In this study, we aimed to evaluate the incidence of night eating in pregnancy and the relationship between night eating scores and nutritional status, insulin resistance, and lipid profile in pregnant women. In this study, 148 pregnant women who presented to the Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinics at Konya Training and Research Hospital in Konya were divided into two groups according to their night eating scores. These two groups were compared in terms of their nutritional attitudes and metabolic parameters. Comparisons of participants meeting night eating syndrome (NES) scores versus women without NES indicated that patients with NES exhibited fever hunger at breakfast time, more breakfast skipping (p<0.05) than those without NES. Also homeostatic model assessment insulin resistance, insulin, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol parameters were significantly higher in pregnant women in the NES group (p<0.05). Also, correlations were found between higher night eating questionnaire total scores and higher HbA1c, insulin resistance, insulin, and more breakfast skipping. The results of this study suggest that night eating symptoms during pregnancy may increase and this is able to effect glucose metabolism.

We aimed to investigate the relationship between GDM and IL-27, IL-6, and body roundness index (BRI), a new anthropometric measurement more sensitive than BMI in identifying obesity and predicting cardiometabolic outcomes. We enrolled 80 patients, 40 pregnant women with GDM and 40 healthy pregnant women at midgestation. The women’s anthropometric measurements were recorded and serum markers and IL-6, IL-27 were analysed. At the time of delivery maternal, neonatal results were recorded. Women with GDM had significantly higher pregestational, midgestational and prepartum BMI and midgestational BRI; HOMA-IR; HbA1c; and IL-6 values and lower HDL values (p < .05). There was no statistically significant difference in IL-27 values between the groups (p = .939). In multivariate logistic regression analysis, HbA1c, IL-6 (>4.886 pg/mL), and BRI (>6.708) were found as independent risk factors associated with GDM (p < .05). Mean BRI was significantly associated with obesity (p < .001) and BRI higher than 6.708 was found to have 67.5% sensitivity and 80% specificity in the prediction of GDM. Women with GDM had elevated IL-6 levels, but no relationship was detected between IL-27 and GDM. BRI is a new anthropometric index that strongly correlated with BMI and seems to be a reliable alternative to BMI for the evaluation of obesity in GDM patients.

Background/aim: This study aimed to investigate the effect of chemoradiotherapy (CRT) on interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), which are critical markers of the clinical radiation response of patients with locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Materials and methods: Thirty patients who were treated with CRT and 20 healthy controls were prospectively evaluated. Circulating levels of cytokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay procedure. Post-CRT and pre-CRT levels were compared. Results: Post-CRT, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma levels were significantly lower than pre-CRT levels in the NSCLC and GBM groups, respectively. The statistical analysis did not show any significant difference between the post-and pre-CRT IL-6 levels. However, the pre-CRT IL-6 levels in the GBM group and post-CRT IL-6 levels in the NSCLC group were significantly higher than those of the control group. Conclusion: CRT affected TNF-alpha levels in NSCLC and IFN-gamma levels in GBM, with the levels of both decreasing significantly. The IL-6 levels of the post-CRT NSCLC group were higher than those of the post-CRT GBM group. Irradiation-induced IL-6 may be responsible for tumor regrowth. Therefore, treatment with IL-6 inhibitors could be a potential therapeutic strategy for sensitizing NSCLC to irradiation in the clinic.

Thymoquinone (TQ) is an ingredient of Nigella sativa and Cisplatin (CDDP) is the most active chemotherapeutic agent in lung cancer. The objective of this study was to assess the anticancer effects of TQ in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells, and its effect on the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPAR-γ) pathway. Annexin-V FITC assay was used in the NCI-H460 cell line for apoptosis. The mRNA expression of PPAR-γ, P53, BCL-2, Retinoblastoma (Rb), Cyclin-D1, RELA, Tumor necrosis Factor alpha and in a dose-dependent manner TQ activated caspases 9, 8, 7, and 3 were examined using quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. PPAR-γ protein levels elevated in all treatment groups, especially in the CDDP + TQ group as observed in mRNA results. In the CDDP + TQ + IR group, the reduction of NF-κB pathway, which provides survival and growth signaling, confirms the potential of this treatment in lung cancer treatment approach similar to p53, Rb, and PPAR-γ results. When the effect of treatment on the viability of NSCLC cells was assessed with flow cytometry analyzes, TQ alone supported death compared to control, cell viability also decreased in the CDDP or IR groups to which TQ was added. As a result, combined therapy of TQ, CDDP, and IR have been shown to increase apoptosis by sensitizing NSCLC cells to IR. These in vitro results are the basis because they demonstrate that it may be useful to include TQ in combined NSCLC cell treatments to reduce tumor progression.

Ionizing radiation–induced free radicals cause functional and structural harmful effects. Thiol, an important antioxidant, plays a major role in the eradication of reactive oxygen molecules. Thiol/disulphide homeostasis is a marker of oxidative stress. The objective of this study was to assess the potential radioprotective effects of thymoquinone (TQ) on the dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis of rats receiving total-body irradiation (IR). Twenty-two rats were divided into three groups to test the radioprotective effectiveness of TQ. The sham control group did not receive TQ or IR. The IR group received only total-body IR. The TQ + IR group received IR plus TQ. Following IR, blood samples were taken. The thiol/disulphide homeostasis parameters were analysed by a newly established method. In the IR group, native thiol and the native thiol/total thiol ratio were significantly decreased (P = 0.003 and P = 0.003, respectively), whereas the disulphide/native thiol and disulphide/total thiol ratios were significantly increased when compared with those of the sham control group (P = 0.003 and P = 0.003, respectively). In the TQ + IR group, the mean disulphide, native thiol and total thiol levels and the disulphide/native thiol, disulphide/total thiol and native thiol/total thiol ratios were not found to be significantly different when compared with those of the sham control group (P > 0.05 for all). Thiol/disulphide homeostasis was found to be disturbed after IR exposure. The results showed that TQ had antioxidant effects and reduced the IR-induced oxidative stress, which was demonstrated through the dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis. Thus, the use of TQ before radiation treatment helped protect the rats from oxidant side effects.