This study was conducted to determine the effects of omega-3 (alinolenic acid) fatty acid supplementation to donor cow rations on superovulation performance, embryo number and quality, and blood-progesterone levels. The study was carried out with two groups, each consisting of 10 black-and-white breed dairy cows. Control group was fed with the basic ration prepared, and the experimental group was fed with the ration added with omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) source at a level of 3.82% of the basic ration dry matter (DM) for 60 days training period. Thus, each of experimental group's cow consumed 900 g-day feed additives consisting 149.4 g omega-3 daily. The superovulation protocol was started at the 40th day of feeding period. According to the findings of the study, the difference between the groups in terms of the response to superovulation was found to be insignificant (P>0.05). Similarly, there was no significant difference in blood progesterone levels between the groups (P>0.05). However, the difference between the control group and the experimental group in terms of transferable and non-transferable embryo rates was found to be significantly important (P<0.05). The total number of transferred embryos was determined as 37 in the experimental group and 79 in the control group. The total number of non-transferable embryos was recorded as 78 in the trial group and 43 in the control group. At the end of the study, it was concluded that supplementation to donor cow rations with omega-3 fatty acid sources might have a negative effects on transferrable embryo number and quality.

This study was conducted with the objectives to determine the effects of licorice root powder (Glycyrrhriza glabra) on performance, serum parameters, egg yolk cholesterol and antioxidant capacity in laying Japanese quail. Two hundred and forty 10-wk-old Japanese quails were randomly assigned to four dietary groups, each one four times replicated with fifteen quails per dietary groups. Control group fed the basal diet; other groups were fed basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% licorice root powder. There were no significant differences in terms of final live weight, feed intake, feed conversion ratio, egg weight, serum cholesterol, triglyceride and High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) concentration between treatment groups. Egg production was higher in control group and 0.5% licorice root powder supplemented groups. 1.0% licorice root powder supplemented group had lower egg production rate. Licorice root powder supplementation decreased Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) concentration and increased glucose concentration significantly. Licorice root powder supplementation increased total antioxidant status (TAS) and reduced total oxidant status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI). It was concluded from this study that supplementation of licorice root powder at the level of 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% to the feed of laying quails had no adverse effects on performance. Licorice root powder supplementation can be used to reduce cholesterol level and increase antioxidant status in quails.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second most common type of cancer and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death among men. Development of chemoresistance, tumor relapse and metastasis remain major barriers to effective treatment and all been identified to be associated with cancer stem cells (CSCs). Natural flavonoids such as apigenin have been shown to have the ability to improve the therapeutic efficacy of common chemotherapy agents through CSCs sensitization. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the combination of apigenin with cisplatin on CD44+ PCa stem cell growth and migration. Platinum-based anti-neoplastic drugs have been used to treat a number of malignancies including PCa. However, acquired resistance and side effects unfortunately have limited cisplatin's use. A CD44+ subpopulation was isolated from human androgen-independent PC3 PCa cells by using human CD44-PE antibody. IC50 values were determined by MTT test. RT-qPCR, Western blot analyses and image-based cytometer were used to investigate apoptosis, cell cycle and their underlying molecular mechanisms. Cell migration was evaluated by wound healing test. The combination of the IC50 doses of apigenin (15 μM) and cisplatin (7.5 μM) for 48 h significantly enhanced cisplatin's cytotoxic and apoptotic effects through downregulation of Bcl-2, sharpin and survivin; and upregulation of caspase-8, Apaf-1 and p53 mRNA expression. The combined therapy suppressed the phosphorylation of p-PI3K and p-Akt, inhibited the protein expression of NF-κB, and downregulated the cell cycle by upregulating p21, as well as cyclin dependent kinases CDK-2, −4, and −6. Apigenin significantly increased the inhibitory effects of cisplatin on cell migration via downregulation of Snail expression. In conclusion, our study showed the possible therapeutic approach of using apigenin to potentially increase the effects of cisplatin by targeting CSCs subset in prostate cancer.

This experiment was conducted to evaluate the influence of Spirulina platensis on growth performance, egg quality and some serum parameters of laying Japanese quails. For this experiment, 100 ten weeks-old, female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix Japonica) with similar body weight were caged individually and were randomly divided into four groups of 25 quails each. Quails were fed diets supplemented with 0 (control), 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0% Spirulina platensis for 8 weeks. Spirulina platensis addition did not affect feed conversion ratio, feed intake, egg production, egg weight, shape index, eggshell thickness and haugh unit, significantly (P>0.05). However, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in final body weight, yolk index, albumen index and eggshell weight of experimental groups. There were significant differences (P<0.05) between groups in low density lipoprotein (LDL cholesterol) and high density lipoprotein (HDL cholesterol) concentrations. The LDL cholesterol concentration decreased while HDL cholesterol concentration increased with the increased supplementation of Spirulina platensis. Spirulina platensis supplementation also decreased plasma total cholesterol and trigyliceride levels between groups numerically but not statistically (P>0.05). The mean egg yolk cholesterol levels dropped by 19.65 and 18.93% in the 1.0 or 2.0% Spirulina platensis supplemented groups compared with control group. In conclusion, Spirulina algae can be used safely in laying quails diets with important effects on serum parameters and egg yolk cholesterol.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary Trigonella foenum-graceum L. seed powder (TFGSP) on growth performance, blood glucose, protein and lipid profile of broilers (Ross-308). One hundred ninety two, 1-d old mixed sex broiler chicks were allocated to 5 dietary treatments in which 0, 5, 10, 20 and 40 g TFGSP doses per kg commercial broiler diet were added for a period of 42 days. The results showed that body weight and the breast weight decreased after TFGSP treatment compared to control (P<0.05). Feed intake decreased after 5 g TFGSP treatment while 40 g TFGSP treatment decreased feed efficiency and leg weight compared to control (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in weights of digestive system parts, except duodenum weight and lipid oxidation between control and treatment groups. A 20 g TFGSP treatment enhanced blood glucose level (P<0.01), but decreased triglyceride level (P<0.01) compared to control. At 40 g TFGSP the blood cholesterol decreased (P<0.05) but LDL level increased compared to control (P<0.01). In conclusion, TFGSP addition to broiler diet decreased appetite and, consequently, reduced growth performance, more likely, attributting to the enhanced blood glucose level.

Reliable drug concentration measurements at the target site are increasingly demanded and can be achieved by microdialysis. The aim of this pilot study was to demonstrate the proof of principle of long-term subcutaneous microdialysis in humans. For long-term microdialysis, a special setting implementing both concentric and linear catheters has been developed ensuring good clinical practice compliance, tolerability, and convenience for participants and personnel. As a model compound, moderately lipophilic voriconazole was selected as a well-characterized drug in in vitro microdialysis experiments. Multiple in vivo relative recovery (RR) determinations for microdialysis were performed by retrodialysis during the entire study (n = 48 samples). Continuous microdialysis was successfully applied and well tolerated over 87 h in three adults for the first time. RR revealed low intra-individual (coefficient of variation (CV) = 4.4-12.5%) and inter-individual variability (CV = 4.3-12.5%) across all samples and catheters. Lower RR values were consistently determined for linear catheters. One catheter leakage was managed without an impact on the reliability of the RR values. Overall, RR values were calculated to be 73.3% (linear: CV = 18.5%, n = 23) and 84.9% (concentric: CV = 5.6%, n = 23). Long-term microdialysis application over almost 4 days was feasible by reliable multiple RR (proof of principle), well tolerated, and reduced the burden in humans avoiding several catheter insertions, thereby allowing to monitor concentration-time courses continuously. Moreover, a moderately lipophilic drug has been proven suitable for in vivo microdialysis, as previously suggested by in vitro microdialysis.

Methods Urine obtained from healthy volunteers was pooled and sterile filtered. Microdilution tests were performed with Escherichia coli ATCC 25922 in MHB and human urine. The pH of urine was adjusted to values ranging from 5 to 8. For simulating different glucose levels in urine of diabetic patients, urine was adjusted to glucose levels of 100 and 1000 mg/dL. Bacterial growth in different media was investigated by growth curves. Results obtained from MIC testing were confirmed by use of bacterial killing curves. Klebsiella oxytoca ATCC 700324 was used to investigate transferability of finding to other strains. Each experiment was performed 5 times.

The potential influence of dietary garlic powder on egg yolk and serum cholesterol concentrations, overall performance, and egg traits in laying hens was evaluated. One hundred and forty, 50-week-old, Hy-line white layers were allocated to four dietary groups. Each group comprised seven replicates of five layers in groups of four. The diets were supplemented with 0% (control), 0.5%, 1%, and 2% garlic powder for 12 weeks. There were no significant (P>0.05) differences among the groups in feed consumption and feed efficiency. Egg production increased in the 0.5 and 1% garlic powder supplemented groups compared with the control group and in the 2% garlic powder supplemented group (P 0.05) on egg yolk index and egg yolk weight. However, there were significant differences (P<0.05) in the egg albumen index, egg shell index, and egg Haugh unit. The egg yolk cholesterol concentration decreased (P<0.05) with the addition of garlic powder. Plasma low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol concentrations also decreased linearly (P<0.05), with increasing levels of dietary garlic powder. Plasma LDL-cholesterol concentrations dropped by 14.45%, 21.76%, and 33.24% in the 0.5%, 1%, and 2% garlic powder supplemented groups, respectively. Plasma high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentrations were not influenced by dietary garlic powder. The results of this study demonstrate that garlic powder addition decreased egg yolk cholesterol and plasma LDL cholesterol concentrations.

Recent observations indicate that pharmacokinetics of β-lactam antibiotics in the lung can be predicted by the use of concentration versus time profiles in peripheral soft tissues. If this observation is transferred to other classes of antimicrobials, measurement of antimicrobial concentrations in peripheral tissues would enable prediction of the pharmacokinetics of antimicrobials at the site of the respiratory tract infection. We set out to test the hypothesis that concentrations of the fluoroquinolone levofloxacin in the respiratory tract can be predicted on the basis of knowledge of its pharmacokinetics in peripheral soft tissues. After administration of a single intravenous dose of 500mg of levofloxacin, microdialysis was used to describe the concentration versus time profiles of levofloxacin in the interstitial space fluid of lung tissue of patients (n=5) undergoing elective lung surgery. These data were compared with the concentration versus time courses in the interstitial space fluid of skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue of healthy volunteers (n=7). The median AUC0–∞ of free levofloxacin in lung (2267mg×min/L, 1980–2355) was about 2-fold and 1.5-fold lower compared with skeletal muscle (4381mg×min/L, range 1720–8195) and adipose tissue (3492mg×min/L, range 1323–6420) of healthy controls, respectively. Concentrations in the interstitial space fluid of the lung were descriptively lower compared with corresponding concentrations in peripheral soft tissues. This is in contrast to previous observations made for the class of β-lactam antibiotics, and indicates that pharmacokinetics of levofloxacin derived from soft tissues may not be used uncritically for prediction of levofloxacin concentrations in the interstitium of the lung.

The effects of cadmium on performance, antioxidant defense system, liver and kidney functions, and cadmium accumulation in selected tissues of broiler chickens were studied. Whether the possible adverse effects of cadmium would reverse with the antioxidant ascorbic acid was also investigated. Hence, 4 treatment groups (3 replicates of 10 chicks each) were designed in the study: control, ascorbic acid, cadmium, and cadmium plus ascorbic acid. Cadmium was given via the drinking water at a concentration of 25 mg/L for 6 wk. Ascorbic acid was added to the basal diet at 200 mg/kg either alone or with cadmium. Cadmium decreased the body weight (BW), body weight gain (BWG), and feed efficiency (FE) significantly at the end of the experiment, wheras its effect on feed consumption (FC) was not significant. Cadmium increased the plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) level as an indicator of lipid peroxidation and lowered the activity of blood superoxide dismutase (SOD). Liver function enzymes, aspartate amino transferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) activities were not changed by cadmium. Cadmium ingestion did not alter serum creatinine levels. Although the serum cadmium level was not elevated, cadmium mainly accumulated in the kidneys, liver, pancreas, and muscle. Ascorbic acid supplementation resulted in a reduction of MDA level previously increased by cadmium and a restoration in SOD activity. However, ascorbic acid did not ameliorate the growth inhibitory effect of cadmium nor did it prevent accumulation of cadmium in analyzed tissues. These data indicate that oxidative stress, induced by cadmium, plays a role in decreasing the performance of broilers and that dietary supplementation by ascorbic acid might be useful in reversing the lipid peroxidation induced by cadmium and partly alleviating the adverse effect of cadmium on performance of broilers.

Chromium (Cr), manganese (Mn), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and iron (Fe) concentrations were quantified in serum (n = 112), milk (n = 112), liver (n = 70), and kidney samples (n = 67) of dairy cows from an iron-steel processing region (Payas-Iskenderun) and from an area free of industrial pollution (Antakya) in Hatay, located in Southern Turkey. Samples were collected in the summer and winter and element determinations were carried out by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry. The mean concentrations of selected elements in serum were found to be similar in both regions. Milk samples collected from the nonindustrial region in the summer had higher Cr, Mn, and Zn concentrations than the polluted region. The liver Cu and kidney Mn levels of samples taken from the industrial region in winter were higher than samples of the unpolluted region. Copper and Fe concentrations in milk, Cr, Mn, Zn, and Fe levels in the liver, and Cr, Cu, Zn, and Fe levels in kidney samples were not found to be different among the regions in both seasons. Copper concentrations were below the critical level in the 25% of serum and 32% of liver samples analyzed in this study. Fifteen percent of serum samples and most of the liver samples had lower amounts of Zn than other reported studies. Although slight differences were observed between the industrial and nonindustrial regions, industrial activities and seasonal changes had no significant effect on selected element concentrations on cows and their milk.

Bu araştırma,mısır ve soya küspesinedayalı rasyona değişik oranlardaenzim ve probiyotikkatılmasınınJapon bıldırcmlarında canlı ağırlık artışı, yem tüketimi, yemden yararlanma oranı, karkas randımanı ile serum biyokimyasalparametreleriüzerine etkilerinin belirlenmesijaponica)kuııanılmıştır., temel yemle beslenmiş, deneme grupları 1,2,3tılmıştır. Araştırma 5 hafta devam etmiştir. Araştırma sonunda mısır ve soya küspesine dayalı rasyona enzim ve probiyotik katkısıbıldırcınlardafark oluşturmamıştırtrigliserid ve albumin seviyelerinibıldırcınlardabesi performansı üzerine bir etki oluşturmamış

Hatay bölgesinde Mart-Haziran dönemlerinde mera şartlarında yetiştirilen, ilave yem verilmeyen ve klinik olarak sağlıklı görünen koyunlarda bak'ır ve çinko değerleri serum ve yün örneklerinde; senıloplazmin düzeyleri ise serumda araştırıldı. Mineral madde analizleri atomik absorbsiyon spektrofotometrede, senıloplazmin düzeyleri spektrofotometrede ölçüldü. Ortalama serum bakır düzeyi 0.57:t0.O] ppm, çinko 0.65:t0.01 ppm ve seruloplazmin 16.74:tOA3 mg/d] olarak tespit edildi. Bölgelerarası senım bakır değerleri arasında istatistiksel fark bulunmazken (p>0.10); çinko ve seru10plazmin değerleri yönünden önemli farklılık bulundu (pdJ.OO I). Senıloplazmin ile senım bakır değerleri arasında pozitif zayıf dereeede bir ilişkinin olduğü görüldü. Ortalaımı yün bakır değeri 4AO:t0.24 ppm ve çinko düzeyi 48.51 :t2.26 ppm olarak saptandı. Bölgeler arasında yün bakır ve çinko değerleri yönünden anlamlı fark bulunmadı (p>O.1 O). Hatay bölgesi koyunlarında yün ve senım bakır düzeyinin kritik sınıra yakın; çinkonun ise normal değerlerden düşük olduğu saptandı. Meraya dayalı beslemenin yapıldığı dönemde hayvanlara mineral takviyelerinin yapılımısı gerektiği sonueuna varıldı

Bu ara~tırma. rasyona 100 ve 200 ppm oranında Yuccu schidigem ekstraktı katılmasımn Japon bıldırcınlarında canlı ağırlık artl~ı. yem tüketimi. yemden yararlanma oram. karkas randımanı ilc bazı serum biyokimyasal ve hematolojik parametreler üzerine etkilerinin belirlenmesi amacıyla yapılml~tır. Ara~tırmada toplam 135 adet i haftalık Japon bıldırcın civcivı (CiJlumix co!ıımix jal'{}/ıical kuııanılml~tlr. Her birinde 45'er hayvan bulıınan bir kontrol ve iki deneme grubu dÜl.enlenmi~tır. Ara~urma 5 11<\ft;1devam etmi~tir. Ara~urma sonunda rasyona yucea ekstraktı katkısı bıldırcmlarda canlı ağırlık arll~ı. yem tiiketimi ve bırkas randımanında gruplar arasında istatistiksel bir fark o!u~turınaml~tır. Yemden yararlanma oranı deneme gruplarında kontrol grubundan belirgin olarak daha iyi bulunlllll~tur (pdUl5). Be~ hafta sonunda belirlenen senım glukoz ve kolesterol değerlerı yucca ekstraku katılan gruplarda kontrol grubundan belirgin olarak daha dü~ük bulumllll~tıır (p

Summary: Copper and zine levels were determined in serum and woo1 samples, ceniloplasmin level was determined in serum. The samples were colleeted from elinieally healty, grazing sheep between Mareh-hine in Hatay region. Additional feed was not given to sheep during this season. Mineral levels were analysed by atomie absorption speetrophotometry, eeniloplasmin levels were measured by speetrophotometry. Mean serum eopper, zine and eeniloplasmin levels were 0.57:t0.Ol ppm, 0.65:tO.OI ppm, 16.74:tOA3 ppm, respeetively. Although there was no statistieally signifieaney between serum Cu levels of the regional sheep (p>O. i O), there was signifieaney between serum zine and eeruloplasmin levels of the regional sheep (p<O.O 1). Mean wool eopper and zine levels were 4AO:t0.24 ppm, 48.51:t2.26 ppm, respeetivdy. A positive but weak eorrelation was determined between senim ceruloplasmin and copper levels. However. there was no eonelation between neither serum and wool eopper levels nor senim and wool zine levels were deteeted. In wool, eopper and zine levels of the regional sheep were not varied between the regions (p>O.1 O). It is eoneluded that senim and wool eopper levels were determined elose to the eritical level, zine levels were found to he under the normal level. Mineral supplementation to seasonal grazing animals should be considered in this region.