Aday U, et al. Ann Surg Treat Res. 2020 Sep;99(3):161-170. https://doi.org/10.4174/astr.2020.99.3.161

The influence of FSH receptor (FSHR) variants on male infertility is not completely understood. The present investigation is the first screening study for SNP at nucleotide position −29 in the core promoter region and codon 680 in exon 10 of theFSHRand the effect of the serum levels of FSH on male infertility in Southeast Turkey. The SNPs in codon 680 and at position −29 of theFSHRgene were analyzed by PCR-RFLP technique in 240 men with proven fathers, and 270 infertile men (150 nonobstructive azoospermic and 120 severe oligozoospermic). The separate analysis for SNP at nucleotide position −29 did not show any difference in genotypic frequencies and serum FSH levels. The genotype distribution of SNP at position 680 was different but does not influence serum FSH levels. Together the two SNPs form four discrete haplotypes (A-Thr-Asn, G-Thr-Asn, A-Ala-Ser, and G-Ala-Ser) occurring in 10 combinations. A statistically significant difference in the allelic distribution of G-Asn/G-Ser and G-Ser/G-Ser genotype between proven fathers and infertile men but there were not any statistically significant difference in the overall frequency of the four FSHR haplotypes. We conclude that the FSHR haplotype does not associate with different serum FSH levels but it is differently distributed in proven fathers and infertile men.

Tas Hekimoglu A, et al. Korean J Physiol Pharmacol. 2013 Apr;17(2):169-173. http://dx.doi.org/10.4196/kjpp.2013.17.2.169

This study was performed to investigate the effect of ethyl pyruvate on changes in renal functions and oxidative stress related renal injury caused by cisplatin (cis-dichlorodiammine platinum-II; CDDP). Male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups (n = 8): (1) control group (1 ml Ringer's lactate solution i.p.); (2) ethyl pyruvate (EP) group (50 mg/kg Ringer's EP solution (REPS) i.p.); (3) cisplatin group (a single dose of cisplatin (5 mg/kg, i.p.); and (4) cisplatin + EP group (a single dose of cisplatin (5 mg/kg, i.p.) + REPS 50 mg/kg/day, i.p.) for five days. At the sixth day, kidneys of rats were mounted to a Langendorff apparatus. Renal perfusion pressures were recorded. Blood samples were taken for serum urea, creatinine, total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and oxidative stres index (OSI) evaluations. Kidney tissues were obtained for malondialdehyde (MDA) analyses and histopathological examination. Perfusion pressures, serum urea, creatinine, TOS, OSI and tissue MDA levels were found significantly higher, whereas TAS was notably lower in cisplatin group. Histopathological examination showed apparent renal paranchymal injury in cisplatin group. In cisplatin + REPS group, perfusion pressures, serum urea, creatinine and tissue MDA levels were decreased. Moreover, EP co-administration provided less inflammatory cell infiltration, tubular dilatation, whereas TOS, TAS and OSI improved significantly versus cisplatin group. These findings show that EP has protective effects against cisplatin nephrotoxicity.

Aim As the COVID 19 pandemic has been spreading rapidly all over the world, there are plenty of ongoing works to shed on light to unknown factors related to disease. One of the factors questioned is also to be the factors affecting the disease course. In this study, our aim is to determine the factors that affect the course of the disease in the hospitalized patients due to COVID 19 infection and to reveal whether the seasonal change has an effect on the disease course. Methods Our study was conducted on 1950 PCR test positive patients who were hospitalized for Covid‐19 disease between March 16 and July 15. Results As the seasonal temperature increases, decrease in WBC, PLT and albumin levels and increase in LDH and AST levels were observed. Risk of need for ICU has been found statistically significant (p<0.05) with the increase in the age, LDH levels and CRP levels and with the decrease in the Ca and Albumin levels. Conclusions It is predicted with these results that, seasonal change might have affects on the clinical course of the disease, although it has no affect on the spread of the disease. And it might beneficial to check biochemical parameters such as LDH, CRP, Ca and Albumin to predict the course of the disease.

OBJECTIVE: In pain management, alternative medications are necessary due to the development of tolerance to traditional opioid analgesics. Literature data suggest that N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonizing drugs can induce antinociception, and can reduce the opioid requirement. Ketamine is a non-competitive NMDA receptor antagonist drug and has well-known antinociceptive properties. The drug acts not only on NMDA receptors but also has effects on the monoaminergic system and non-NMDA glutamatergic receptors which have vital roles in the regulation of pain. This study was conducted to investigate the serotonergic and glutamatergic involvement in low-dose ketamine (20 mg/kg) analgesia in mice. METHOD: The effects of serotonin were suppressed with two different ways; either the serotonin was depleted with p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA, 150 mg/kg/d; 4 days) or the serotonin receptors were blocked with methiothepin (0.1 mg/kg), and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) receptors were antagonized with GYKI-52466 (20 mg/kg). Fluoxetine (20 mg/kg; 7 days) was used to increase the serotoninergic activity. We used a hotplate (HP) test to measure pain reaction latencies. Furthermore, we tested sustained analgesic effects of ketamine for six consecutive times (1-hour break between each test). RESULTS: In our experiment, ketamine treatment increased pain reaction latencies, yet it failed to increase the latencies when combined with antiserotonergic drugs, e.g. pCPA and methiothepin. The latencies were increased with AMPA receptor blockade, yet ketamine did not increase the analgesic effect of the AMPA receptor antagonist, i.e. GYKI-52466. In consecutive tests, ketamine was effective for 5 h, and the peak effect was seen at the 3rd-hour test. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that the activity of the serotonergic system and AMPA receptors are necessary for ketamine to produce antinociceptive effects. In pain management, ketamine can offer an alternative option to traditional analgesics and may be useful to reduce opioid tolerance.