Özkan EA, et al. Clin Nutr Res. 2022 Jul;11(3):194-203. https://doi.org/10.7762/cnr.2022.11.3.194

Tartrazine, an azo dye prevalent in pharmaceuticals and food items, was investigated for its impact on fetal development, specifically examining visceral and skeletal abnormalities in rat offspring exposed to daily oral doses throughout pregnancy. Fourteen pregnant rats were randomly assigned to control and tartrazine groups (seven animals each), with tartrazine administered via oral gavage at 7.5 mg/kg throughout gestation. Offspring were categorized by gender for histopathological and genetic analysis of visceral structures. Bone quality and fracture resistance assessments involved micro‐CT, Raman spectroscopy, and biomechanical testing. Results highlighted distinct internal organ tissue differences in the tartrazine group, notably increased hemorrhagic and inflammatory cell infiltration, degeneration, and vacuolization compared to controls. Gender‐specific alterations in mRNA levels of IL‐6 , IL‐1β , TNF‐α , and TRPM2 genes ( p < .001) were also noted. Moreover, tartrazine‐exposed groups exhibited reduced trabecular thickness, bone volume, and significant alterations in bone matrix composition and quality alongside significant decreases in fracture resistance ( p < 0.05). This study concludes that intrauterine exposure to tartrazine can result in adverse impacts on organ and bone development in rat offspring.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate difficulties in emotion regulation, emotional eating, and impulsivity in children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Materials and Methods: The study included 53 children who were diagnosed with T1DM, and a control group of 50 subjects. The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School-age Children—Present and Lifetime Version, Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale— Short Form (DERS-16), Emotional Eating Scale-Child and Adolescent Form (EES-C), and the Barratt Impulsivity Scale 11—Short Form (BIS-11) were administered to the participants. Results: In the T1DM group, the disease duration was a mean of 52.7 ± 40.62 months, and only 17% had good metabolic control. The rate of psychiatric disorder determined was significantly higher in the T1DM group (P = .001). No significant difference was determined between the 2 groups in respect of the DERS-16, EES-C, and BIS-11 total and subscale scores. However, in multivariate linear regression, the increase in BIS-11 total score was affected by increasing DERS impulse (β = 0.475), decreasing age (β = −0.209), and presence of T1DM (β = 0.211). An increase in the DERS-16 total score was associated with the presence of psychiatric disorder (β = −0.258) and an increase in BIS-11-A (the second scale assesses concentration problems) (β = 0.317) score. In the T1DM group, the glycated hemoglobin level was lower in the group with insulin treatment with the injection method (8.2 ± 2.1%) than in those with the pump method (9.1 ± 1.5%) (P = .069). Conclusion: It is important that mental health professionals take an active role in all processes of the disease in order to protect the mental health of children with T1DM. Cite this article as: Yıldız Miniksar D, Öz B, Kılıç M, et al. An evaluation of difficulty in emotion regulation, impulsivity, and emotional eating in children and adolescents diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Turk Arch Pediatr. 2024;59(1):78-86.

Copper sulfate is a pesticide widely used in Türkiye to treat bacterial and fungal infections on various fruit and nut trees. Despite its widespread use, insufficient data are available regarding its potential teratogenic and toxic effects during pregnancy. This study aimed to investigate the organ oxidative stress, immunohistochemistry, histopathology, and genetic effects of copper sulfate exposure in rat fetuses during pregnancy. Pregnant Wistar rats were administered 100 mg/kg copper sulfate daily via oral gavage throughout gestation. Fetuses were collected on day 21 of gestation and subjected to double skeletal staining to assess bone development. Additionally, fetal organ samples (liver, kidney, lung, brain, placenta, and heart) were analyzed histologically by Hematoxylin–Eosin (H&E) staining and immunohistochemically for inflammatory markers such as Tumor Necrosis Factor-Alpha (TNF-α), Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB), and Interleukin-6 (IL-6), and mRNA analysis was performed using real-time PCR for TNF-α , IL-6 , and NF-κB . Oxidative stress was assessed using ELISA and biochemical assays for malondialdehyde (MDA), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS). In the copper sulfate groups, compared to the control group, an increase in the number of degenerative glomeruli in the kidney and inflammatory cell infiltrations in the heart tissue, more frequent bleeding and cell infiltrations in the lungs, and an increase in the number of degenerative neurons in the brain and both giant trophoblast cells and glycogenic trophoblast cells in the placenta were observed. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed a significant increase in proinflammatory markers, including TNF-α, NF-κB, and IL-6, in fetal tissues in the copper sulfate-exposed group. Biochemical assessments showed a significant decrease in TAS and increases in MDA and TOS levels, indicating a marked oxidative stress state in all tissues examined. Furthermore, skeletal staining analyses revealed significant impairments in bone development in fetuses in the copper sulfate-exposed group compared to the control group. These findings suggest that prenatal copper sulfate exposure may cause significant histological damage, inflammatory responses, oxidative stress, and skeletal development in rat fetuses. Given the widespread use of copper sulfate in agriculture and the potential for human exposure, particularly among pregnant women in agricultural regions, further research is needed to reveal the full extent of its developmental toxicity.

Alcohol use disorder has negative effects on the reproductive system through the development of oxidative stress and its genotoxic effects on DNA integrity. Acute and chronic alcohol use adversely affects the male reproductive system. Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) levels, which are involved in oxidative stress, may be important in the reproductive system in alcohol use disorder. PI3K and mTOR immunoreactivities were evaluated in testicular tissue in an experimental acute and chronic alcohol intake model in male rats. Rats were divided into 3 groups as control male (n=7), acute male (n=7) and chronic male model (n=7). Histopathological analysis of testicular tissues taken from the experimental groups was performed by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Then, testicular tissues of the experimental groups were dissected and PI3K and mTOR expressions were determined by immunohistochemistry method. According to the H&E staining results, when the experimental groups were compared with the control group; It was observed that spermatozoa were less or absent in acute and chronic groups. mTOR and PI3K expressions were significantly increased in testicular tissues belonging to chronic and acute alcohol model groups. In the chronic alcohol model, both mTOR and PI3K expressions were significantly increased compared to the acute and control groups. Our research reveal that PI3K and mTOR molecules, which are involved in oxidative stress in acute and chronic alcohol intake, may be associated with damage to the reproductive system. PI3K and mTOR proteins, can be targeted at the point of treatment against alcohol-induced reproductive damage.

Copper (Cu) is a cofactor for most enzymes and an essential trace element. However, elevated levels of Cu exposure cause toxic effects in various tissues. Aquaporins (AQP) are integral membrane proteins that play a key role in fluid transport, particularly in kidney tissues. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the expression of AQP-1, -2, and -3 in the kidneys of female and male rats following the administration of high-dose copper sulfate (CuSO4). First, the control group (n=10) received saline via oral gavage, while the experimental group (CuSO4) (n=10) received 100 mg/kg/day via oral gavage for 14 days. Histopathological, PAS staining, and immunohistochemical evaluation of AQP-1, -2, and -3 were then performed on kidney tissues from the control and experimental groups. CuSO4 caused tubular vacuolization in the kidneys. CuSO4 administration decreased AQP-2 levels while increasing AQP-1 and AQP-3 levels. These findings suggest that CuSO4 may have re-modulated AQP-1 and AQP-3 levels due to the tubular vacuolization and degeneration it caused; however, the effect of CuSO4 on estrogen levels in females and the vasopressin effect via AQP-2 need to be investigated in detail.