Aim: To determine the role of rutin in prevention of cisplatin induced retinal and optic nerve injury in an experimental study. Materials and methods: Totally 18 albino Wistar male rats were assigned into three groups, as follows: healthy controls (HC group), only cisplatin administered group for 14 days (CIS group), and rutin + cisplatin administered group for 14 days (RC group). Blood samples were obtained from animals just before the scarification. Serum malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), total glutathione (tGSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β) and tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) levels were investigated. The eyes were enucleated for histopathological evaluations of retina and optic nerve. Results: MDA, MPO, IL-1β and TNF-α levels were statistically significantly higher (p < 0.001) in CIS group compared with other two groups while tGSH and SOD levels were statistically significantly lower (p < 0.001). Regarding these parameters, in CIS group MDA, MPO, IL1β and TNF-α levels were statistically significantly increased with cisplatin administration and giving rutin concomitantly with cisplatin prevented this increase. On the other hand, tGSH and SOD levels were statistically significantly decreased with cisplatin administration and giving rutin concomitantly with cisplatin prevented this decrease. In qualitative analyses of histopathological findings of retina and optic nerve; the results of RC group were similar with the results of healthy controls; but there was statistically significant differences between CIS group and other two groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Concomitant rutin administration may prevent the detrimental effects of cisplatin on lipid peroxidation, oxidative stress and inflammation markers and may also avert the histopathological damage on retina and optic nerve. Further studies are warranted to determine the effects of cisplatin and rutin on eye.

Cisplatin is a non-specific platinum-based (derivative) chemotherapeutic agent that causes an increase in free radicals activity in the liver. Antioxidant activity of taxifolin has been demonstrated previously, and it has been reported that taxifolin inhibits the hydroxyl, radical in experimental studies. No studies were found in the current literature examining the protective effect of taxifolin on cisplatin-induced oxidative liver damage. We aimed to determine the protective effect of taxifolin on cisplatin-induced hepatotoxicity in an experimental study. In total, 18 albino Wistar male rats were assigned into 3 groups: healthy controls (HC group), 5 mg/kg of cisplatin administered for 8 days (CIS group) and 50 mg/kg of taxifolin + 5 mg/kg of cisplatin administered for 8 days (TCG group). Malondialdehyde (MDA), total glutathione (tGSH), total oxidant (TOS), and total antioxidant (TAS) capacity levels were measured in the extracted liver tissue. Liver tissue MDA and TOS levels were significantly higher in the CIS group. In contrast, tGSH and TAS levels were significantly lower in the CIS group, administered cisplatin alone (p < 0.001), compared to other groups. In the TCG group, administered cisplatin + taxifolin, MDA and TOS levels were significantly lower, whereas tGSH and TAS levels were significantly higher than in the CIS group (p < 0.001). These results suggest that taxifolin may be useful in preventing cisplatin-related liver injury.

Background/Aims: To investigate bone mineral density (BMD) in children with celiac disease (CD) and to evaluate the association between vitamin K levels and osteoporosis. Materials and Methods: Children with CD and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were prospectively included in the study. BMD was measured, and serum anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA, ferritin, folate, vitamin B12, 25-hydroxy vitamin D and K2, calcium, phosphate, alkaline phosphatase, and parathormone were assayed in all subjects. Results: Overall, 72 patients (mean age 11.69±3 years, 59.7% female) and 30 healthy subjects (mean age 12.27±2.12 years, 63.3% female) were enrolled. The mean BMD Z score of the celiac group was significantly lower than that of the control group (−1.23±1.07 vs. −0.35±1.04, p=0.001). Vitamin D and K2 values did not differ significantly between the two groups (p>0.05). BMD was positively correlated with vitamin D (r=0.198, p=0.001) and negatively with PTH (r=−0.397, p=0.002). Conclusion: The BMD of celiac patients was lower than that of the control subjects. There was no difference in terms of vitamin D and K2 levels between the two groups. Further studies investigating the level and effect of vitamin K on bone in CD are needed. Cite this article as: Volkan B, Fettah A, İşlek A, Kara SS, Kurt N, Çayır A. Bone mineral density and vitamin K status in children with celiac disease: is there a relation? Turk J Gastroenterol 2018; 29: 215-20.

Background and Objective: Probiotics have been shown to be effective in controlling various adverse health conditions such as antibiotic-associated diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, and neurological diseases. However, to our knowledge, there is no research on the preventive effect of probiotics on heart damage caused by infections. This study examined the preventive benefits of probiotics against sepsis-related heart injury using a rat model caused by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Materials and Methods: Four groups of twenty-four male Wistar albino rats, each with six rats, were set up. For 14 days, Group 1 (Sham Group) was given oral normal saline, intraperitoneal Escherichia coli O111-B4 lipopolysaccharide (LPS Group) was given to Group 2, and oral probiotics were given to Group 3 (Probiotic Group). Escherichia coli O111-B4 lipopolysaccharide was injected intraperitoneally after Group 4 (Probiotic + LPS) received oral probiotics containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis BB-12 (10⁹ CFU/day). Blood samples were taken twenty-four hours following the administration of LPS. The animals were then euthanized by cervical dislocation, and samples of cardiac tissue were taken in order to assess any damage to the heart. The following serum values were measured: C-reactive protein (CRP), creatine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB), cardiac troponin subunit I (cTn-I), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA), Total Oxidant Status (TOS), Total Antioxidant Status (TAS), Oxidative Stress Index (OSI), CRP, CK-MB, and cTn-I levels were assessed in tissue samples. Additionally, staining techniques were used to analyze histopathological alterations in tissues. Results: With the exception of serum IL-6 (p = 0.111), tissue and serum cytokine levels were considerably greater in the sepsis group (Group 2) than in the other groups (p < 0.05 to <0.001). The TAS, GSH, and SOD levels were significantly lower (p < 0.05 to <0.001) in septic rats, although the tissue levels of TOS, OSI, and MDA were significantly higher. With the exception of serum CRP in Group 3 (p = 0.328), the CK-MB, CRP, and cTn-I levels were considerably higher in Group 2 than in the other groups (p < 0.01 to <0.001). When compared to the other groups, histopathological examination showed significant alterations in the LPS group. Conclusions: Probiotics showed positive effects on oxidative stress markers and dramatically decreased sepsis-induced cardiac damage in the LPS-induced sepsis model. These results imply that probiotics could be used as a therapeutic approach to lessen the cardiac damage brought on by sepsis.

Cytarabine is effectively used in the treatment of adult acute leukemia, but it has a dose-limiting side effect of fatal pulmonary oedema because it increases the vascular permeability of the alveolar capillaries. The aim of the present study was to conduct a radiological, biochemical and histopathological investigation of the effect of rutin on cytarabine-associated pulmonary oedema in rats. Rats were treated with a combination of rutin+cytarabine by administering oral rutin at a dose of 50 mg/kg; other rat groups were orally administered the same volume of physiological saline. One hour after administration of rutin or saline, the rutin+cytarabine and cytarabine groups received an intraperitoneal injection of cytarabine (200 mg/kg). This administration procedure was repeated once a day for 14 days. Radiologically, 50% of the animals given cytarabine alone showed lung oedema, but the rutin+cytarabine group showed no oedema. The inclusion of rutin decreased the amounts of cytarabine-associated malondialdehyde, tumour necrosis factor-α, and nuclear factor-κB in the lung tissue. Rutin also inhibited the reduction of total glutathione by nitric oxide. These findings suggest that rutin may be a beneficial adjunct that can minimise the development of cytarabine-associated pulmonary oedema.