Protective effect of fennel, and its major component trans-anethole against social isolation induced behavioral deficits in rats.

Social isolation damages the nervous system by weakening the antioxidant system and leading to behavioral disorders. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) is an herbal plant that has antioxidant and neuroprotective properties. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of fennel methanol extract and its major component trans-anethole on spatial learning and memory, anxiety and depression in male rats exposed to social isolation stress.Rats were divided into six groups of Control (C), Fennel (F), trans-Anethole (A), Isolation, Isolation-F and Isolation-A. The rats were kept in the cage alone for 30 days to induce isolation. Fennel extract (150 mg/kg) and trans-anethole (80 mg/kg) were also gavaged during this period. At the end of the course, spatial learning and memory, anxiety and depression were measured by Morris water maze (MWM), elevated plus maze (EPM) and forced swimming test (FST), respectively.Learning and memory were impaired in isolated rats. Swimming time and distance to reach the hidden platform in these animals increased compared with controls (P < 0.05). In the EPM test, the percentage of open arm entries and open arm time also decreased significantly in the Isolation group (P < 0.01). The immobilization time in FST also increased significantly in these animals compared with the Control group (P < 0.001). Fennel and trans-anethole were both able to eliminate these changes in isolated rats.It is concluded that fennel and its major component, trans-anethole are suitable candidates for the prevention and treatment of stress-induced neurological disorders.

Comparison of 4% articaine and 0.5% levobupivacaine/2% lidocaine mixture for sub-Tenon's anaesthesia in phacoemulsification cataract surgery: a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: [corrected] The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of 4% articaine with a mixture containing equal volumes of 2% lidocaine and 0.5% levobupivacaine without hyaluronidase for sub-Tenon's anaesthesia in phacoemulsification cataract surgery. METHODS: The study was a prospective, randomised double-masked clinical trial of 65 patients allocated to receive either 4% articaine or a mixture containing equal parts of 2% lidocaine and 0.5% levobupivacaine. All patients had pre- and postoperative Hess charting to document ocular motility dysfunction. Ocular and eyelid movements were scored at 2 min intervals from 2 to 10 min after injection of the anaesthetic agent, and at the end of surgery. Complications related to injection, including pain, chemosis and subconjunctival haemorrhage, were recorded. Patients rated pain (none/mild/moderate/severe) during surgery. The operating surgeon masked to the anaesthetic agent assessed proptosis/chemosis at the start of the operation and the degree of ocular akinesia and analgesia at the end of surgery. RESULTS: The articaine group demonstrated a rapid onset of ocular akinesia with a mean time to readiness for surgery (achieving a score of

Pharmacognostical and phytochemical studies on leaves of anisomeles malabarica R.br.

The present study includes the morphological and anatomical characteristic of the leaf along with the determination of physio chemical constants, phytochemical screening and volatile oil content determination on the leaves of Anisomeles malabarica (LAMIACEAE) to provide some pharmocognostical standards and serves as a standard reference for the identification of Anisomeles malabarica.

Immunochemotherapy of lung cancer.

After surgical resection of their primary lung cancer, 33 patients were randomized into one of three groups. The first received high-dose methotrexate once per month with citrovorum rescue, for 3 months. The second group were immunized monthly with a homogenate of Freund's complete adjuvant and carefully characterized soluble antigen derived from allogeneic lung cancer cells of appropriate histology, for 3 months. The third group received a combination of methotrexate and immunization monthly, for 3 months. Each patient was monitored immunologically before, during, and after the treatment period, by use of delayed hypersensitivity reactions to recall and cancer antigens, in vitro lymphocyte response to mitogens, and mixed lymphocyte blocking factor activity. The group that received methotrexate showed little change in skin reactivity, a reduction of blocking factor activity, and significant rebound overshoot in in vitro lymphocyte performance. The immunized group showed a tendency to production of blocking factor activity, striking conversion and enhancement of skin reactivity, and little change in in vitro lymphocyte performance. The immunochemotherapy group showed dramatic increases in specific skin reactivity to cancer antigens, up to 2 years after treatment, in vitro lymphocyte rebound overshoot, and reduction of blocking factor activity production. Classic life table analysis of the probability of freedom from metastases in patients with stage-I cancer indicate that the disease-free interval in patients who received methotrexate is longer than in historic and concomitant controls but not as long as in those who received immunization. The best group appear to be those who received combination immunochemotherapy. We emphasize that the small numbers in this pilot study do not yet allow firm conclusions to be made.