Turk J Med Sci
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Atherosclerotic heart diseases can occur at an early age in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) values are reliable markers for early detection of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with AS. We aimed to investigate the relationship between visfatin levels and indirect markers of subclinical atherosclerosis and endothelial dysfunction in patients with AS. ⋯ Visfatin levels are increased and associated with impaired FMD and increased cIMT in patients with AS. Increased visfatin levels may be associated with subclinical atherosclerosis in AS.
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miRNAs control various biological functions, such as cell proliferation, differentiation, signaling pathways, apoptosis and metabolism. Recently, it has been shown that there is a relationship between changes in miRNA expression and the development of acromegaly. Studies are needed to identify new disease-specific miRNAs. The aim of the current study is to evaluate plasma miR-29c-3p, miR-31-5p and miR-18a-5p steady-state levels in acromegaly. Another aim is to investigate whether there is a difference in the levels of these miRNAs in patients with inadequate control and controlled acromegaly with somatostatin analog (SSA) therapy. These miRNAs targeting the IGF-1 gene were determined by in silico estimation. ⋯ Plasma miR-29c-3p expression level is downregulated in patients with acromegaly, and this is more pronounced in patients with inadequate control.
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Physical exercise is a state of physiological stress that requires adaptation of the organism to physical activity. Glycogen is an important and essential energy source for muscle contraction. Skeletal muscle and liver are two important glycogen stores, and the energy required to maintain exercise in rodents are provided by destruction of this glycogen depot. In this study, the effects of endogenous opioid peptide antagonism at the central nervous system level on tissue glycogen content after exhaustive exercise were investigated. ⋯ Our findings indicate that icv administered opioid peptide antagonists may play a role in glycogen metabolism in peripheral tissues such as skeletal muscle, heart, and liver.
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This study was conducted to elucidate the effects of lutein/zeaxanthin isomers (L/Zi) on lipid metabolism, oxidative stress, NF-κB/Nrf2 pathways, and synaptic plasticity proteins in trained rats. ⋯ These results suggested that exercise combined with L/Zi supplementation might be effective to reduce neurodegeneration via improving neurotrophic factors and synaptic proteins, and oxidative capacity in the cerebral cortex.
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Even though interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, IL-1Ra, is used in certain inflammatory diseases, its effect on ischemia-reperfusion injury is a current research topic. We aimed to investigate the protective effects of anakinra, an IL-1Ra, on the I/R induced intestinal injury. ⋯ Anakinra decreased the intestinal damage caused by ischemia-reperfusion and a dose of 100 mg/kg was found to be histopathologically more effective.