Background: Hepatotoxicity, a significant complication of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) treatment, is generally triggered by oxidative stress, liver damage, and apoptosis processes that take place in cancer patients. Methods: In this study, the protective effect of different astaxanthin (ASX) dosages (16 and 32/mg/kg/bw) was determined in rats with 5-FU-induced liver damage. Results: 5-FU induced a significant increase in the histopathological lesions severity and immunohistochemical (TNF-α and 8-OHdG) expression scores in the liver (p < 0.001), significantly increased serum liver parameters (AST, ALP, ALT, GGT, and TP) and malondialdehyde (p < 0.001), and, at the same time, significantly decreased antioxidant parameters (SOD, CAT, GST, GSR, Caspase-3, and GPx) (p < 0.001). Histopathological lesions and oxidative stress parameters significantly decreased in parallel while increasing the ASX dosage (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Based on these data, our results suggest that ASX may be considered a promising and valuable agent to mitigate hepatotoxicity and resistance mechanisms during cancer treatment.

Life‐threatening sepsis with high mortality and morbidity is an important cause of acute kidney injury and myocardial dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the protective effect of Micromeria congesta (MC) against kidney and heart damage caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) used as a sepsis model. Control, LPS, LPS + 25 mg/kg MC and LPS + 50 mg/kg MC groups were established from rats for the study. After the experiment, kidney and heart tissues obtained from the rats were stained with hematoxylin‐eosin for histopathologic examination. Immunohistochemical staining was performed to determine inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and DNA damage. IL‐2 for inflammation, CASP‐3 for apoptosis, HSP‐27 for oxidative stress and 8‐OHdG for DNA damage were used for immunopathologic examination. Histopathologic examination showed that the lesions in the kidney and heart tissues in the LPS group decreased with increasing doses of MC. Immunohistochemical examination showed that the expression of IL‐2, CASP‐3, HSP‐27 and 8‐OHdG was severe in the LPS group, but the severity of expression in these tissues decreased with increasing doses of MC. As a result of the study, it was histopathologically determined that MC reduced LPS‐induced kidney and heart tissue damage. In addition, MC was found to protect against LPS by reducing LPS‐induced inflammation, apoptosis, oxidative stress and DNA damage in kidney and heart tissue. In conclusion, it was seen that MC was effective in sepsis damage. However, it was concluded that MC could be an alternative in drug strategies developed for sepsis treatment with studies in vivo including more analyses.

Objective. Reveal adenoviruses (AdV) that cause pneumonia in sheep and examine pathologic changes in the pulmonary and mediastinal lymph nodes of naturally infected adenovirus-positive specimens. Material and method. For this purpose, 1459 lungs of sheep slaughtered in a slaughterhouse were macroscopically examined, and pneumonia lesions were detected in 88 (6.03%) of these. The paraffinized tissue sections of these specimens with pneumonia were examined with the immunohistochemical (IHC) and indirect immunofluorescence (IF) methods, whereas their tissue homogenates were examined using the Antigen ELISA and PCR methods for adenovirus positivity. Results. Accordingly, the prevalence of adenoviruses was determined as 19.3% for IHC, 22.7% for IF, 20.5% for ELISA and 13.6% for PCR. Hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining was performed to examine histopathological changes in the specimens that were naturally infected with adenoviruses. The histopathological examinations of the naturally infected lung specimens revealed mainly interstitial pneumonia, as well as catarrhal and verminous pneumonia findings. Consequently, it was determined that the most effective methods in the detection of adenoviruses in sheep pneumonias were found respectively as IF, ELISA, IHC and PCR. The finding that adenoviruses were observed only in the mediastinal lymph nodes of some specimens in the immunopathological methods suggested that the latency. Conclusions. The presence of adenoviruses in sheep pneumonia cases was determined with the indirect immunofluorescence, antigen ELISA and PCR methods for the first time. The possibility of the latent nature of adenovirus infection in these species was also discussed for the first time.

This study aimed to investigate the possible histopathological and immunohistochemical effects of bovine colostrum (BC) against the toxic effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) on the liver, kidney, and heart of Wistar Albino rats. Animals were divided into three groups: control, 5-FU, and 5-FU+BC. The control group received 2 mL/kg i.p. saline, the 5-FU group 100 mg/kg i.p. 5-FU, and the 5-FU+BC group received 100 mg/kg i.p. saline on the first day of the study. The 5-FU and 5-FU+BC groups received 100 mg/kg i.p. of 5-FU and 1000 mg/kg BC orally each day of the study. Liver, kidney, and heart tissues were examined histopathologically for lesions and the expression of TNF-α, HSP-27, CASP-3, and 8-OHdG. No pathologic lesions were observed in the control group, whereas severe pathologic lesions were observed in the 5-FU group. In the 5-FU+BC group, the lesions were less severe than in the 5-FU group. In immunohistochemical examination, biomarker expression was not observed in the control group, whereas it was severe in the 5-FU group and less severe in the 5-FU+BC group. At the end of the study, it was observed that 5-FU-induced pathological findings in liver, kidney, and heart tissues decreased with the use of bovine colostrum. The difference between the control group and the 5-FU and 5-FU+BC groups was significant (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Although the BC addition did not show any statistical significance in the pathological scores of 5-FU in liver, kidney, and heart tissues, it was observed that it improved the lesions of these tissues. Nevertheless, histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses showed visible improvements in the 5-FU+BC group. Although more studies are needed, it is hoped that BC will improve prognosis by both reducing the side effects of 5-FU, a good chemotherapeutic agent, and its antineoplastic properties.

OBJECTIVE: Noise-induced hearing loss is a preventable form of hearing loss that has serious social and economic impacts. This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of berberine, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent, against Noise-induced hearing loss.METHODS:After applying distortion product otoacoustic emission, 28 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into four groups. Group 1 was designated as acoustic trauma group, and rats in this group were exposed to white noise for 12 h at an intensity of 4 kHz 110 dB sound pressure level. Group 2 was the control group. Group 3 was designated as the berberine group, and 100 mg/kg of berberine was administered to rats in this group by intragastric lavage for five consecutive days. Group 4 was designated as the acoustic trauma+berberine group. distortion product otoacoustic emission was repeated on the 6th day of the study and cochlear tissues of rats were dissected for histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses after sacrificing rats.RESULTS: The distortion product otoacoustic emission results showed a significant decrease in signal-noise ratio values at higher frequencies in rats of the trauma group compared to those in other groups. Acoustic trauma caused severe histopathological impairment at cochlear structures together with severe 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine expression. Rats in the acoustic trauma+berberine group showed mild histopathological changes with mild 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine expression and better signal-noise ratio values. CONCLUSION: The histopathological and audiological findings of this experimental study showed that berberine provides protection in Noise -induced hearing loss and may have the potential for use in acoustic trauma-related hearing losses.