AIM: To investigate the effects of different magnesium forms on tissue damage, cognitive and emotional behavioural impairment after mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). MATERIAL and METHODS: Rats were divided into 5 groups (control, trauma, magnesium sulphate, magnesium citrate, magnesium acetyl taurate) and following head trauma, empathy-like behaviour, anxiety-like behaviour (elevated plus maze and open field tests), and depression (forced swim test) were measured. The rats were then sacrificed 12 days later. Oxytocin, vasopressin and receptors levels in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex regions were measured. Histopathological damage (with haematoxylin-eosin staining) and apoptosis (with caspase-3 immunohistochemistry) was evaluated. RESULTS: Following head trauma, anxiety-like behaviour and depression tests did not change; empathy-like behaviour deteriorated on the 3rd day and improved gradually on the 6th and 12th days. Oxytocin, vasopressin and vasopressin v1b receptor levels decreased in the amygdala; morphological damage and apoptosis were significant. Magnesium acetyl taurate effectively ameliorated histopathological deteriorations and improved vasopressin and v1b receptor levels in the amygdala. Transient deterioration of empathy-like behaviour was impeded only in magnesium taurate treatment. CONCLUSION: Magnesium acetyl taurate can be a promising candidate agent to prevent structural and functional damage in traumatic brain injury.

Hypoxia occurs in the splanchnic region during exercise associated with sympathetic activity. In the elderly, vascular insufficiency and low vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression are observed. Compared to young people, sympathetic signals of older individuals are blunted and more resistant to splanchnic blood flow alterations during exercise. VEGF induces vasodilation responses and hence may retain blood in the splanchnic vascular bed. We hypothesized that regular mild-intensity exercise triggers weak VEGF expression in the digestive tract of the elderly. The effects of exercise on the levels of VEGF, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC) in the stomach, jejunum, ileum and colon tissues were evaluated. With exercise, the VEGF levels in the stomach and colon increased. Although the SOD, GPx, and MDA levels decreased in the stomach, they increased in the colon. T-AOC increased in the stomach and there was no change in the jejunum, ileum and colon. The hypoperfusion during exercise was not equal in all regions of the gastrointestinal tract in the aged subjects. Hypoxia and other exercise-related mechanisms could have led to this VEGF induction. The stomach, jejunum, and ileum might have developed resistance to ischemia. The induction of VEGF may be beneficial in aging-associated impaired gastrointestinal homeostasis and neovascularization.

Objective: In the elderly, erectile dysfunction and hypogonadism have become more important due to the extension of human life. The most important morphological changes of the aged testis are associated with vascular deterioration, chronic hypoxia, fibrosis and hormonal changes. Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) are directly related to these changes along with sperm motility and viability. The contribution of VEGF and MMP-2 to the structural and functional disturbances in the aged testis is unknown. The aim of this study was to determine VEGF and MMP-2 levels in the elderly testis and their interactions with one another. Method: The testis tissues of aged rats (26-30 months) and adult rats (8-10 months) were analysed using the ELISA method to determine MMP-2 and VEGF levels. Serum total testosterone levels were analyzed using the immunoassay method. The statistical analysis was performed using the Mann Whitney-U test, p<0.05 was considered significant. The results were presented with median and percentile values. Results: In contrast to the adult testis, we observed that VEGF levels were increased [0.18(0.16-0.20) to 0.30(0.28-0.32) g/mg respectively, p=0.009] and MMP-2 levels decreased [3.70 (2.07-4.74) to 1,10 (1,08-1,29) g/mg respectively, p=0.03] in the aged testis. Serum total testosterone levels were lower in the aged group [5.45 (4.04-6.95) and 2.48 (1.93-3.11) ng/ml, p=0.004]. Conclusion: Low levels of MMP-2 are consistent with deficiency of reproductive function but interestingly, VEGF levels were found to be high. MMPs have the potential to regulate the levels and activities of hormones. The absence of physiological effects of VEGF may be associated with MMP-2 deficiency. The therapeutic benefit of induction of MMP-2 activity in testicular hypogonadism is open to research.