The findings revealed that cholesterol levels were significantly lower in all groups except the control group, whereas CK levels were higher in the statin groups than the control group. All three statins decreased the contractile strength and caused fatigue quickly in the gastrocnemius muscle. Histopathological changes in gastrocnemius muscle were more related to early moderate necrosis in rats that were received statins. This study demonstrates that all three statins decrease the ability of skeletal muscle to generate force and its resistance to fatigue in rats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of drinking water temperature and stocking density (SD) on oxidative metabolism in the heart, liver, bursa fabricius, and thymus in broiler chickens raised under heat stress. The experiment comprised of 360 one-day-old Ross 308 male broiler chickens randomly divided to 6 experimental groups with 4 replicates in each group. Experimental treatments included three different SD (low = 12 birds/m², medium = 15 birds/m² or high = 18 birds/m²) and two different drinking water temperature (10 °C or 31 °C) in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement. At the end of the experiment (42 days of age), two birds per replicate were euthanized for sample collection. The results indicated high SD increased oxidative damage and caused an increase in MDA formation in the heart, liver and thymus. On the other hand, cold water ameliorated the oxidative damage due to the high SD in the thymus. In the study, the statistically non-significant interaction was generally determined between cage stocking density and cold drinking water on the antioxidant system. Besides, while cold water administration increased CAT activity in heart and thymus tissues, decreased GSH activity. In conclusion, drinking water temperature and stocking density are key environmental factors effecting oxidative metabolism when broilers under high temperature conditions; however, more studies are needed in terms of the interactive effects of water temperature and stocking density on antioxidant enzymes under current conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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