Assessment of the protective effects of pomegranate peel extract and n-acetyl cysteine alone or in combination with ornipural® against cadmium-induced bone toxicity in rat

Aim: The present study was conducted to determine the effects of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) and N-acetyl Cysteine (NAC) alone or in their treatment combinations with commercial preparation Ornipural® (ORN) on bone metabolism against experimentally cadmium (Cd)-induced toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: Totally 36 animals were used in the study including 6 Wistar Albino rats in each group. The animals were assigned to control, Cd, Cd+PPE, Cd+NAC, Cd+PPE+ORN and Cd+NAC+ORN groups. The animals in the groups were euthanized after their blood samples were taken at the end of the 8th week. The bones were subjected to maceration for morphometric and histopathological examinations after euthanasia. Results: The statistically significant differences were determined between the treatment groups and Cd group in terms of histopathological changes (osteoporotic alterations and changes in red bone marrow) and biomarkers (Ca, P and Mg) (P Conclusion: Although PPE, NAC and treatment combinations with ORN applied against experimentally induced cadmium toxicity were determined to have positive effects on bone metabolism, it has been thought that carrying out trials by increasing treatment duration and dose would be beneficial to determine definite efficacy of the applied treatment protocols

Design of Subwavelength Confinement Waveguides at 1 Thz Band

In this paper, we present the design and simulation results of the Terahertz Subwavelength Confinement Waveguides (TSCW) operating at 1 THz. The design of the TSCWs includes CPW-to-TSCW transition circuits and the Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton (SSPP)-based waveguides. The best-case simulation results exhibit return loss and insertion loss of -13.86 dB and -1.72 dB for the back-to-back (b-to-b) transition circuit and -26.5 dB and -4.66 dB for the TSCW with a total length of 267 µm at 1 THz, respectively

A 135 Degrees, Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton Bend for 1 Thz Band

Conference on Terahertz Photonics II Part of SPIE Photonics Europe Conference -- APR 03-MAY 20, 2022 -- ELECTR NETWORKThe state-of-the-art terahertz systems employ conventional, bulky, optical system design approach that lags the miniaturization, high-density integration, and mobility of the terahertz imaging systems. On the other hand, the motivation for miniaturization of the terahertz systems using integrated circuits (ICs) is limited by the conventional terahertz waveguide performance that requires utilization of a novel waveguiding technology. The Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton (SSPP) waveguide (WG) measurements have recently been reached the record low insertion loss per unit length performance among all planar terahertz WGs at 0.3 THz suggesting tremendous potential for demonstration of high-performance terahertz ICs. Nevertheless, the real potential of the terahertz imaging systems requires demonstration of an imaging system that can provide high-resolution feature extraction of the targets covered by obstacles at real-terahertz frequencies. We present the design and simulation of 135 degrees Spoof Surface Plasmon Polariton (SSPP) bending circuits at 1 THz that are one of the most fundamental building blocks in novel IC technologies that will enable development of high-performance, high-resolution terahertz imaging systems along with the investigation of the coupling mechanism of the SSPP waves thru non-aligned waveguide geometries that is mandatory for implementing standalone terahertz ICs.We acknowledge TUBITAK 119E489 for their financial support.SPIE,IdEx Univ Strasbourg,CNRS,ICube,Univ StrasbourgTUBITAK [119E489

Assessment of the protective effects of pomegranate peel extract and N-acetyl cysteine alone or in combination with Ornipural® against Cadmium-induced bone toxicity in rat

Aim: The present study was conducted to determine the effects of pomegranate peel extract (PPE) and N-acetyl Cysteine (NAC) alone or in their treatment combinations with commercial preparation Ornipural® (ORN) on bone metabolism against experimentally cadmium (Cd)-induced toxicity in rats. Materials and Methods: Totally 36 animals were used in the study including 6 Wistar Albino rats in each group. The animals were assigned to control, Cd, Cd+PPE, Cd+NAC, Cd+PPE+ORN and Cd+NAC+ORN groups. The animals in the groups were euthanized after their blood samples were taken at the end of the 8th week. The bones were subjected to maceration for morphometric and histopathological examinations after euthanasia. Results: The statistically significant differences were determined between the treatment groups and Cd group in terms of histopathological changes (osteoporotic alterations and changes in red bone marrow) and biomarkers (Ca, P and Mg) (P<0.05). Conclusion: Although PPE, NAC and treatment combinations with ORN applied against experimentally induced cadmium toxicity were determined to have positive effects on bone metabolism, it has been thought that carrying out trials by increasing treatment duration and dose would be beneficial to determine definite efficacy of the applied treatment protocols

Geometric Analysis of Luciobarbus barbulus (Heckel 1847) Otoliths With Body Shape

Background: The Cyprinidae family is one of the most varied families in terms of number of species, representing approximately 1500 species in the world. Luciobarbus barbulus (Heckel 1847) is a little-known species, but it is widespread in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The aim of the study was to analyse the body shape and otoliths of L. barbulus species by geometric morphometry to better distinguish the population structure of the fish. Materials and Method: In this study, 34 barbulus and their otoliths were used. General Procrustes Analysis (superimposition), principal component analysis (PCA), multivariate regression analysis, Partial Least Squares and discriminant function analysis were applied. Results: Multivariate regression analysis revealed a 9.1174% effect of size on otolith shape. PCA calculated 33 components for the otoliths in the study, and the first 3 components explained 64.027% of the total shape variation. The Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis revealed that there is no significant correlation between otolith and fish shape. As a result of the discriminant function analysis, 33.33% (4:12) of female otoliths and 36.36% (8:22) of male otoliths were correctly grouped. Conclusion: This study revealed that otolith shape analysis is an effective tool for deciphering the population structure of small pelagic species. It was also found that there is no difference between otolith and fish shape as otolith biomineralization is influenced by many factors

Capoeta trutta (Heckel, 1843) ve Capoeta umbla (Heckel, 1843) Türlerinin Otolitlerinin Geometrik Morfometri ile Şekil

Capoeta (C.) trutta (Heckel, 1843) ve Capoeta umbla (Heckel, 1843) Dicle ve Fırat nehirlerinde yaşayan en yaygın türlerdir. Bu çalışmada, Türkiye'de Dicle Nehri'nde yaşayan Capoeta cinsine ait C. trutta ve C. umbla balıklarının otolit- lerinin geometrik morfometrik yöntem kullanılarak şekil analizlerinin yapılması ve aralarındaki benzerlik ve farklılıkların ortaya konulması amaçlanmıştır. Her biri 36 adet olmak üzere toplam 72 adet sağ otolit kullanılmıştır. Geometrik mor- fometrik analizler otolitlerin üzerine semilandmarklar ve landmarklar konularak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Veriler incelendiğinde, ilk temel bileşen toplam şekil farkının %25.15'ini oluştururken, ilk dört temel bileşenin (PC1+PC2+PC3+PC4) toplam şekil farkının %59.144'ünü oluşturduğu belirlenmiştir. Boyut üzerinden şeklin regresyon analizine göre, gruplar tarafından boyut açısından şeklin %9.2615'inin tahmin edilebildiği ve PC1'e göre şeklin % 26.0817'sinin (P: 0.0001), PC2'ye göre %7.1205'inin (P: 0.0233) ve PC3'e göre 10.2255'inin (P: 0.0051) tahmin edile- bildiği belirlenmiştir. Çapraz doğrulama skoruna göre C. trutta'dan 7 (%19.44) ve C. umbla'dan 4 (%11.11) örnek zıt grupta yer almış ve bu sonuçlar iki grubun şekle göre başarılı bir gruplama (en az %80) yaptığını göstermiştir. Sonuç olarak, mevcut çalışmanın verilerinin söz konusu türlerin taksonomik sınıflandırması başta olmak üzere birçok disiplin için referans veri olabileceği düşünülmektedir.Capoeta (C.) trutta (Heckel, 1843) and Capoeta umbla (Heckel, 1843) are the most common species living in the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. This study aimed analyze the shape of the otoliths of C. trutta and C. umbla fish from the Capoeta genus, which inhabit the Tigris River in Turkey. The geometric morphometric method was used to identify and compare the similarities and differences between these fish species. A total of 72 right otoliths, (for each species 36), were used. Geometric morphometric analyses were performed by marking semi-landmarks on the otoliths. When the data were examined, it was determined that the first principal component accounted for 25.15% of the total shape difference, while the first four principal components (PC1+PC2+PC3+PC4) accounted for 59.14% of the total shape difference. According to the regression analysis of shape over size, 9.2615% of shape can be predicted in terms of size by groups and it was determined as 26.0817% of shape according to PC1 (P: 0.0001), 7.1205% according to PC2 (P: 0.0233) and 10.2255 (P: 0.0051) according to PC3 can be predicted. According to the cross-validation score, 7 (19.44%) samples from C. trutta and 4 (11.11%) samples from C. umbla were involved in the opposite group, and these results showed that the two groups had a successful grouping (at least 80%) according to the shape. Consequently, it is thought that the data of the present study can be reference data for many disciplines, especially the taxonomic classification of the species in question

Neuroprotective Effects of Bexarotene and Icariin in a Diabetic Rat Model

Objective Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a chronic metabolic disorder affecting over 400 million people globally, is increasingly recognized for its detrimental impact on the central nervous system. T2DM is linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's and vascular dementia. This study investigates the neuroprotective effects of bexarotene and icariin in a T2DM rat model, focusing on brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), and neurofilament-light chain (NfL) levels. Methods Before the study, rats underwent fasting blood glucose tests, lipid profile assessments, and general health evaluations, followed by a high-fat diet for two weeks and a single streptozotocin dose (35 mg/kg). Rats with fasting blood glucose levels >= 250 mg/dl were classified as diabetes mellitus (DM) and continued on the high- fat diet throughout the experiment. Forty-seven male Wistar Albino rats were divided into six groups: a healthy control group, a DM control group, a DM group treated with bexarotene, a DM group treated with icariin, and two DM groups treated with combinations of low and high doses of bexarotene and icariin. After the 45-day treatment, blood samples were collected under thiopental sodium anesthesia, with HbA1c (glycosylated hemoglobin) and hematological parameters analyzed within eight hours, and serum stored at- 80 degrees C for further analysis. The animals were then euthanized, and brain tissues were harvested, frozen, and stored at-80 degrees C until further examination. Brain tissues were analyzed for BDNF, GFAP, and NfL levels using ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). For comparing multiple groups, the Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to nonparametric data, and one-way ANOVA was used for parametric data, followed by Bonferroni's post hoc test for pairwise comparisons. Statistical significance was determined with two-tailed tests at p < 0.05. Results Significant changes in GFAP levels were observed across groups (p < 0.001). The DM control group showed the highest GFAP levels, while treatment groups exhibited reductions. The DM control group also showed the highest BDNF levels, while treatment groups exhibited reductions. The DM control group showed the lowest NfL levels, while treatment groups exhibited increments. Conclusion This study highlights the neuroprotective potential of bexarotene and icariin in a diabetic rat model, evidenced by significant changes in GFAP levels. The lack of significant changes in BDNF and NfL suggests that longer study durations may be necessary to observe these effects. Future research should include extended study periods, larger sample sizes, varied dosages, and comprehensive behavioral assessments to better understand the therapeutic potential of these agents.The brain tissues used in this study were kindly provided by Burak Dik and his colleagues from the investigation titled Exploring the Combined Therapeutic Efficacy of Bexarotene and Icariin in Type 2 Diabetic Rats. We express our sincere gratitude to Burak Dik and his team for their pivotal role in providing these tissues