Comparison of topical sucralfate and silver sulfadiazine cream in second degree burns in rats.

BACKGROUND: The most prevalent topical treatment for partial thickness burns is silver sulfadiazine 1% (SSD). Recent studies have shown that the healing of partial thickness burns is delayed with the use of SSD. One of the potential burn dressings is sucralfate. OBJECTIVES: With this study the authors have aimed to analyze comparatively the effects of sucralfate and SSD on second degree burn wounds in rats. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-eight male rats were divided into three equal groups. A burn model was constituted on the back of all rats. The burned areas in the first, second and third groups were covered daily with sucralfate, SSD and cold cream (control), respectively. At the end of the 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th day, the rats were anesthetized and the burned skin tissue samples were collected for histopathological examination. RESULTS: At the end of the study, the epidermis and horny layer was completely formed in the SSD and sucralfate group; however the appendix of skin was just formed in the sucralfate group. Also the percentage of wound healing was calculated at 76%, 91% and 100% respectively in the control, silver sulfadiazine and sucralfate groups. CONCLUSIONS: Sucralfate is known to have multiple beneficial effects on wound healing. Using topical sucralfate accelerates the burn wound healing process in comparison with both the control and SSD groups and can be used as an adjunctive or alternative agent in the future.

Dermatological manifestations among patients on maintenance hemodialysis.

UNLABELLED: Introduction. Patients with chronic kidney disease on hemodialysis (HD) undergo many dermatological signs and symptoms during treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of skin manifestations among the patients on maintenance HD in the HD center of Boo Ali-Sina Hospital (Qazvin, Iran) and compare them with the general population. METHODS: From June 2012 to July 2012 a case-controlled study was performed with 149 patients with end-stage renal disease undergoing regular HD (HD group) and 150 individuals who were randomly selected (control group) from healthy hospital staff at Boo Ali-Sina Hospital. A dermatologist examined all individuals in both groups to assess of skin, hair, nail, and mucosal tissues. RESULTS: Overall, 108 of the patients in the HD group and 54 of the individuals in the control group were found to have at least 1 cutaneous and mocusal manifestation. Pruritus, skin discoloration, ecchymosis, drying and hair fragility, leukonychia, absent lunula, and half and half nails were more frequent in the HD group than compared to the control group (P < 0.05). Although no significant correlation between dermatological manifestations and age ≥ 65 or diabetes mellitus were made, multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that male sex, hypertension, and long-term HD were associated with dermatological manifestations. DISCUSSION: In the present study, cutaneous and mocusal manifestations ranged from 36% in the control group to 72.4% in the HD group. The results also indicate a relationship between cutaneous and mocusal manifestations, and male sex, hypertension, and duration of dialysis in HD patients. .

The effect of pentoxifylline on chronic venous ulcers.

UNLABELLED: Venous ulcers affect approximately 1% of the world's popula- tion, increasing health care expenditures and decreasing quality of life. Several hypotheses may help explain their origin. Insufficient veins or valves or impaired muscle function may lead to abnormal calf muscle pump function that can elevate ambulatory venous pressure. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of pentoxifylline in treating chronic venous ulcers. METHODS: From May 2009 to March 2010, 40 patients with chronic venous ulcers were randomly assigned to 2 groups: a standard treatment group that received compression therapy or an in- tervention group that received oral pentoxifylline (400 mg, 3 times daily) in addition to compression therapy. Time duration of wound healing, edema, pain, and ulcer size in the 2 groups were studied. For all tests, P P <0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The median duration of com- plete wound healing was 4 months in the intervention group and 6.25 months in the standard treatment group (P = 0.007). Recovery from pain and edema was not statistically significant after 3 months' follow-up in either group. After 3 months of treatment, ulcer size decreased more in the intervention group compared to the standard treatment group (P = 0.02). Pentoxifylline in association with compression therapy decreases both time to complete wound healing and ulcer size. .

The effects of rutin on the development of pentylenetetrazole kindling and memory retrieval in rats.

Individuals with epilepsy often complain about memory deficits. Various synthetic derivatives of natural flavonoids are known to have neuroactive properties. Rutin is a flavonoid that is an important dietary constituent of foods and plant-based beverages. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of rutin on memory retrieval in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-kindled rats using a step-through passive avoidance task. We administered rutin and PTZ intraperitoneally every other day prior to the start of training. Two retention tests were subsequently performed to assess memory in these rats. The results suggest that pretreatment with rutin at 50 and 100mg/kg can attenuate seizure severity during the kindling procedure. Furthermore, rutin administration significantly increased the step-through latency in the passive avoidance paradigm. Taken together, these results indicate that rutin has a potential role in enhancing memory retrieval in kindled rats.

Antiandrogenic activities of Glycyrrhiza glabra in male rats.

Abnormal levels of androgens cause many diseases like benign prostatic hyperplasia and hormone dependent cancers. Although the reduction in serum testosterone (T) by Glycyrrhiza glabra has been reported, its effects on seminal vesicle (SV) and prostate tissues have never been reported. This study was carried out to investigate different aspects of antiandrogenic properties of this plant. Immature male rats were divided into five groups (n = 7): castrated rats without any treatment received only vehicle; castrated rats plus T replacement; three castrated groups with T replacement plus various doses of G. glabra extract (75, 150 and 300 mg/kg). All of the injections were carried out once daily in subcutaneous manner for 7 days. On the eighth day, blood samples were collected for total T measurement. Ventral prostate (VP), SV and levator ani muscle were dissected and weighed. Slides prepared from prostate were assessed histologically. The variation in the relative and absolute volume of the prostate tissue compartments was determined. Those receiving the doses of 150 and 300 mg/kg showed a significant reduction (p < 0.05) in prostate weight, total T and VP epithelium/stroma ratio (V/V). These results in SV and levator ani were shown in response to 300 mg/kg of extract. Increasing in T metabolism, down-regulation of androgen receptors or activation of oestrogen receptors could be involved mechanisms. This study showed that alcoholic extract of G. glabra has antiandrogenic properties.

Effects of Urtica dioica extract on lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rats.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of extract of Urtica dioica, a perennial herb in Iran, on lipid profile in hypercholesterolemic rats. METHODS: The effects of Urtica dioica extract were tested by using it as a supplement in a high-cholesterol diet. Male rats were fed a high cholesterol diet (10 mL/kg) for 4 weeks with Urtica dioica extract (100 or 300 mg/kg) or 10 mg/kg lovastatin supplementation to study the hypocholesterolemic effects of Urtica dioica on plasma lipid levels, hepatic enzymes activities, and liver histopathological changes. RESULTS: Urtica dioica extract at 100 and 300 mg/kg significantly reduced the levels of total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and also markedly decreased liver enzymes and weight in animals with a high cholesterol diet. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that in the 100 mg/kg extract of Urtica dioica group, the appearance of the liver cells was similar to the control group, and steatosis and inflammation were not found. In the 300 mg/kg extract of Urtica dioica group, mild steatosis was observed but mononuclear inflammatory infiltration was not found. CONCLUSION: The hepatic histopathological results reflect the correlation of Urtica dioica extract with both liver weight and the levels of plasma TC and LDL-C. These results indicate that Urtica dioica extract has hypocholesterolemic effects in the animal model.

The inhibitory effect of trimethylamine on the anticonvulsant activities of quinine in the pentylenetetrazole model in rats.

Quinine specifically blocks connexin 36 (Cx36), one of the proteins that form gap junction channels. Quinine suppressed ictal epileptiform activity in in vitro and in vivo studies without decreasing neuronal excitability. In this study, we considered the possible mechanism of anticonvulsant effects of quinine (1, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 microM, i.c.v.) in the pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) model of seizure. Thus, we used trimethylamine (TMA) (0.05 microM, 5 microM, 50 microM), a gap junction channel opener, to examine whether it could reverse the effects of quinine in rats. Intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of quinine affected generalized tonic-clonic seizure (GTCS) induced by PTZ by increments in seizure onset and reducing seizure duration. Additionally, pretreatment with different doses of TMA (i.c.v.) attenuated the anticonvulsant effects of quinine on the latency and duration of GTCS. It can be concluded that quinine possesses anticonvulsant effects via modulation of gap junction channels, which could contribute to the control of GTCS.