OBJECTIVES Several researchers have reported the relationship between infertility in male and varicocele for so many years but the implication of varicocele in female patients is remains elusive. Here, we aim to examine the effects of unilateral varicose ovarian vein on antioxidant capacity and oocyte quality of rat ovary after the experimental creation of varicocele in female rats. MATERIALS...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The present study analyzed whether administration of sulindac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) would prevent, attenuate or repair ischemia induced brain injury and reverse functional impairment in a focal ischemia model of stroke. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats (weight 250-300 g) were subjected to middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). Sulindac was gi...

Since there are no studies on the reversal of multidrug resistance by curcumin in the human colorectal cancer cell line HCT-8/5-FU, our aim was to search for highly efficient reversal agents and investigate the underlying mechanisms of this reversal. The cytotoxic effects of curcumin and 5-FU on HCT-8 and HCT-8/5-FU cells and the reversal effects of 5-FU in combination with curcumin on HCT-8/5-...

AIM To test the clinical significance of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) in evaluation of adult Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) patients presenting mainly with abdominal symptoms. METHODS Twenty-eight consecutive HSP patients who presented predominantly with abdominal symptoms were enrolled in this study. Control subjects included 27 age- and sex-matched patients with peptic ulcer d...

Although exercise during pregnancy is generally recommended and thought to be beneficial to mother and fetus, the nature of the adaptations to exercise during pregnancy and how they may be beneficial remain poorly understood. Recent studies suggest that exercise may stimulate expression of several cytoprotective and pro-angiogenic molecules such as heat shock proteins (HSP) and vascular endothe...

It is well established that heat stress (HS) negatively affects growth rate in swine. Although reduced feed intake undoubtedly plays a significant role in this reduction, studies in laboratory animals and other nonswine species indicate muscle growth also is affected by HS-related alterations in muscle physiology. Evidence is now emerging that heat shock proteins (Hsp), produced in response to ...

Borrelia burgdorferi, the etiological agent of Lyme disease, infects humans via the bite of a tick. The microbe survives in at least two vastly different environments: an arthropod vector and a warm-blooded host. We examined protein synthesis in B. burgdorferi B31 in response to sudden heat stress, which is similar to that which occurs during the transmission from vector to host. Proteins synth...