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  • Article
    Citation - Scopus: 19
    Laboratory and Imaging Evaluation of Cardiac Involvement in Patients With Post-Acute Covid-19
    (Dove Medical Press Ltd, 2021) Sarıçam,E.; Dursun,A.D.; Sarıyıldız,G.T.; Can,N.; Bozkurt,E.; Gönüllü,U.; Ünlü,M.
    Background: In the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, many patients suffer from palpitations, effort-associated fatigue, and even sudden death. The mechanism of heart involvement in this syndrome is uncertain. The main purpose of the study was to identify possible cardiac involvement causes in patients with post-acute COVID-19 by using biomarkers such as NT-proBNP and nitric oxide (NO) and cardiac imaging modalities. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, a total of 105 participants were included according to the existence of symptoms, and 40 of these participants were asymptomatic patients. The ages of the participants ranged from 20 to 50 years. All patients were healthy before COVID-19. The symptoms were defined as palpitations and/or fatigue association with exercise in post-acute COVID-19 term. The comparison of the two groups was made by using biochemical parameters (NT-proBNP, Troponin I, NO) and imaging techniques (echocardiography, cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and cardiac positron emission tomography (PET)). Results: The symptomatic patients had higher NT-proBNP levels compared with asymptomatic patients (132.30±35.15; 76.86±16.79, respectively; p < 0.001). Interestingly, the symptomatic patients had lower NO levels than asymptomatic patients (9.20±3.08; 16.15 ±6.02, respectively; p < 0.001). Echocardiography and CMR were normal. However, we found regional increased 18F-FDG uptake on cardiac PET to be compatible with myocardial fatigue. Conclusion: We found elevated NT-proNBP levels, low serum NO levels, and increased 18F-FDG uptake on cardiac PET in post-acute COVID syndrome. Cardiac PET could replace or be added to CMR for detecting subtle subacute/chronic myocarditis. The follow-up of patients with post-acute COVID-19 could target the possibility of risk of heart failure. © 2021 Sarıçam et al. This work is published and licensed by Dove Medical Press Limited.
  • Article
    Effects of Pregabalin on Kidney Tissue in Spinal Cord Ischemia Reperfusion Injured Rats;
    (Gazi Universitesi, 2021) Ceran,E.U.; Inan,N.; Kucuk,A.; Ozer,A.; Dursun,A.D.; Tosun,M.; Arslan,M.
    Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the possible protective effects of low and high dose pregabalin that was administered in rat in a spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) study model. Material and Method: We used 24 Wistar albino rats as subjects in our study. They were divided into 4 groups; randomized Control (C group), I/R (I/R group), I/R-low dose (30 mg/kg) pregabalin (I/R-LP group) and I/R-high dose (200 mg/kg) pregabalin (I/R-HP group). All groups have undergone a laparotomy intervention under anesthesia. In I/R group, a cross clamp was placed in the abdominal aorta just after the laparotomy for 120 minutes (to cause spinal cord ischemia injury) and then reperfusion was achieved by opening the vascular clamp. At the end of the study, kidney tissue was obtained for determining total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) levels, histochemical and immunohistochemical determination. Results: Total Oxidative Status (TOS) enzyme activity was significantly higher in I/R group when compared to the control, I/R-LP and I/R-HP groups. Likewise, Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) enzyme activity was remarkably higher in I/R group when compared with the C, I/R-LP and I/R-HP groups. VEGF staining has yielded no expression in renal tissues. In microscopical analysis of the tissue slides which were immunohistochemically stained with p53 antibody, some crucial findings have been established as follows: As p53-expressing cells were not detected in the control group, the presence of p53-expressing cells were clearly identified at different intensities in several bowman capsules in the I/R group. However, no expression was detected in general tubules. Interestingly, p53 expression levels were prominently lower in low-dose pregabalin given group and considerably higher in the 200 mg/kg pregabalin administered group, which was more pronounced than the I/R group. Conclusion: Results established from the current study suggest that pregabalin given at different doses may have a partial protective effect in kidney tissues of rats undergone experimental spinal cord IR injury. ©Copyright 2021 by Gazi University Medical Faculty