Induction of linalool as a pharmaceutical and medicinal metabolite via cell suspension culture of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.).

Cumin is an important medicinal plant in Iran. Plant cell suspension culture is a method for the production of medicinal and secondary metabolites. The linalool is a plant secondary metabolite that has been recognized as a neuroprotective agent. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of salicylic acid elicitor on induction of linalool in cell suspension culture of cumin. For this purpose, the cumin seeds were prepared, to obtain sterile seedling, were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite and alcohol, and were cultured on MS basal medium. This research was conducted in two separate experiments including callus induction and suspension cultures. Leaf explants were prepared from sterile seedlings and used to produce callus on MS medium supplemented with 1 mg/l NAA and 0.5 mg/l BAP. In order to establish suspension culture, the appropriate calli were transferred to liquid medium. Then cell cultures were treated with elicitors. The effects of elicitor on the production of linalool secondary metabolite and cell viability were assessed by GC-Mass and tetrazolium test respectively. For this purpose, the salicylic acid (at concentrations of 0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 mg/l) was used. The experimental design was a completely randomized design with five treatments and three replications. The results of cell culture and GC-Mass analysis showed that salicylic acid had significant effects on the linalool production (<0.01). At all concentrations of salicylic acid, viability of the cells in suspension culture experiments was lower than control. Increasing the elicitor concentrations lead to reduction in cell survival. In conclusion it is possible to produce linalool as a secondary metabolite and pharmaceutical agent in cell culture of cumin. It is necessary to determine the best combination of medium and elicitor.

Cervical collar effect on pulmonary volumes in patients with trauma.

INTRODUCTION: According to Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) for trauma patients, a cervical collar should be applied initially. Patients on backboards with a cervical collar mostly complain of dyspnea and tend to take the collar off or roll themselves off the backboard. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of collar removal on lung volumes and dyspnea in patients with GCS 15. METHOD: In a physiological study, 50 trauma patients with a GCS of 15 were enrolled. We measured lung volumes before and after the application of a cervical collar in patients. RESULTS: The average FEV1 in patients with and without a cervical collar was 89.08 ± 17.59 (% of predicted) and 98.26 ± 17.74 (% of predicted), respectively. The average FEF25-75 in patients with a cervical collar was 90.80 ± 26.07 (% of predicted) and in patients without a cervical collar it was 101.90 ± 23.06 (% of predicted). The average FEV1/FVC in patients with a cervical collar was 95.30 ± 18.55 % and in patients without a cervical collar it was 99.14 ± 18.12 %. DISCUSSION: The FEV1, FEV6, FEV1/FEV6, PEF, FEF25-75, FVC, FEV1/FVC parameters of pulmonary function tests were significantly increased after collar removal. CONCLUSION: Cervical collar applications in trauma patients cause a significant decrease in lung capacity and spirometry parameters. Patients suffering from lung diseases and respiratory distress require special attention which means that the cervical collar should be removed as soon as cervical injuries are ruled out so as to avoid hypoxia.

Lower Oncogenic Potential of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Derived from Cord Blood Compared to Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells.

BACKGROUND: In regenerative medicine, use of each of the mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow, cord blood, and adipose tissue, has several cons and pros. Mesenchymal stem cells derived from cord blood have been considered the best source for precursor transplantation. Direct reprogramming of a somatic cell into induced pluripotent stem cells by over-expression of 6 transcription factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4, lin28, Nanog, and c-Myc has great potential for regenerative medicine, eliminating the ethical issues of embryonic stem cells and the rejection problems of using non-autologous cells. OBJECTIVE: To compare reprogramming and pluripotent markers OCT4, Sox-2, c-Myc, Klf4, Nanog, and lin28 in mesenchymal stem cells derived from cord blood and induced pluripotent stem cells. METHODS: We analyzed the expression level of OCT4, Sox-2, c-Myc, Klf4, Nanog and lin28 genes in human mesenchymal stem cells derived from cord blood and induced pluripotent stem cells by cell culture and RT-PCR. RESULTS: The expression level of pluripotent genes OCT4 and Sox-2, Nanog and lin28 in mesenchymal stem cells derived from cord blood were significantly higher than those in induced pluripotent stem cells. In contrast to OCT-4A and Sox-2, Nanog and lin28, the expression level of oncogenic factors c-Myc and Klf4 were significantly higher in induced pluripotent stem cells than in mesenchymal stem cells derived from cord blood. CONCLUSION: It could be concluded that mesenchymal stem cells derived from human cord blood have lower oncogenic potential compared to induced pluripotent stem cells.

Ictal SPECT statistical parametric mapping in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Although subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (SISCOM) is clinically useful in epilepsy surgery evaluation, it does not determine whether the ictal-interictal subtraction difference is statistically different from the expected random variation between 2 SPECT studies. We developed a statistical parametric mapping and MRI voxel-based method of analyzing ictal-interictal SPECT difference data (statistical ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI [STATISCOM]) and compared it with SISCOM. METHODS: Two serial SPECT studies were performed in 11 healthy volunteers without epilepsy (control subjects) to measure random variation between serial studies from individuals. STATISCOM and SISCOM images from 87 consecutive patients who had ictal SPECT studies and subsequent temporal lobectomy were assessed by reviewers blinded to clinical data and outcome. RESULTS: Interobserver agreement between blinded reviewers was higher for STATISCOM images than for SISCOM images (kappa = 0.81 vs kappa = 0.36). STATISCOM identified a hyperperfusion focus in 84% of patients, SISCOM in 66% (p < 0.05). STATISCOM correctly localized the temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) subtypes (mesial vs lateral neocortical) in 68% of patients compared with 24% by SISCOM (p = 0.02); subgroup analysis of patients without lesions (as determined by MRI) showed superiority of STATISCOM (80% vs 47%; p = 0.04). Moreover, the probability of seizure-free outcome was higher when STATISCOM correctly localized the TLE subtype than when it was indeterminate (81% vs 53%; p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Statistical ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI (STATISCOM) was superior to subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to MRI for seizure localization before temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) surgery. STATISCOM localization to the correct TLE subtype was prognostically important for postsurgical seizure freedom.

Mistaken identity: a case of false positive on CT angiography.

We describe the case of a 42-year-old female presenting with subarachnoid haemorrhage from a posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) aneurysm rupture on intracranial digital subtraction angiography (DSA). One year postoperatively, the patient was followed with CT angiography and was reported to show a de novo aneurysm at the bifurcation of the left inferior cerebellar artery (ICA). Subsequent DSA revealed an aberrant vein crossing over the ICA bifurcation on mask phase images. This is the first reported case of a such a reason for a 'false positive' on CT angiography (CTA). The case demonstrates that although CTA has a reported high specificity, careful interpretation of multiple views is required to diagnose intracranial aneurysms when compared to the 'gold' standard of CTA.

Resection of frontal encephalomalacias for intractable epilepsy: outcome and prognostic factors.

PURPOSE: Because focal encephalomalacia is an important cause of medically intractable partial epilepsy and few studies have evaluated the efficacy and the safety of resecting focal-encephalomalacias to improve seizure control, we studied a cohort of 17 consecutive patients who underwent resection of encephalomalacias in the frontal lobes as a treatment of their intractable epilepsy. METHODS: We evaluated several factors for their value in predicting postsurgical seizure control. Pre- and postsurgical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were reviewed independently by 2 blinded investigators. RESULTS: At a median of 3 years of follow-up (range 0.6-7.5 years), 12 patients (70%) were seizure-free or had only rare seizures. The presence of a focal fast frequency discharge (focal ictal beta pattern) at the beginning of seizures on scalp EEG was predictive of seizure-free outcome (p = 0.017), even among patients who had complete resection of their encephalomalacias (p = 0.016). There was no significant differences in outcome with regard to age at the time of the injury that caused encephalomalacia, interval between injury and onset of seizures, duration of presurgical seizure history, presurgical seizure frequency, age at surgery, or the completeness of encephalomalacia resection. The analysis regarding completeness of encephalomalacia resection almost reached significance, suggesting that it may also be an important predictive factor (p = 0.051). CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that surgery is a very effective treatment for intractable frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) secondary to encephalomalacias. Patients are more likely to become seizure-free if they have a focal ictal beta discharge on their scalp EEG. Complete resection of the encephalomalacia should be attempted, since our results suggest that this may be a favorable predictive factor. Moreover, the operative strategy for our patients entailed, whenever possible, complete resection of the encephalomalacias and of the adjacent electrophysiologically abnormal tissues.

Murine typhus in Kuwait in 1978.

Murine typhus occurred in 254 individuals in Kuwait between April and August 1978; 81% of patients were aged between 15 and 44 years, and 63% were male. The highest attack rate occurred among people in the lowest socioeconomic class. The outbreak coincided with a period of high rat and flea density. A study of the first 104 cases suggested that infection was acquired in the home, but a case - control study revealed no significant differences between patients and control subjects in terms of exposure to rats or domestic animals, and other factors. This suggests that murine typhus is hyperendemic rather than epidemic in Kuwait. The disease is being controlled through reduction of both flea and rat populations. Murine typhus may be much more common in many areas than is generally realized, and its status should be re-evaluated regularly in all known and potential foci.