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Biomedical subjects

H Oz

Publications and source records attributed to H Oz.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Thymosin alpha 1 protects liver and aorta from oxidative damage in atherosclerotic rabbits.

The thymus hormones were reported to be effective on lipid peroxidation and the antioxidant system. Thymus plays a broader role than just regulating the immune system. Thymosin alpha 1 is the first subgroup extracted from thymosin F5 and has higher biological activity than thymosin F5. In the present study, we have examined the effects of thymosin alpha 1 on lipid levels and lipid peroxidation and glutathione (GSH) content in the plasma, liver and aorta tissues of atherosclerotic rabbits. At the end of thymosin alpha 1 treatment, we determined the lipid levels and lipid peroxidation of the plasma, liver and aorta tissues and hepatic subcellular fractions in these rabbits. Our results demonstrated that thymosin alpha 1 might normalize changed lipid levels and increased lipid peroxides and also elevate decreased GSH in the plasma, liver and aorta tissues of atherosclerotic rabbits. Results of this study suggest that thymosin alpha 1 may be beneficial to prevent and/or to treat atherosclerosis.

Animals

Comparison of intrapleural versus intravenous morphine for postthoracotomy pain management.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the analgesic effects of intrapleural and intravenous morphine administration for postthoracotomy pain management. DESIGN: Randomized, prospective trial. SETTING: University teaching hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-eight consenting patients scheduled for elective thoracotomy operations. INTERVENTIONS: Patients were randomly allocated into two groups to receive either 20 mg of intrapleural morphine (IPM group) or 20 mg of intravenous morphine (IVM group) at the end of the operation. Plasma morphine levels, arterial pressures, heart rate, verbal analog scale (VAS), respiratory rate, and PaCO2 levels were compared in two groups. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Plasma morphine levels were significantly higher in the IVM group at the 5th minute until the 2nd postoperative hour. VAS was significantly higher in the IVM group. Respiratory rates were significantly higher in the IPM group, whereas PaCO2 remained significantly lower than in the IVM group. CONCLUSIONS: IPM achieved better analgesia than IVM and this effect is probably attributable to peripheral effects of morphine.

Analgesia

The role of thymosin F5 on anemia in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

New Zealand White rabbits were made hypercholesterolemic by feeding a high cholesterol diet (20 g/kg diet) for 3 months. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were monitored as a function of time. At the end of 3 months, the plasma lipid levels, the whole blood, erythrocyte and haemoglobin-bound 2,3-DPG levels and leucocyte counts increased, whereas erythrocyte counts, hematocrit and haemoglobin levels decreased significantly in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. At the end of 3 months, the rabbits in the experimental group were divided into two groups. The first group was fed a standard diet for 21 days. The second group received 0.5 mg/kg thymosin F5 injection i.p. every other day for 21 days. After this period, the plasma lipid levels, the whole blood, erythrocyte and haemoglobin-bound 2,3-DPG levels, erythrocyte and leucocyte counts, hematocrit and haemoglobin levels were measured. Rabbits fed diets supplemented with thymosin F5 had markedly lower plasma lipid levels, erythrocyte counts, hematocrit and haemoglobin levels and enhanced leucocyte counts, but did not have significantly less whole blood, erythrocyte and haemoglobin-bound 2,3-DPG levels. We conclude that thymosin F5 has lipid-lowering effects in hypercholesterolemic rabbits. The data further suggest that effects of thymosin F5 on haematological parameters are due to the cholesterol decrease and not to the direct regulatory mechanism.

2,3-Diphosphoglycerate

Serum fructosamine correlates with gingival index in children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).

Fructosamine assay, which is used in diagnosing and monitoring diabetic patients, is compared with the hemoglobin and plasma glucose assays in children and adolescent insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients. We demonstrated that the gingival index scores were correlated with fructosamine values in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients but not in non-diabetic controls. We also found that there was no correlation between gingivitis scores and fasting plasma glucose and HbA1c values. Periodontitis was found to be rare in diabetic children and adolescents.

Adolescent

Fructosamine as a possible monitoring parameter in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus patients with periodontal disease.

Fructosamine assay is a new test used in the diagnosis and monitoring of diabetic patients. This assay may be of interest to the periodontist for, while the traditional plasma glucose value would give a general view and information about diabetic control at a certain point, the fructosamine concentration gives an indication of the plasma glucose level over a considerable period of time, such as 1 to 3 weeks. We investigated whether there was any relation between the diseased state of the periodontal tissues and plasma fructosamine and the plasma glucose values in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients. We found that fructosamine correlated with the degree of gingival bleeding, however serum glucose levels had little or no correlation.

Blood Glucose

The effect of thymosin fraction 5 on lipid peroxidation in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet.

Plasma and erythrocyte lipid levels and susceptibility of erythrocytes to lipid peroxidation were determined in rabbits fed diet containing 2% (w/w) cholesterol, for 3 months. Hypercholesterolemic rabbits had high plasma and erythrocyte lipid peroxide levels as compared to control rabbits. After high-cholesterol diet, the rabbits in the experimental group were divided into two groups. The first group was fed a normal diet for 21 days and the second group was given normal diet plus thymosin F5 injections every other day for the same period. At the end of this period, plasma and erythrocyte lipid peroxide levels were significantly decreased in the group injected with thymosin F5.

Animals

Effect of thymosin fraction 5 (F5) on erythrocyte glutathione and lipid peroxide levels in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

The effect of thymosin F5 injection on the erythrocyte glutathione levels were investigated in the rabbits fed 2% cholesterol diet for 4 weeks. Although the cholesterol rich diet caused a significant decrease in erythrocyte glutathione levels, erythrocyte lipid peroxide levels were increased considerably. After a cholesterol-rich diet, the rabbits were injected thymosin F5 (0.5 mg/kg body weight, i.p) every other day for 21 days. Thymosin F5 treatment caused a significant increase in erythrocyte glutathione levels. However erythrocyte lipid peroxide levels decreased significantly. These findings suggest that thymosin F5 is effective on both the glutathione concentration and the propagation of lipid peroxidation in red blood cells.

Animals

Influence of thymic fraction 5 on erythrocyte (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity in hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

The effects of thymus fraction 5 injection on cholesterol, triglyceride and phospholipid levels in plasma and erythrocytes as well as on membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity were investigated in rabbits fed a high-cholesterol diet for 3 months. While cholesterol feeding caused an increase in plasma and erythrocytes phospholipid levels, (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity was found to be reduced. After high-cholesterol diet, the rabbits were given normal diet with or without thymosin F5 injections every other day for 21 days. Thymosin F5 treatment caused a significant decrease in plasma and erythrocyte phospholipid levels whereas membrane-bound (Na+ + K+)-ATPase activity was increased significantly. It is concluded that hypercholesterolemic lesions and the decreased erythrocyte ATPase activity may be eliminated by thymic extracts in rabbits.

Animals

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase and acetylcholinesterase activities in brain capillaries of cholesterol-fed rabbits.

Cerebral microvascular endothelium, the constituent cell of the blood-brain barrier, is enriched in the enzyme gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT). This enzyme plays a role in the regulation of amino acid uptake and transport, and in the gamma-glutamylation of serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. Recent studies have demonstrated that GGT activity is modulated by cholinergic-adrenergic agonists. The levels of the acetylcholine-catabolizing enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), may therefore be related to the modulation of the GGT activity. In this study, the activities of GGT and AChE in microvessel-enriched fractions were assayed after feeding of rabbits a high cholesterol diet. A 21% decrease of GGT activity and a 44% increase of AChE activity appeared at the end of dietary treatment.

Acetylcholinesterase

Mitochondrial and microsomal lipid peroxidation in rat liver after acute acetaldehyde and ethanol intoxication.

The effects of acetaldehyde and ethanol treatments on hepatic lipid peroxidation are compared in rats after the administration of toxically corresponding doses. Wistar rats were given a single dose of acetaldehyde (0.5 g/kg) or ethanol (5 g/kg) intraperitoneally. The animals were killed 1/2, 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, 12 and 24 h after treatments. The results indicate that acetaldehyde, like ethanol, stimulates hepatic lipid peroxidation and also selectively affects the hepatic mitochondria.

Acetaldehyde

Increased hepatic lipid peroxidation in aged mice.

In recent years, the free radical theory of aging has attained great interest. Many studies on aging using tissue homogenates and subcellular fractions have provided evidence for the occurrence of lipid peroxidation. However, there are studies which report decrease or no significant change in parameters of lipid peroxidation. In our study, we investigated whether hepatic lipid peroxidation levels in male Swiss-Albino mice change with age. Three groups of animals, 3, 6 and 18 months old, were used. The diene conjugate and malondialdehyde levels of liver homogenates, mitochondria and microsomes were measured. Significant increases in both diene conjugate and malondialdehyde levels of liver homogenates and mitochondria have been observed in 18-month-old mice when compared with those aged 3 and 6 months. As for microsomes, only malondialdehyde levels were elevated in the old group when compared with young and adult groups. Both parameters were significantly increased in aged mice which indicate that lipid peroxidation is important in advancing age in mice.

Age Factors

The effect of heat-stable extract from bovine sublingual salivary gland on serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels in normal and hypercholesterolemic rabbits.

An extract of bovine sublingual glands (SLF3) reduced the serum cholesterol levels of normal rabbits 34.6% and serum triglyceride levels 19.6% when injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) at 20 mg/kg body wt on alternate days for 7 days. SLF3 also reduced serum cholesterol levels 69.0% and triglyceride levels 46.5% in hypercholesterolemic rabbits, while in similar rabbits injected with a control muscle tissue extract, the rate of decrease in serum cholesterol levels was 33.3% and triglyceride levels 26.7%.

Animals

Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase alterations in liver and serum induced by haloperidol.

Changes in the activity of the microsomal enzyme gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) were examined in liver and serum following subacute and chronic haloperidol administration to rats. Haloperidol increased both serum and liver GGT levels. The enzymatic activity returned to baseline values on the sixth day after withdrawal of the drug. It is concluded that alterations in serum GGT levels may be expected during prolonged treatment of haloperidol, and that these alterations reflect enzyme induction in liver microsomes where the drug is entirely metabolized.

Animals

The effect of heat-stable extract from bovine sublingual salivary glands on the carbohydrate metabolism of the rabbit.

This extract (SLF3) caused hyperglycaemia when injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) into rabbits (20 mg/kg body wt) which was maximal at 0.5 h and took 2 h to return to the initial value. SLF3 also produced a two-fold increase in corticosteroid levels compared to controls, so the increase in blood glucose was probably mediated by adrenal cortical hormone stimulation.

11-Hydroxycorticosteroids