Synthetic pyrethroids are a group of insecticides frequently used in public health and agriculture, and 3-PBA is a common metabolite of them. Although the liver is the primary organ responsible for metabolizing many compounds including pesticides, to the authors’ knowledge there have been no studies on the direct hepatotoxic effects of 3-PBA. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the possible hepatotoxic effects of 3-PBA on a Human Hepatoma Cell Line (HepG2) and the underlying apoptotic mechanisms. Firstly, an LC₅₀ of 1041.242 µM was calculated for 3-PBA by using the WST-1 test with concentrations ranging between 1 µM and 10 mM. Following that, the HepG2 cells in the experimental group were exposed to 3 different concentrations of 3-PBA (1/5 LC₅₀, 1/10 LC₅₀ and 1/20 LC₅₀) for 24 hours. The apoptotic mechanism was evaluated by using flow cytometry, and immunofluorescence assays for Caspase 3 and Bcl-2. In the flow cytometry assay, the total number of apoptotic cells increased in a dose dependent manner (p < 0.05). In the immunofluorescence assay, the Caspase 3 protein showed strong immunoreactivity in the experimental groups, while the reaction to the Bcl-2 protein was minimal. These results demonstrated that 3-PBA has a significant hepatotoxic effect on HepG2 cells and induces apoptosis via the regulation of Caspase-3 and Bcl-2. Furthermore, our results could further the understanding of the fundamental molecular mechanisms of 3-PBA hepatotoxicity. More studies are needed to determine the effects of long-term exposure to 3-PBA and also the molecular mechanisms underlying hepatotoxicity.

Primary dysmenorrhea (PDM), which is the most prevalent problem related to the menstrual cycle in women of reproductive age, is due to sleep disorders and negative moods. Circadian rhythms, which are the immediate 24-h processes, enable an organism to adapt the suitable physiological responses to the environmental light-dark changes. Disturbed circadian rhythms are closely associated with several diseases, including sleep disorders. It has been reported that variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) variant in the coding region of circadian rhythm gene PERIOD 3 (PER3) affects sleep. Therefore, in the present study, we investigated the association between PDM and PER3 VNTR variant in Turkish females. A sample of 122 females with PDM and 150 healthy females were included in the study. Genoytyping of PER3 VNTR variant was performed on DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis using specific primers. We evaluated the relation between PER3 VNTR variant and PDM by calculating the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). In our analyses of genotype data collected from total 272 subjects, we found that the PER3 VNTR variant was associated with development of PDM [codominant model (5/5 vs. 4/4 + 4/5): OR = 0.664; 95% CI, 0.39–1.10; p = 0.05). The three genotypes of the VNTR variant (4/4, 4/5, and 5/5) and their allelic frequencies showed nonsignificant differences between patients and control group (p > 0.05). In summary, PER3 VNTR variant may be associated with PDM in a Turkish female. However, further studies in different ethnic populations are needed to address the full role of this variant in PDM.

Objective: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is one of the most common inherited autoinflammatory diseases. Angiogenesis is a feature of inflammatory activation and part of pathogenic processes in autoimmune diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the role of the Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) functional variant in FMF Turkish patients. Methods: MEFV gene mutations were detected in all patients. The FMF patients (N:105) and the healthy controls (N:100) were genotyped for the VEGF I/D variant using PCR followed by agarose gel electrophoresis. The results were statistically analyzed by calculating the odds ratios (OR) and their 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) using the χ²-tests. Results: The mean age of patients was 25.46 ± 10.09. Fifty-nine patients (56.2%) had two or more MEFV gene mutations. The most common MEFV mutation was M694V/M694V. The VEGF I/D variant genotype distribution exhibited a statistically significant difference between the patients and the controls. VEGF I/D genotype was higher in controls compared to patients, while D/D genotype was higher in patients compared to the controls (p = 0.003, p = 0.013, respectively). When we examined the clinical findings, joint pain was more common in patients with VEGF D/D and I/D genotypes compared to I/I genotype (p = 0.043). Although not statistically significant, the most common genotype in patients with two or more MEFV mutations was VEGF D/D (28.6%). Conclusion: The results provided evidence supporting that the D/D genotype of the VEGF I/D variant is associated with an increased risk of FMF in a group of Turkish populations.

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), an acute viral hemorrhagic fever disease, has a high mortality rate among humans. Hemorrhagic propensity is caused by coagulation malfunction and increased capillary permeability brought on by the resultant vascular injury. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and VEGF receptor-2, or KDR (kinase insert domain containing receptor), are effective in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. CCHF was stated to have endothelial dysfunction. This study aimed to evaluate whether the VEGF and KDR gene variants contribute to the development of CCHF in the Turkish population. A total of 101 subjects, including 51 CCHF patients and 50 healthy controls, were included in the study. The polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method was used to genotype VEGF 936 C > T (rs3025039) and KDR - 604 T > C (rs2071559) variants. The results were statistically analyzed. The VEGF 936 C > T genotype and allele distributions did differ significantly between the patients and the controls. The subjects carrying the C/C genotype and C allele had a higher risk of developing CCHF than the control group (p˂0.05). There was a statistically significant association between the controls and the patients in terms of VEGF 936 C > T C/C versus C/T + T/T (p˂0.05, OR:3.273, 95%Cl: 1.44-7.63). The KDR - 604 T > C variant's allele and genotype distribution were not significantly different between the patients and controls. This study suggests the VEGF 936 C > T variant is a genetic marker of sensitivity to CCHF among the Turkish population and may help protect against the disease.