L-carnitine versus Propranolol for pediatric migraine prophylaxis

  Objective Carnitine plays a significant role in fatty acid transportation in mitochondria and has been shown to have a prophylactic effect on adult migraine. The aim of this randomized controlled trial was to compare and evaluate the effects of L-carnitine supplementation versus propranolol in the prevention of pediatric migraine. Materials & Methods A total of 60 pediatric patients with episodic migraine were randomly allocated to 2 independent groups to receive either 50 mg/kg/day L-carnitine or 1 mg/kg/day propranolol as a prophylactic drug. Frequency, severity, and duration of migraine attacks and headache disability based on the Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment Score (PedMIDAS) were studied at the baseline and after 2, 4, and 12 weeks. Results A total of 56 patients were evaluated in the study: 23 girls (41%) and 33 boys (59%) with a mean age of 9.7 ± 2.1 years. Frequency of migraine headaches per month reduced from 11.4 ± 7.1 to 5.34 ± 2.4 in the L-carnitine group and from 10.7 ± 6.2 to 4.96 ± 3.9 in the propranolol group by the end of the study. Headache severity score was also reduced from 19.38 ± 14 to 2.88 ± 7.4 and from 12.92 ± 13 to 0.82 ± 1.3 in the L-carnitine and propranolol groups, respectively. We found a significant decrease in frequency, severity, and duration of headache attacks in both groups (P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed between the efficacies of the 2 drugs. Conclusion This study concluded that L-carnitine supplementation can play a prophylactic role in the management of pediatric migraine

The Neuroprotective Effect of a Triazine Derivative in an Alzheimer's Rat Model

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most prevalent neurodegenerative disorder. It is characterized by formation of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain, degeneration of the cholinergic neurons and neural cell death. This study was aimed to investigate the effect of a triazine derivative, C16H12Cl2N3S, on learning in an Alzheimer's rat model. Animals were divided into seven groups; each group contained seven animals.animals received no surgery and treatment; saline group: animals received normal saline after recovery; sham group: animals received 10% DMSO after recovery; STZ group (Alzheimer's model): animals received streptozotocin (STZ) in four and six days after recovery; T5, T10 and T15 groups: animals were treated with triazine derivative, C16H12Cl2N3S, at doses of 5, 10 and 15 µM, respectively. All drugs were injected intracerebroventricular. The spatial learning and histological assessment were performed in all groups. Animals in STZ group had more deficits in spatial learning than the control group in Morris water maze. C16H12Cl2N3S improved spatial learning significantly compared to STZ group. The CA1 pyramidal layer thicknesses in STZ group were reduced significantly compared to control group. C16H12Cl2N3S increased the CA1 pyramidal layer thickness in T15 group compared to STZ group. Current findings suggest C16H12Cl2N3S may have a protective effect on learning deficit and hippocampal structure in AD

Anti-heat shock protein 27 titers and oxidative stress levels are elevated in patients with valvular heart disease

We studied the immune responses to heat shock protein (Hsp)-27 and pro-oxidant-antioxidant balance (PAB) values in patients with valvular heart disease, but free of angiographically evident coronary artery disease (CAD). Patients who were candidates for valvuloplasty surgery and 30 healthy matched controls were recruited. The anti-Hsp-27 antibody titers were 0.35 ± 0.04 absorbency units (AU) in the valvuloplasty group, being significantly higher than for the controls (0.11 ± 0.02 AU; P .05). Based on the echocardiographic findings, the patients had no evident heart failure, but the high levels of anti-Hsp-27 and PAB values in patients with valvular heart disease may indicate that these variables can be used as markers of heart failure. However, a longitudinal study is required to confirm this hypothesis

Changes in anti-heat shock protein 27 antibody and C-reactive protein levels following cardiac surgery and their association with cardiac function in patients with cardiovascular disease

The relationship between serum anti-heat shock protein (Hsp)27 antibody and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels and indices of cardiac function were investigated in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) or heart valve replacement. The changes in anti-Hsp27 antibody titers and hs-CRP levels were compared among patients undergoing off-pump and on-pump CABG or valvular heart replacement. Fifty-three patients underwent off-pump, on-pump CABG, and heart valvular replacement in each group. Serum anti-Hsp27 titers and hs-CRP values were measured 24 h before and after the operation and at discharge. Echocardiography was performed before surgery and before discharge. The results were compared with values from 83 healthy controls. hs-CRP levels increased and anti-Hsp27 antibody decreased following surgery (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively), although these changes were independent of operative procedure (P = 0.361 and P = 0.120, respectively). Anti-Hsp27 antibody levels were higher at the time of discharge (P = 0.016). Only in coronary patients were anti-Hsp27 antibody levels negatively associated with E/E' (r = -0.268, P = 0.022), a marker of pulmonary capillary wedge pressure. In conclusions, anti-Hsp27 antibody levels are associated with indices of cardiac function in coronary patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass had no significant effect on the induction of changes in anti-Hsp27 levels. Moreover, anti-Hsp27 antibody levels fell in all groups postoperatively; this may be due to the formation of immune complexes of antigen-antibody, and antibody levels were higher at the time of discharge