Aim: In this study, the protective effect of Foeniculum vulgare Miller essential oil (FEO), vitamin C and vitamin E were comparatively investigated on carboplatin toxicity in liver tissue in rats. Method: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups (n=6), and the groups were treated for five days by i.p. injections of isotonic saline solution (ISS), carboplatin, carboplatin+FEO, carboplatin+vitamin C and carboplatin+vitamin E respectively. Results: At the end of the study, there were no histopathological changes in the study groups. Serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and indirect bilirubin levels of carboplatin group were significantly increased compared to the control group. Serum ALT and ALP levels of FEO, vitamin C and vitamin E groups were not different from the controls, but significantly lower than the carboplatin group. Serum indirect bilirubin level of the vitamin C group was significantly increased compared to the control group. Serum indirect bilirubin levels of FEO and vitamin E groups were not different from the controls, but significantly lower than carboplatin group. Conclusion: As a result, carboplatin-induced hepatotoxicity was diminished when combined with the vitamin C, vitamin E or FEO.

Aim: Methidathion (MD) ?O, O-dimethyl S-(2,3–dihydro–5–methoxy–2–oxo-1,3,4-thiadiazol-3-ylmethyl) phosphorodithioate? is one of the most widely used organophosphate insecticides in agriculture. In this study, we aim to examine whether the organophosphate insecticide methidathion causes pancreas damage and, a combination of vitamins E and C prevents this damage in rats. Methods: The experimental groups were as follows: Control group, MD-treated group (MD), and a group treated with MD plus vitamin E plus vitamin C (MD+Vit). The MD and MD+Vit groups were treated orally with a single dose of 8 mg/kg MD body weight at after treatment. Vitamin E and vitamin C were injected at dose of 150 mg/kg body weight i.m. and 200 mg/kg body weight i.p., respectively, 30 min after the treatment with MD in the MD+Vit group. Blood samples were taken 24 h after the MD administration.The activities of serum enzymes were determined in each sample at 24 h. Results: The results of the experiment demonstrated that amylase activity was increased significantly in the MD+Vit group compared with control group or MD group, and there was no significant difference between MD and control groups. Lipase activity was increased significantly in the MD group compared with control group, was decreased significantly in the MD+Vit group compared with MD group, and there was no significant difference between MD+Vit and control groups. Conclusion: From these results, it can be concluded that MD may cause pancreas damage and, a combination of vitamins E and C may prevent damage caused by MD.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to determine the biochemical characteristics and the antibiotic susceptibilities of V.metshnikovii strains yielded during a two year period between 1999-2001, from the specimens delivered to our Microbiology Laboratory and the specimens received from various clinics for prevention and control of nosocomial infections. Method: 137 specimens received from various clinics were inoculated to blood agar an eosine methilene blue (EMB) agar. Detection and antibiotic susceptibility tests of the yielded colonies were performed using “Sceptor Gram negative Enteric MIC MIC/ID panel” and “Sceptor Gram negative urine MIC/ID Panel (Becton Dickinson-USA). Results: From the cultures of the collected specimens, V.metshnikovii strains were isolated from a total of 23 specimens: 14 (61 %) were from the clinical specimens sent to our laboratory and 9 (39 %) were from the specimens received from various clinics for control. In the result of susceptibility tests against antimicrobial agents, the most effective agents and their susceptibility rates were as follows: imipenem and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid 100 %, ampicillin-sulbactam, gentamicin and amikacin 95 %, tetracycline 92 %, cefazolin and ticarciline-clavulanic acid 90 %. The highest resistance rates were detected against aztreonam with 80 %, ceftazidime with 60 %, cefotaxime with 52 % and trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole with 48 %. V.metshnikovii strains demonstrated a resistance rate between 13 % and 45 % against ampicillin, cefoperazone, cefotetan, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime, ciprofloxacin, piperacillin, ticarcillin and tobramycin. Conclusion: V.metschnikovii is considered to colonize for a period in various equipments in our hospital. Data about this bacteria which we will likely meet more often is still restricted and it is necessary to make more comprehensive studies about this subject especially including water sources.

In this study, we have aimed to determine the clinical value of routine chest radiograph in the detection of respiratory distress in the neonatal period. Routine chest radiographs of 278 neonates who hospitalized to Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between June 1996 and March 2000, with respiratory distress complaints were examined retrospectively. The patients who had only hyperbilirubinemia complaint and were took routine chest radiograph, were accepted as control group. Chest x-rays were examined by same radiologist who hasn’t any knowledge about diagnoses of patients. The clinical diagnoses of neonates in the study group were neonatal pneumonia (116 of them, 41.7%), respiratory distress syndrome (78 of them, 28%), transient tachypnea of neonatorum (62 of them, 22.3%), meconium aspiration syndrome (19 of them, 6.8%) and congenital diaphragmatic hernia (3 of them, 1%). The sensitivity and spesifity values of routine chest radiograph to estimate the respiratory distress in the neonatal period were 62% and 88%, respectively. The sensitivity rate of neonates diagnosed as transient tachypnea of neonatorum was significantly lower than infants’ sensitivity rates with neonatal pneumonia (73%) and respiratory distress syndrome (68%) (p<0.05). In conclusion, alone routine chest radiograph was found to has a limited diagnostic value in the detection of respiratory distress in the neonatal period. But it can be more valuable together with other anamnestic and clinical findings of neonates. Therefore, we suggest that routine chest radiograph should be examined by both radyologist and clinician.

Frozen section diagnosis is a highly useful method in intraoperative diagnosis. In this manuscript we aimed to investigate the accuracy rates of the frozen section study in general, and for individual frozen section study of difficult organs and systems and compared our results with the literature data. Three hundred and two surgical specimen that underwent frozen section evaluation between 1997 and 2002 were studied. The diagnostic accuracy was 92.7%. The diagnosis was deferred in 20 cases (6.6%). False positive diagnosis was made in one case (0.33%) and false negative diagnosis in one case (0.33%). Frozen section has greater benefit when used for the general diagnosis of an unknown pathologic process rather than for an exact diagnosis.

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a pulmonar injury with pulmonary edema and severe hypoxemia secondary to alveolocapillary permeability increase due to various factors. It has a clinical triad consist of tachypnea, dyspnea and cyanosis. Ventilation / perfusion imbalance is a consistent part in ARDS pathophysiology. ARDS mortality is still high and commonly over 50%. This high mortality rate is result of multisystem organ failure complications due to ARDS causative factors. ARDS treatment needs to determine the underlying factor and support the organism so, its symptomatic feature is dominant. In the last decade parallel with basic science studies clinical studies showed improvement and various pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy modalities caused a hopefull success rate increase.