Antioxidants vitamin E and C attenuate hepatic fibrosis in biliary-obstructed rats

AIM: To investigate whether antioxidants vitamin E and C can retard development of hepatic fibrosis in the bili- ary-obstructed rats. METHODS: Fifty Wistar albino rats were randomly as- signed to 5 groups (10 rats in each). Bile duct was liga- ted in 40 rats and they were treated as follows: group vitC, vitamin C 10 mg/kg sc daily; group vitE, vitamin E 15 mg/kg sc daily; group vitEC, both of the vitamins; bile duct-ligated (BDL, control) group, physiological saline sc. The fifth group was assigned to sham operation. At the end of fourth week, the rats were decapitated, and hepatic tissue biochemical collagen content and collagen surface area were measured. Hepatic tissue specimens were histopathologically evaluated according to Scheuer system. Serum hyaluronate levels were measured by ELISA method. RESULTS: Despite being higher than sham group, he- patic collagen level was significantly decreased in each of the vitC, vitE and vitEC groups (32.7 ± 1.2, 33.8 ± 2.9, 36.7 ± 0.5 μg collagen/mg protein, respectively) compared to BDL (48.3 ± 0.6 mg collagen/g protein) (P < 0.001 for each vitamin group). Each isolated vitamin C, isolated vitamin E and combined vitamin E/C supp-lementation prevented the increase in hepatic collagen surface density (7.0% ± 1.1%, 6.2% ± 1.7%, 12.3% ± 2.0%, respectively) compared to BDL (17.4% ± 5.6%) (P < 0.05 for each). The same beneficial effect of vitamin C, vitamin E and combined vitamin E/C treatment was also observed on the decrease of serum hyaluronate levels compared to BDL group (P < 0.001). The relative liver and spleen weights, serum transaminases, cholestatic enzymes, bilirubins and histopathological inflammation scores were not different between the antioxidant treat- ment groups and the control. However, fibrosis staging scores were obviously reduced only in the vitamin E/C combination group (vit EC: 2.4 ± 0.8 vs BDL: 3.1 ± 0.7; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Each antioxidant vitamin E, vitamin C and their combination retard hepatic fibrosis in biliary-obs- tructed rats. Oxidative stress may play a role in the patho- genesis of hepatic fibrosis in secondary biliary cirrhosis.

Is music the food of the anesthesia in children?

Background The noise in an operating room may have a detrimental effect on human cognitive functions,and it may cause perioperative anxiety with prolonged exposure.The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of music therapy and use of earplugs and normal noise level in the operating room under general anesthesia of pediatric patients on hemodynamic parameters and postoperative emergence delirium.Methods One hundred and five pediatric patients were involved in this study.The patients were randomly divided into three groups.Group N was exposed to the ambient operating room noise,group S received earplugs from an independent anesthesiologist,and group M used a CD player.The preoperative anxiety levels of children were evaluated with the Modified Yale Preoperative Anxiety Scale(M-YPAS).Mean arterial pressure(MAP)and heart rate were recorded at 30-minute periods until the completion of surgery,end of surgery and postoperatively.During each measurement,noise level recordings were performed using sonometer.Pediatric Anesthesia Emergency Delirium(PAED)score was evaluated after postoperative extubation.Results M-YPAS was similar between groups.The MAP at 30 and 60 min intraoperatively,at end of surgery,and at 5,10,and 15 min postoperatively was significantly lower in group S than in group N.There were no differences in heart rate among the groups.Postoperative PAED score was not significantly different among the groups.Conclusions The music therapy was not more effective than silence and operating noise room in reducing PAED score postoperatively in pediatric patients.