The IC87201 (a PSD95/nNOS Inhibitor) Attenuates Post- Stroke Injuries.

N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-dependent excitotoxicity is one of the most important mechanisms underlying stroke injury and the resulting neuronal death. In the present study, in order to reduce post-stroke brain injury and improve behavioral performance, a new molecule named IC87201, which acts as an inhibitor of PSD95/nNOS interaction in the intracellular signaling pathway of NMDA receptors, was administered. Using the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) technique, 24 adult male rats were subjected to one hour of cerebral ischemia. Animals were randomly divided into sham, MCAO, MCAO + DXM, and MCAO + IC87201 groups, and in the last two groups, intraperitoneal injection of dextromethorphan hydrobromide monohydrate (DXM), as an NMDA antagonist, and IC87201 was performed after ischemia. Neurobehavioral scores were evaluated for seven days, and on the last two days, the rats' memory performance was appraised using the passive avoidance test. On seventh day, the brain tissue was properly prepared for stereological analysis. Stereological studies of the hippocampus CA1 and CA3 regions revealed that changes in the total and infarcted volumes, total number of neurons, non-neurons, and dead neurons are the consequences of cerebral ischemia. Also, following cerebral ischemia, neurobehavioral and memory function impairments which were assessed by modified neurological severity scores (mNSS) and passive avoidance test, were observed. The aforementioned impairments were recovered after administration of IC87201 significantly and more potently than DXM. Based on our findings, IC87201 successfully attenuated post-ischemia damages. Therefore, this molecule can be considered as a new therapeutic approach in future research.

COVID-19 pandemic and the prevalence of domestic violence against Iranian married women.

AIM: Domestic violence is an important public health and human rights problem. In most countries of the world, including Iran, the COVID-19 pandemic made quarantine necessary to reduce the disease transmission rate. Therefore, due to the spread of the COVID-19 disease and the emergence of mandatory quarantine conditions, the present study was conducted to determine the prevalence of domestic violence against women during the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, which was done in 2020, 240 married women were investigated. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, data collection was performed through virtual networks using standard questionnaires. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Descriptive statistics (relative frequencies, mean, and standard deviation) were used to determine the extent of violence. Independent t-test and Chi-square were used to analyze the data of the relation between the types of violence with independent variables. Also, the data were analyzed using the logistic regression model. RESULTS: In this study, 240 married women with a mean age of 36.27 were studied. The highest frequency was related to social violence (56.3%), and the lowest was related to financial and verbal violence (11.7%). In addition, a significant relationship was observed between sexual violence and age (p-value < 0.05). A significant relationship was also observed between social violence and education [(OR = 1.99)] Jobs [(OR = 2.4, CI = 95%, 1.30-4.4), quarantine duration [(OR = 1.94, CI = 95%, 0.98-3.7)] and underlying diseases [OR = 1.90]. CONCLUSION: The high prevalence of domestic violence against women during quarantine indicates the poor health of women in society. Therefore, the roots of violence against women and methods to reduce this problem should be sought. Therefore, identification of subjects at risk and raising women's knowledge may be useful for the prevention of domestic violence and its physical and psychological complications.

Evaluation of the prevalence of illness anxiety disorder following the COVID-19 pandemic in Iran and its related factors: a cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: COVID-19 pandemic has generated a rise in psychological distress, such as illness anxiety disorder, apart from its negative physical effects. This study intends to the evaluation of illness anxiety disorder rate following the prevalence of COVID-19 in Iran and its associated factors. Methods: In this study, 634 people were studied. The data collection method was performed via the virtual networks using a questionnaire, with the sampling method being convenient and nonprobable with the method of snowball. Evans illness anxiety disorder questionnaire was utilized in this investigation. The logistic regression model and the χ 2 were used to evaluate the data. Results: The prevalence of illness anxiety disorder was 12.1%. The chance to have an illness anxiety disorder in the people whose relatives had a history of COVID-19 was 5.32 times, and in those who had a relative with a history of COVID-19 had higher (odds ratio = 1.27). But, this connection in people who worked or studied in nonmedical fields, is several times more than those who are busy in the medical fields. In individuals of 30 years and older, the chance of patients in single people compared to married people was 5.20 times higher, but under the age of 30 years, the chance of illness anxiety disorder in single people was 0.91. Conclusion: COVID-19 pandemic, also to the physical effects, may have psychological implications for people. Therefore, reducing the individual and social activities in terms of this disease, along with measures related to physical problems, diagnosis, timely treatment and proper psychological consequences, including illness anxiety disorder can be very fruitful.

Evidence-Based Prediction of COVID-19 Severity in Hospitalized Children.

Objective: In this study, by using clinical and paraclinical characteristics, we have aimed to predict the severity of the disease in hospitalized COVID-19 children. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted on medical records about epidemiologic data, underlying diseases, symptoms, and laboratory tests from March to October, 2020, on 238 hospitalized confirmed COVID-19 paediatric cases in several children's hospitals of Tehran, Ahwaz, Isfahan, and Bandar Abbas. Results: From 238 patients, 140 (59%) were male and most of them were in the age group of 1 to 5 years (34.6%). Among all hospitalized patients, 38% had an underlying disease and in total, 5% of cases were expired. Conclusion: Determining patient severity is essential for appropriate clinical decision making; our results showed that in hospitalized pediatric patients, by using several variables such as SGOT, CRP, ALC, LDH, WBC, O2sat, and ferritin, we can use clinical and paraclinical characteristics for predicting the severity of COVID-19.

The Effect of Rosmarinic Acid on Apoptosis and nNOS Immunoreactivity Following Intrahippocampal Kainic Acid Injections in Rats.

INTRODUCTION: Kainic Acid (KA) is an ionotropic glutamate receptor agonist. KA can induce neuronal overactivity and excitotoxicity. Rosmarinic Acid (RA) is a natural polyphenolic compound with antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, anti-neurodegenerative, and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to assess the effect of RA on apoptosis, nNOS-positive neurons number, as well as Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase (MAPK) and Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) immunoreactivity, following intrahippocampal Kainic acid injection in rats. METHODS: The study rats were randomly assigned to three groups of sham, KA (KA was injected into the right side of the hippocampus) and KA+RA (a dose of 10 mg/kg/day through a gavage needle for one week before KA injection). Then, histopathological changes, including apoptosis [Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase (TdT) dUTP Nick-End Labeling (TUNEL) assay], nNOS-positive neurons number, as well as COX-2 and MAPK immunoreactivity were evaluated in the hippocampus. RESULTS: In the RA pretreated group, nNOS-positive neurons and TUNEL-positive cells were significantly reduced compared to the KA group (P<0.05). COX-2and MAPK immunoreactivity demonstrated no significant changes compared to the KA group. They indicated a significant higher reactivity for COX-2 (P<0.01) and MAPK (P<0.005) versus the sham group. CONCLUSION: RA had neuroprotective effects, compared to KA, through reduced apoptosis and nNOS-positive neurons, but not MAPK and COX-2.

Antibiotic Resistance And Genotyping Of Gram-Positive Bacteria Causing Hospital-Acquired Infection In Patients Referring To Children's Medical Center.

INTRODUCTION: A serious problem affecting human society is the development of bacterial resistance. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the antibiotic resistance of Gram-positive bacteria (GPB) and genotyping of common GPB causing hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) in patients who were referred to Children's Medical Center during a 6-month period by random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus sequence polymerase chain reaction (ERIC-PCR). METHODS: During the 6-month period, antimicrobial resistance profiles of GPB isolates recovered from patients in Children's Medical Center were determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion and MIC. Typing of common GPB was performed and the results were analyzed by gel compare software. RESULTS: In this cross-sectional study, 6524 cultures were performed and 138 Ggram-positive bacteria were isolated (2%). Staphylococcus aureus strains showed the highest antibiotic penicillin resistance (96.3%). Twenty-six per cent of the strains were methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and no resistance was found against vancomycin. All isolates of Enterococcus faecium were resistant to ciprofloxacin (100%). The resistance to vancomycin was very high (67%) and no resistance was observed to linezolid. The results of genotyping analysis of S. epidermidis strains showed the presence of two clones with a genetic relationship of over 80%. All of the S. aureus strains were in one cluster and half of the E. faecium strains were in a cluster with a genetic predilection of over 80%. CONCLUSION: This study indicated frequent occurrence of antimicrobial resistance, especially in Enterococcus spp. isolates. Rapid spreads of MRSA and VREF from a clonal origin require implementing careful isolation and infection control measures.

Simvastatin and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) affects serum IgE and lung cytokines levels in sensitized mice.

INTRODUCTION: The effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and simvastatin combination therapy on serum total and specific IgE levels and lung IL-13 and TGF-ß levels in sensitized mouse were examined. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Control (n = 5), Sensitized (S), (n = 5), S + BMSC (n = 6), S + simvastatin (n = 6) and S + BMSC + simvastatin (n = 4) groups of BALB/c mice were studied. Mice were sensitized by ovalbumin. Sensitized mice were treated with a single intravenous injection of BMSCs (1 × 106) or daily intraperitoneal injection of simvastatin (40 mg/kg) or both BMSCs and simvastatin on the last week of challenge. Serum total and ovalbumin specific IgE levels as well as IL-13 and TGF-ß levels in broncho-alveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were evaluated. RESULTS: Serum total and specific IgE levels as well as lung IL-13 and TGF-ß levels were significantly increased in S group compared to control group (P < 0.001 for all cases). Treatment with BMSCs, simvastatin and their combination significantly decreased serum total and specific IgE levels (P < 0.05 to P < 0.01). However, IL-13 and TGF-ß levels were significantly decreased by BMSCs and BMSC + simvastatin combination therapy (P < 0.05 for all cases). The effect of simvastatin and BMSCs combination therapy on serum specific IgE levels as well as lung IL-13 and TGF-ß levels were significantly higher than the effect of BMSCs and simvastatin alone (P < 0.001 for IL-13 and P < 0.01 for other cases). CONCLUSIONS: Simvastatin and BMSCs combination therapy affects serum IgE as well as lung IL-13 and TGFß levels more than BMSC therapy and simvastatin therapy alone which may be due to increased BMSCs migration into the lung tissue.

Effects of Viola tricolor Flower Hydroethanolic Extract on Lung Inflammation in a Mouse Model of Chronic Asthma.

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs driven by T cell activation. Viola tricolor L. as a traditional medical herb could suppress activated T lymphocytes and has been used empirically for asthma remedy. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory effect of Viola tricolor and its underlying mechanism on asthma characteristics induced by ovalbumin (OVA) in mice. BALB/c mice were randomly divided into six groups: normal control, Ovalbumin (OVA) control, OVA mice treated with Viola tricolor (50, 100 and 200 mg/kg) and dexamethasone (3 mg/kg). All mice except normal controls were sensitized and challenged with OVA. Asthmatic mice were treated orally in the last 7 days of OVA challenge. The total and differential leukocyte counts, Interleukin (IL)-4 and interferon (IFN)-γ levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined. H and E staining for lung inflammation was performed. Viola tricolor treatment at 200 mg/kg significantly decreased IL-4 level but did not considerably affect the IFN-γ level. Therefore, it effectively reduced asthma characteristics including infiltration of leukocytes particularly eosinophil and peribronchial inflammation as compared to dexamethasone. However, Viola tricolor at 100 mg/kg had the most prominent inhibitory effect on the IL-4 level and also markedly increased IFN-γ level. As result, it prevented further reduction of inflammatory parameters in this group compared to the Viola tricolor-treated group at 200 mg/kg. Our study demonstrated that Viola tricolor has anti-inflammatory effects via inhibition of T-helper type 2 (Th2) cytokine production and validated its empirical usage in traditional medicine.

Incidence and mortality of kidney cancer and its relationship with HDI (Human Development Index) in the world in 2012.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Kidney cancer is among the cancers that have the highest growth rate in all age and racial groups in the world and is as the most deadly type of urinary tract cancer. Since awareness about this cancer incidence status and mortality is essential for better planning, this study aimed to investigate the incidence and mortality rate of kidney cancer and its relationship with the development index in the world in 2012. METHOD: This study was an ecological study conducted based on GLOBOCAN project of the World Health Organization (WHO) for the countries in the world. The correlation between Standardized Incidence Rates (SIRs) and Standardized Mortality Rates (SMRs) of kidney cancer with HDI and its components was assessed using SPSS18. RESULTS: In total, 337,860 incidence cases (213,924 were men and 123,936 women) and 143,406 deaths (90,802 cases in men and 52,604 in women) of kidney cancer were recorded in 2012. A positive correlation of 0.731 was seen between SIR of kidney cancer and HDI (p≤0.001). Also, a negative correlation of 0.627 was seen between SMR of kidney cancer and HDI (p≤0.001). CONCLUSION: The incidence and mortality rate of kidney cancer is higher in developed countries. A significant positive correlation has been seen between the standardized incidence and mortality rate of kidney cancer with the Human Development Index and its components. We need more studies to examine variation in incidence and mortality of kidney cancer and its related factors in the world.

Ghrelin Alleviates MDMA-Induced Disturbance of Serum Glucose and Lipids Levels in the Rat.

Hepatotoxicity is one of the clinically adverse effects of ecstasy (3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; MDMA) consumption. The detoxification tissue, liver, plays a central role in maintaining circulating levels of glucose and lipid. Hypoglycemia and hypotriglyceridemia have been reported due to ecstasy abuse. Ghrelin is a 28-amino-acid peptide secreted predominantly from the stomach. It has been demonstrated that ghrelin has hepatoprotective effects and is able to increase blood glucose concentration. In the current study, we explored the effect of hepatotoxic dose of MDMA and therapeutic use of exogenous ghrelin on the serum levels of glucose and lipids in four groups of rats. MDMA caused a severe and transient reduction in circulating levels of glucose and triglyceride and increased serum LDL. However, cholesterol and HDL levels remained unchanged. Meanwhile, altered hepatic architecture was observed with intracellular vacuolation that may indicate intracellular accumulation of lipid droplets. In addition, following ghrelin administration, the blood sugar levels improved and LDL levels returned to the baseline value, and ghrelin treatment did not improve triglycerides levels. These results showed that MDMA causes hypoglycemia, hypotriglyceridemia, and hyper LDL-cholesterolemia. To our knowledge, this is the first report showing ghrelin administration could improve hypoglycemia and normalize LDL levels induced by MDMA and partially restore hepatic architecture.

Evaluation of Simvastatin and Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cell Combination Therapy on Airway Remodeling in a Mouse Asthma Model.

INTRODUCTION: The effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) on asthma treatment was shown in our previous study. Several studies have shown the effect of statins on BMSC preservation and migration to sites of inflammation. In this study, the effects of simvastatin and BMSC combination therapy in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model in mouse were examined. METHODS: Four groups of BALB/c mice were studied including control group (animals were not sensitized), asthma group (animals were sensitized by ovalbumin), asthma + simvastatin group (asthmatic animals were treated with simvastatin), and asthma + BMSC + simvastatin group (asthmatic animals were treated with simvastatin and BMSCs). BMSCs were isolated, characterized, labeled with BrdU, and transferred into asthmatic mice. BMSC migration, airways histopathology, and total and differential white blood cell (WBC) count in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were evaluated. RESULTS: A significant increase in the number of BrdU-BMSCs was found in the lungs of mice treated with simvastatin + BMSCs compared to mice treated with BMSCs. The histopathological changes, BAL total WBC counts, and the percentage of neutrophils and eosinophils were increased in asthma group compared to the control group. Treatment with simvastatin significantly decreased airway inflammation and inflammatory cell infiltration. Combination therapy improved all measured parameters higher than simvastatin. Goblet cell hyperplasia and subepithelial fibrosis were also decreased in combination therapy group. CONCLUSION: These results indicated that simvastatin and BMSC combination therapy was superior to simvastatin therapy and BMSC therapy alone in reduction of airway remodeling and lung inflammation in the ovalbumin-induced asthma model in mouse.

Incidence and Mortality of Liver Cancer and Their Relationship with Development in Asia.

BACKGROUND: Liver cancer (LC) is the sixth world most common cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death. Due to the importance and necessity of awareness about the incidence and mortality of diseases to perform prevention programs, this study focused on data for LC and its relationship with the human development index (HDI) and its components in Asia in 2012. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This ecological study was based on GLOBOCAN data for Asian countries. We assessed correlations between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of LC with HDI and its components using of SPSS18. RESULTS: A total of 582,420 incident cases and 557,097 deaths were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. The five with the highest SIR were Mongolia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Republic of Korea and Thailand and those with the highest SMR were Mongolia, Lao PDR, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. A negative relation was observed between HDI and LC for SIR of 0.049 (P=0.748) and for SMR of 0.07 (P=0.645), with life expectancy at birth a positive relation for SIR of 0.061 (P=0.687) and a negative relation for SMR of 0.079 (P=0.603), with the average years of education a negative relation fo SIR of 0.476 (p=0.952) and for SMR of 0.032 (P=0.832), and with the country income level per person a negative relation for SMI of 0.11 (p=0.465) and for SMR of 0.113 (P=0.455). CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of LC is more in less developed and developing countries but statistically significant correlations were not found between standardized incidence and mortality rates of LC, and HDI and its dimensions.

Effect of bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells on lung pathology and inflammation in ovalbumin-induced asthma in mouse.

OBJECTIVES: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have attracted significant interest to treat asthma and its complication. In this study, the effects of BMSCs on lung pathology and inflammation in an ovalbumin-induced asthma model in mouse were examined. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BALB/c mice were divided into three groups: control group (animals were not sensitized), asthma group (animals were sensitized by ovalbumin), asthma+BMSC group (animals were sensitized by ovalbumin and treated with BMSCs). BMSCs were isolated and characterized and then labeled with Bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU). After that the cells transferred into asthmatic mice. Histopathological changes of the airways, BMSCs migration and total and differential white blood cell (WBC) count in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were evaluated. RESULTS: A large number of BrdU-BMSCs were found in the lungs of mice treated with BMSCs. The histopathological changes, BAL total WBC counts and the percentage of neutrophils and eosinophils were increased in asthma group compared to the control group. Treatment with BMSCs significantly decreased airway pathological indices, inflammatory cell infiltration, and also goblet cell hyperplasia. CONCLUSION: The results of this study revealed that BMSCs therapy significantly suppressed the lung pathology and inflammation in the ovalbumin induced asthma model in mouse.

The Incidence and Mortality of Colorectal Cancer and Its Relationship With the Human Development Index in Asia.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in women and the third most common cancer among men, and its incidence is increasing in Asia. Awareness about the status of this cancer incidence and mortality is necessary for a better plan. OBJECTIVES: The present study was done with the aim to investigate the incidence and mortality of colorectal cancer and its relationship with the Human Development Index (HDI) in Asia in 2012. METHODS: This study was an ecological study, which was conducted based on the GLOBOCAN project of the World Health Organization for Asian countries. We assessed the correlation between standardized incidence rates (SIR) and standardized mortality rates (SMR) of colorectal cancer with HDI and its components using SPSS software, version 18 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). RESULTS: A total of 592,563 incidences of and 325,752 deaths from colorectal cancer were recorded in Asian countries in 2012. The 5 countries with the highest SIR were Republic of Korea (45 per 100,000), Israel (35.9 per 100,000), Singapore (33.7 per 100,000), Japan (32.2 per 100,000), and Jordan (25.6 per 100,000). The 5 countries with the highest SMR for colorectal cancer were Jordan (15.5 per 100,000), Kazakhstan (12.8 per 100,000), Democratic Republic of Korea (12 per 100,000), Brunei (12 per 100,000), and Japan (11.9 per 100,000). Correlation between HDI and SIR was 0.709 overall (P ≤ .001)- 0.667 in men (P ≤ .001) and 0.759 in women (P ≤ .001). Also, correlation between HDI and SMR overall was 0.517 (P ≤ .001)- 0.447 in men (P = .002) and 0.593 in women (P ≤ .001). CONCLUSIONS: Cancer incidence and mortality are higher in countries with more development. A positive and statistically significant correlation was found between standardized incidence and mortality rate of colorectal cancer and the Human Development Index and its components.

Rosmarinic acid exerts a neuroprotective effect in the kainate rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy: Underlying mechanisms.

CONTEXT: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is an intractable neurological disorder. Rosmarinic acid (RA) is a natural polyphenol with antioxidant, anti-apoptotic, and anti-inflammatory properties. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluates beneficial effect of RA in intrahippocampal kainate-induced model of TLE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were divided into sham, RA-pretreated sham, kainate, and sodium valproate (VA) or RA-pretreated kainate groups. Rats received RA or VA p.o. at doses of 10 or 300 mg/kg/d, respectively, starting 1 week before the surgery. After 6 weeks, seizure intensity, apoptosis, and oxidative stress markers were evaluated in addition to determination of Timm index as an indicator of mossy fiber sprouting (MFS) and the number of Nissl-stained neurons. RESULTS: All rats in the kainate group had seizure and 24.3% of rats in the kainate + VA group and 36.7% of rats in the kainate + RA group showed seizure. The kainate group had a significant elevation of malondialdehyde (MDA) (p < 0.05) and nitrite (p < 0.01) and reduction of glutathione (GSH) and catalase activity (p < 0.05) and pretreatment of kainate-lesioned rats with RA or VA significantly lowered MDA and nitrite content (p < 0.05) and raised activity of catalase (p < 0.05). The kainate group also had a significant reduction of neurons in CA1 and CA3 regions and an elevation of Timm index (p < 0.05-0.001) and RA or VA significantly (p < 0.05-0.01) prevented these changes. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: RA could attenuate seizure, mitigates oxidative stress, augments the activity of defensive systems, and prevent hippocampal neuronal loss and MFS in the kainate model of TLE.

Accuracy of universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of bacterial meningitis among suspected patients.

INTRODUCTION: Central nervous system (CNS) infections are life-threatening diseases caused by viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal microorganisms. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of universal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of bacterial meningitis among patients who were referred to Koodakan Hospital in Bandar Abbas because they were suspected of having the disease. METHODS: This study was conducted in 2013 on the patients who were admitted to Bandar Abbas' Koodakan Hospital because they were suspected of having meningitis. A questionnaire, including demographic data, was completed for each patient. Universal PCR, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis, and gram staining and cultures were done for all the patients. The data were analyzed using SPSS software. RESULTS: Among the 100 patients studied 59 (59%) were male and 41 (41%) were female. No patient in our study had a positive smear and culture for meningitis. Among the patients with negative smears and cultures six (6%) had positive universal PCR, and 94 (94%) had negative universal PCR. Based on these results, PCR had 95% specificity and 100% negative predictive value for the prediction of meningitis. In 30 patients (30%), the biochemical analysis of CSF were in favor of meningitis. Among the 30 patients, six patients (20%) had positive universal PCR and 24 patients (80%) had negative universal PCR. CONCLUSION: Based on our results, the universal PCR test is useful in the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis in children. We recommend using it in combination with other tests, such as CSF analysis, for diagnosis of bacterial meningitis.

Antidiabetic effect of hydroalcholic urticadioica leaf extract in male rats with fructose-induced insulin resistance.

BACKGROUND: Urtica dioica has been used as antihypertensive, antihyperlipidemic and antidiabetic herbal medicine. The purpose of this study was to study the effect of hydroalcoholic extract of Urtica dioica on fructose-induced insulin resistance rats. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups including control, fructose, extract 50, extract 100 and extract 200. The control rat received vehicle, the fructose and extract groups received fructose 10% for eight weeks. The extract groups received single daily injection of vehicle, 50, 100 or 200 mg/kg/day for the two weeks. Blood glucose, insulin, last fasting insulin resistance index (FIRI), serum triglyceride (TG), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), alanin trasaminase (AST) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), leptin and LDL/HDL ratio were determined. RESULTS: Compared to control group, daily administration of fructose was associated with significant increase in FIRI, blood glucose and insulin, significant decrease in lepin, and no significant change in TG, HDL, LDL, LDL/HDL ratio, VLDL, ALT, and ALP. The extract significantly decreased serum glucose, insulin, LDL and leptin, and LDL/HDL ratio and FIRI. It also significantly increased serum TG, VLDL, and AST, but did not change serum ALP. CONCLUSION: We suggest that Urtica dioica extract, by decreasing serum glucose, and FIRI, may be useful to improve type 2 diabetes mellitus. Also, by positive effect on lipid profile and by decreasing effect on leptin, it may improve metabolic syndrome.

Ileal relaxation induced by Mentha longifolia (L.) leaf extract in rat.

The effect of Mentha longifolia (L.) leaf hydroalcoholic extract (MLE) was examined on rat ileal smooth muscle contractions. Last portion of ileum from male adult Wistar rat was mounted in an organ bath containing Tyrode solution. The tissue was contracted by carbachol (CCh, 10 microM), KCl (60 mM) and BaC12 (4 mM) and then MLE (0.0625-1 mg mL(-1)) was added to the bath cumulatively. The effect of MLE on KCl-induced contraction was examined after tissue incubation with propranolol (1 microM), naloxone (1 microM) and N omega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 100 microM). The effect of MLE on CaCl2-induced ileal contraction in Ca(2+)-free with high potassium Tyrode solution was also evaluated. The role of potassium channels was examined by ileum incubation (5 mim) with tetraethylammonium (TEA, 1 mM). The results showed that KCl-, CCh and BaCl2-induced ileal contractions were inhibited (p < 0.001) by cumulative concentrations of MLE with the same potency. In addition, MLE (0.25-1 mg mL(-1)) inhibited (p < 0.01) ileal contractions induced by CaCl2 (0.45-2.7 mM) in a concentration-related manner. The antispasmodic effect of MLE was affected neither by propranolol, L-NAME nor by naloxone. The MLE concentration-response curve was shifted to the right (p < 0.05) by tissue incubation with TEA. From results it may be suggested that Mentha longifolia hydroalcoholic leaf extract induces its spasmolytic activity mainly through disturbance in calcium mobilization and partly by potassium channels activation. Present results show that Mentha longifolia leaf extract exerts relaxant effects on intestinal smooth muscle, consistent with the traditional use of the plant to treat gastrointestinal disorders such as diarrhea and colic.