Why withdrawal? Why not withdrawal? Men's perspectives

Withdrawal is an ancient and prevalent form of male contraception which has largely been ignored by family planning programme managers all over the world. The objective of this study was to understand men's perspectives on withdrawal use, both users and non-users. In-depth interviews with 62 mole factory workers in western Turkey are reported, on use of withdrawal, attitudes to family planning, information on contraception, marital and sexual experience, and gender values and attitudes. Advantages reported both by users and non-users of withdrawal were being free from side effects, ease of access and having no cost. While current users said withdrawal was easy to use and practical, non-users complained about the difficulties of using withdrawal, that it was coitus-dependent, caused anxiety and decreased pleasure during sexual intercourse. Current users emphasised taking responsibility as husbands for family planning and protecting their wives from possible adverse effects of contraceptives. Withdrawal should be seen as a valuable choice in a world where increasing method choice, male participation and responsibility taking in reproductive health are all desirable. With its cited advantages withdrawal is likely to fill an important niche among current contraceptive practices and deserves more attention and support. (c) 2005 Reproductive Health Matters. All rights reserved

Dose-dependent neuroprotective effects of melatonin on experimental spinal cord injury in rats.

BACKGROUND: This report examines the dose-dependent effects of melatonin on early lipid peroxidation levels, ultrastructural changes, and neurological function in experimental spinal cord injury (SCI) by comparing them with therapeutic levels of methylprednisone in rats. METHODS: SCI was performed by an aneurysm clip placed extradurally at the level of T10. Rats were randomly divided into six groups of 10 rats each. Group 1 (sham) received only laminectomy; group 2 (control) received SCI; group 3 (placebo) received SCI and physiological saline; group 4 received methylprednisone (30 mg/kg); groups 5 and 6 received melatonin at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg, respectively, after SCI. Rats were neurologically tested 24 hours after trauma. Spinal cord samples were harvested for both lipid peroxidation levels and ultrastructural histopathological evaluation. RESULTS: Neurological scores of rats were not different in SCI groups. Lipid peroxidation levels are significantly restricted only in methylprednisone group at 24 hours. Melatonin-treated groups showed more ultrastructural improvement on electron microscope studies when compared with methylprednisone group. However, the therapeutic effects of melatonin were mainly observed on white matter of spinal cord in ultrastructural investigation. There was significant difference between melatonin dose groups increasing with dose. CONCLUSIONS: Results showed that melatonin has no significant dose-dependent effects on early lipid peroxidation bur rather some neuroprotective effects on both axons and myelin sheaths of white matter in ultrastructural observations when compared with methylprednisone. These effects significantly augmented with dose increase

Dose-dependent neuroprotective effects of melatonin on experimental spinal cord injury in rats

WOS: 000232542300017PubMed: 16231427Background: This report examines the dose-dependent effects of melatonin on early lipid peroxidation levels, ultrastructural changes, and neurological function in experimental spinal cord injury (SCI) by comparing them with therapeutic levels of methylprednisolone in rats. Methods: SCI was performed by an aneurysm clip placed extradurally at the level of T10. Rats were randomly divided into 6 groups of 10 rats each. Group 1 (sham) received only laminectomy; group 2 (control) received SCI; group 3 (placebo) received SCI and physiological saline; group 4 received methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg); groups 5 and 6 received melatonin at doses of 50 or 100 mg/kg, respectively, after SCI. Rats were neurologically tested 24 hours after trauma. Spinal cord samples were harvested for both lipid peroxidation levels and ultrastructural histopathological evaluation. Results: Neurological scores of rats were not different in SCI groups. Lipid peroxidation levels are significantly restricted only in methylprednisolone group at 24 hours. Melatonin-treated groups showed more ultrastructural improvement on electron microscopic studies when compared with methylprednisolone group. However, the therapeutic effects of melatonin were mainly observed on white matter of spinal cord in ultrastructural investigation. There was significant difference between metatonin dose groups increasing with dose. Conclusions: Results showed that melatonin has no significant dose-dependent effects on early lipid peroxidation but rather some neuroprotective effects on both axons and myelin sheaths of white matter in ultrastructural observations when compared with methylprednisolone. These effects significantly augmented with dose increase. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

DOES EARLY-LIFE KINDLING AFFECT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF SWDS IN ADULTHOOD IN RATS WITH GENETIC ABSENCE EPILEPSY?

32nd International Epilepsy Congress -- SEP 02-06, 2017 -- Barcelona, SPAINWOS: 000417566600457