Cyclosporine A is a well-known immunosuppressor agent universally used in allotransplantation. However, it has been demonstrated that this drug produces side-effects in several organs, particularly in the kidney and in the heart. Nigella sativa oil has long been used in folk medicine for a wide range of illnesses. One of the potential properties of N. sativa oil is the ability of one or more of its constituents to reduce toxicity due to its antioxidant activities. The antioxidant effects of N. sativa oil have been examined using different hepatic and kidney toxicity in in vivo murine models. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of N. sativa oil in the antioxidant enzyme status and myocardium of cyclosporine-A-treated rats. This study included 24 male Wistar albino young healthy rats (8-12 weeks) weighing 150-200 g. The control group received sunflower oil (21 days, 2 ml/kg/day, orally) without any treatment. The second group received only N. sativa oil (21 days, 2 ml/kg, orally) (N. sativa oil group). The animals in the third group received only cyclosporine A (21 days, 25 mg/kg, orally) (cyclosporine A group). The animals in the fourth group were treated with cyclosporine A (21 days, 25 mg/kg, orally) and starting one day before cyclosporine A administration were treated with N. sativa oil (21 days, 2 ml/kg, orally) (cyclosporine A + N. sativa oil group). Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities in the heart tissues were significantly reduced in the cyclosporine A group compared to control values. Nigella sativa oil treatment caused an increase in the activities of SOD, CAT and GSH-Px compared to the control group. Malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide and protein carbonyl (PC) levels were increased in the cyclosporine A-treated group in comparison with the control and N. sativa groups. Co-administration of N. sativa oil and cyclosporine A abrogated the cyclosporine A-induced MDA, N. sativa oil and PC increase compared to the cyclosporine A group. The results of our study show that pre-treatment with N. sativa oil reduced the subsequent cyclosporine A injury in rat heart, demonstrated by normalized cardiac histopathology, decrease in lipid peroxidation, improvement in antioxidant enzyme status and cellular protein oxidation. Cyclosporine A is the most frequently used immunosup-pressor agent in transplant surgery and in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, because of its specific inhibiting effect on the signal transduction pathways of the T cell receptor [1]. However, the major limiting factors for the clinical use of the drug are the adverse effects, which include nephrotoxicity [2], hypertension [3], hepatotoxicity [4] and cardiotoxicity [5,6]. Moreover, the use of cyclosporine A is also reported to be related to increased vasoconstriction and vascular endothelial dysfunction [7]. Although the mechanisms by which cyclosporine A-induced cardiotoxicity are still not clear and is a matter of debate, recent studies have reported that oxidative stress mi...

To our knowledge, this study is the first to evaluate the role of MPV as an inflammatory marker in children with CU. A decline in MPV may be considered as an indicator of inflammation in children with CU.

We found that MPV could be used as an acute phase reactant in children with rotavirus gastroenteritis. We believe that the current study will contribute to our understanding of MPV as an inflammatory marker.

Although complete blood count is routinely ordered in most upper urinary tract infections (UTI), and information regarding the patient's platelet indices is made available without added cost, the relationship between platelet count and mean platelet volume (MPV) and specific platelet responses to different infectious agents has not been extensively characterized in UTI. The objectives of this study were to examine platelet counts and platelet indices in children with culture-proven upper UTI to determine if there are organism-specific platelet responses. A retrospective analysis of data from all pediatric urine samples processed at Fatih University Medical School microbiology laboratory was undertaken for a period of two years (January 1, 2005, to December 31, 2006. Of the 200 patients with positive urine cultures, 146 (73%) were infected with gram-negative bacteria and 54 (27%) grew gram-positive bacteria. The platelet count during the episode of upper UTI and the incidence of thrombocytosis was significantly higher with the gram-positive infections than with the gram-negative infections or controls (p < 0.05). A statistically significant higher MPV was detected in the subjects with upper UTI (p < 0.05). Also, our data showed a statistically significant increase in MPV with gram-positive infections compared with the other groups (p < 0.05). In conclusion, based on the importance of the hemostatic component in the pathophysiology of infections, our findings of platelet count and MPV and predictivity of the type of the organism would suggest the usefulness of the routine measurements in children with upper UTI.

Oxidative stress has been considered as one of the possible mechanisms of ischemia/ reperfusion (I/R) injury in the kidney. The aim of this study was to analyze the possible protective effect of dietary ginger (Zingiber officinals Rosc), a free radical scavenger, on renal I/R injury in rats. The protective effect of ginger against the damage inflicted by reactive oxygen species (ROS) during renal I/R was investigated in Wistar albino rats using histopathological and biochemical parameters. Thirty rats were randomly divided into five experimental groups (i.e., control, sham-operated, ginger, I/R, and I/R + ginger groups, n = 6 each). The ginger and I/R + ginger groups were fed on the test diet containing 5% ginger. The rats were subjected to bilateral renal ischemia followed by reperfusion in I/R and I/R + ginger groups. At the end of the reperfusion period, rats were sacrificed, and kidney function tests, serum and tissue oxidants and antioxidants, and renal morphology were evaluated. Serum urea, creatinine, and cystatin C (CYC) levels were significantly elevated in the ischemia group, but these levels remained unchanged in the ginger + I/R group compared to the I/R group. Reduction of glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity was significantly improved by the treatment with ginger compared to I/R group. Administration of ginger resulted in significant reduction levels of