Öner, Fatih; Kurt, Nezahat; Üçüncü, Harun

Objective: Heavy metal exposure has recently become a problem due to the increasing environmental pollution as urbanization expands. This prospective cross-sectional study was conducted to compare levels of heavy metals in the nasal concha of the patients living in urban and rural who underwent partial inferior concha resection. Methods: Sixty-seven patients were divided into two groups: 38 rural patients and 29 urban patients. Partial inferior turbinate resection was performed in these patients with turbinate hypertrophy, and these tissues were examined for heavy metal levels. Lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and manganese (Mn) levels were measured in inferior nasal concha by inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry. Results: The levels of Cu (0.24±0.048 vs. 0.06±0.019 µg/g) and Zn (3.29±0.69 vs. 0.44±0.14 μg/g) of the rural patients were significantly higher compared to urban patients (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in the Cd level between groups. Pb (0.024±0.009 vs. 0.008±0.0002 µg/g) and Mn (0.273±0.01 vs. 0.174±0.05 µg/g) levels of urban patients were significantly higher than rural patients (p<0.001). Significance was considered at p<0.05. Conclusion: Heavy metals accumulate in the nasal concha at different rates in rural and urban areas. In pathologies with unclear pathophysiology and potential for heavy metal accumulation, such as air pollution, it may be helpful to indicate the presence of heavy metals in the nasal turbinate’s and measure their amounts for diagnostic purposes.

Atalay, Fatma; Tatar, Arzu; Dincer, Busra; Gündogdu, Betul; Köycegiz, Sinan

Objective: This study aimed to explore whether carvacrol (CV) had a protective effect on paclitaxel-induced ototoxicity from biochemical, functional, and histopathological perspectives. Methods: Forty Wistar albino male rats were randomly separated into five groups of eight rats. Group 1 was the control group, so Paclitaxel or CV was not administered. Group 2 was administered i.p. CV at 25 mg/kg once a week; Group 3, was administered i.p. paclitaxel at 5 mg/kg once a week; Group 4 was administered i.p. paclitaxel at 5 mg/kg followed (30 min later) by CV at 25 mg/kg once a week; and Group 5 was administered i.p. CV at 25 mg/kg followed (1 day later) by paclitaxel at 5 mg/kg. once a week. The drugs were administered intraperitoneally once a week for four consecutive weeks, and distortion product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAE) tests were performed at the beginning of the study before the first drug administration and at the end of the study after the last drug administration. All rats were sacrificed, and cochleae were removed for biochemical and histopathological analysis. Results: Biochemical data indicated that paclitaxel caused oxidative stress in the cochlea. Histopathological findings revealed the loss of outer hair cells in the organ of Corti (CO) and moderate degenerative changes in the stria vascularis (SV). It was observed that DPOAE measurements were significantly reduced at high frequencies. In groups which CV was administered together with paclitaxel, these biochemical, histopathological, and functional changes were favorably reversed. Conclusion: CV may have a protective effect against paclitaxel-induced ototoxicity when given.

Inan, Hakki Caner; Kiraç, Merve

Objective: Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is the most common peripheral vestibular system disease causing dizziness. It occurs more in the 5th decade of life and affects the posterior canal in 90% of the patients. The most effective treatment method is canalith repositioning (CRP) maneuver. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of betahistine and dimenhydrinate therapies in addition to CRP maneuver on BPPV patients. Methods: The study included 64 patients who had complaints of dizziness and were diagnosed with BPPV by their history and provocation maneuvers. The patients were divided into two groups. In Group 1, only repositioning maneuver was performed. Group 2 was divided into two subgroups. In Group 2a, repositioning maneuver was performed and betahistine 24 mg twice daily was given for 10 days. In Group 2b, repositioning maneuver was performed and dimenhydrinate 50 mg once daily was given for five days. On the 10th day, all patients were reexamined, and provocation maneuver was performed. Dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) was completed and outcomes were reviewed for therapeutic efficacy. Results: Mean DHI scores in all patient groups statistically significantly decreased from a pre-treatment level of 52.16 (range, 20-100) to a post-treatment level of 17.84 (range, 0-78) (p<0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in terms of DHI scores between Group 1 (repositioning maneuver only) and Group 2 (repositioning maneuver plus betahistine or dimenhydrinate). Conclusion: The most effective treatment method of BPPV is repositioning maneuver. Addition of betahistine or dimenhydrinate pharmacotherapy to repositioning maneuver did not show superiority to treatment with repositioning maneuvers alone.