OBJECTIVE:This study planned to evaluate the effects of vitamin A (VA) and steroid treatment on nerve healing. Study design: we investigated electrophysiological, electron microscopic (EM), immunohistochemical, and biochemical findings in rat sciatic nerve model. MATERIALS and METHODS:In total, 112 female rats were divided into 16 groups, each consisting of 7 animals. Subjects were evaluated according to compound muscle action potential (CMAP) findings, ultrastructural staging of myelinated axons with EM, nitric oxide (NO) and malondialdehyde (MDA) findings in serum and tissue, and immunohistochemical findings in the first week and first month. RESULTS:NO and MDA levels in serum and tissue were found to be statistically lower after high-dose methylprednisolone (MP), normal-dose MP, high-dose MP+VA, normal-dose, and MP+VA treatment modalities compared to controls (p<0.05). The most similar EM findings compared to control animals were seen in the normal-dose MP and high-dose MP+VA treatment groups. The best amplitude values were seen in the high-dose MP and continuous normal-dose MP therapy groups in the first month. In the normal-dose MP and high-dose MP+VA treatment groups, intense staining was found compared to the control and sham groups according to the sciatic nerve immunohistochemical examination. CONCLUSION:This study revealed noticeable VA effects on the inflammatory process during the healing of traumatic nerve paralysis by electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry. However, similar findings were not established by electrophysiology. Therefore, more experimental studies are needed to further investigate the efficacy and the mechanism of action of VA on steroid administration and the inflammatory process.

There is a debate on asymmetry of foramina of the skull base. No certain consensus about the initiation time and the causes of asymmetry in the past was documented. Studies are to be encouraged to further enlighten pre-postnatal factors affecting the fetal skull base morphometrism.

BackgroundAlthough bevacizumab has deleterious effects on the healing of colonic anastomoses, trapidil improves wound healing of colonic and tracheal anastomoses.ObjectiveWe aimed to assess the effects of bevacizumab and trapidil on wound healing after tracheal transection.Materials and methodsWe evaluated 35 rats divided in 5 groups: bevacizumab (Group I, n = 7), trapidil (Group II, n = 7), trapidil + bevacizumab (Group III, n = 7), controls (Group IV, n = 7), and sham (Group V, n = 7). Anastomotic healing was assessed by measurement of bursting pressure and inflammation score at the anastomotic region on the seventh day.ResultsThe bursting pressures of Group II, Group III, and Group V were significantly higher than controls (P = 0.001, P = 0.033, and P = 0.035, respectively). Fibrosis was significantly high in the sham group when compared with the other four groups (P = 0.047).ConclusionsAlthough bevacizumab seems to impair anastomotic healing, trapidil can be suggested to improve tracheal anastomoses.