Aspergillosis and hydatid cyst coexistence may be important in patients with immune deficiency and in cases with pre- or perioperatively ruptured cysts. There are no reliable data on the specificity and sensitivity of radiological imaging techniques in detecting the existence of Aspergillus in hydatid cysts. Histopathological evaluation is essential for diagnosis and for the planning of management.
Background: Nicotine is known to be associated with adverse effects in infants and children. It is concentrated in breast milk and is absorbed by the infant. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects on breast-fed rat pups of maternal nicotine exposure during lactation. Methods: In the experimental group (n = 6), nicotine was given to lactating dams (2 mg/kg/day) after delivery and continued for 10 days during lactation. Control animals (n = 4) received saline for the same duration. The suckling rats were weighed and killed on postnatal day 10, and samples were taken from the lung, liver, kidney, spleen and small intestine for histopathological examination. Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) activities and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were measured in the liver of the dam and the offspring. Results: Histopathological changes in the liver of the nicotine-exposed group showed portal inflammatory infiltrate, ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes, and focal necrosis in the parenchyma. Thickening of alveolar walls because of interstitial inflammation was noted in the lungs. Histopathological examination of kidney, spleen and small intestine tissue did not reveal any abnormality. In the experimental group, SOD and CAT activities were significantly decreased (p <0.001) but MDA levels were significantly increased (p <0.001) compared with the control group. Conclusion: These results indicate that maternal nicotine exposure induces oxidative stress and causes detrimental histopathological changes in the lung and liver of lactating offspring.
Total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), as well as total phenol (TP), free phenol (FP), conjugated phenol (CP), and the vitamin C content of pepper plants (Capsicum annuum cv. 'Charlee') infected with Pepper mild mottle virus (PMMoV) were determined via a novel automated antioxidant system using test kits. PMMoV was first identified in Turkey in 1994 in commercial pepper (Capsicum annuum cv. 'Charlee') fields and caused an outbreak in southern Turkey by 2006, especially in greenhouses. Infected plants were confirmed by ELISA using commercial kits for the virus. The infected plants had stunted growth; and leaves and fruits became mottled, puckered, malformed, deformed, and marked by off-colored sunken areas. Fruits expressing virus symptoms were utilized for biochemical analyses. The percent ratio of TOS to TAS was calculated as the oxidative stress index (OSI). The TAS level and the vitamin C content were found to be significantly lower in infected peppers as compared to healthy peppers. However, TOS, OSI, TP, FP, and CP levels were significantly higher in infected pepper fruits than in healthy ones. In this study, it has been demonstrated that low levels of TAS and high levels of TOS, as well as high OSI status, reflects the quality of peppers. Using this method, the quality of fruits and the condition of plants can be determined in advance of stress development.
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