Recombinant expression and purification of functional vascular endothelial growth factor-121 in the baculovirus expression system

AbstractObjectiveTo express human vascular endothelial growth factor121 (VEGF121) in insect cells.MethodsA gene construct containing VEGF was cloned in the pFastBac-HTA vector, followed by transformation in DH10BAC. The recombinant bacmid was then extracted, and transfected into Sf9 insect cells. The transfected cells were harvested, and then VEGF expression was confirmed by western blotting using specific antibodies. The tube formation assay was used for functional assessment of VEGF.ResultsOur results showed that VEGF could be successfully expressed in the baculovirus system. Purified VEGF was able to stimulate in vitro tube formation of human endothelial cells.ConclusionsResults from this study demonstrated that the recombinantly-produced VEGF can be considered as a promising candidate for therapeutic purposes

Comparison of duloxetine and methylphenidate in the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Background: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common and mostly chronic mental health condition that affects children, adolescents, and adults. Stimulants and atomoxetine are first-line agents for the treatment of ADHD. Despite the impressive track record of stimulants in the treatment of ADHD, they fail in 25% of patients due to lack of efficacy or the emergence of unwanted side effects. Accordingly, this study carried out to compare efficacy and safety of duloxetine (a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor) and methylphenidate (a short acting stimulant) in the treatment of children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Methods: Twenty-four children diagnosed with ADHD participated in this 6 weeks open clinical trial. Patients were between 6 to 11 years old that had been referred to psychiatry clinic at Akhavan and Rofide Medical and Rehabilitation Center in Tehran from September 2012 to July 2014. Diagnosis was made by two child psychiatrist according to DSM-IV TR criteria. Thirteen patients received duloxetine and others received methylphenidate. Conner’ parent rating scale-revised-short form (CPRS-RS) and ADHD-rating scale (ADHD-RS) were used at the beginning and then each two weeks to assess efficacy of treatment. Routine laboratory tests and electrocardiogram (ECG) was carried out in the beginning and end of the trial. Results: Twenty children with ADHD completed the study (Ten in methylphenidate and ten in duloxetine group). In both groups, scales of CPRS-RS and ADHD-RS were reduced from baseline to endpoint, but this reduction in methylphenidate group was significantly greater than duloxetine group (P= 0.000). The most common side effect was gastrointestinal problems in duloxetine group and anorexia in methylphenidate group. No serious side effects and no changes in laboratory and ECG indexes were seen in both groups. Conclusion: Duloxetine is not efficacious as well as methylphenidate in treatment of children with ADHD. Although more research are needed to achieve more accurate results

Evaluation of Knowledge and Attitude of Parents of Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Children towards Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Clinical Samples

Objective: Knowledge and attitude of parents about attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an important factor in management of the disorder in children. This study investigates the parents’ knowledge and attitude towards ADHD, its symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Method: In this cross-sectional descriptive study, the subjects were 150 parents (120 mother and 30 father) of ADHD children who were referred to a child psychiatry clinic affiliated in university of social welfare and rehabilitation sciences in Tehran. The diagnosis was made by a child psychiatrist according to DSM-IV TR criteria. The parents completed a 40 items questionnaire that was prepared by the authors and assessed their knowledge and attitude towards ADHD and source of their information. Results: The most common source of parent’s information about ADHD was TV. The parent’s knowledge about the symptoms of the disorder was relatively good. But in regard to diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disorder, they have very low knowledge and even incorrect beliefs. The parent’s knowledge significantly correlated with their educational level (p=0.01). Conclusion: In general, knowledge of the parents was low and it can lead to misdiagnosis or mismanagement of this common and important disorder and need to further consideration in terms of educating parents about the disorder in media specially TV

Combination of Citalopram and Nortriptyline in Treatment of Moderate to Severe Major Depression: A Double-blind, Placebo- controlled Trial

Objective: Depression is a major health problem, which is not only underrecognized and undertreated, but is also associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It has been suggested that combination therapy rapidly reduces depressive symptoms in patients with moderate to severe depression and is more effective than monotherapy; but this suggestion remains controversial. Serotonergic and noradrenergic enhancement may be synergistic and more effective than serotonergic enhancement alone in the management of depression. The objective of this double blind, placebo-controlled study was to investigate the efficacy and tolerability of the combination of citalopram and nortriptyline for the treatment of moderate to severe major depression. Method: 45 patients, who met the DSM-IV criteria for major depressive disorder based on the clinical interview, were included in the study. Patients had a baseline Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score of at least 20. In this trial, patients were randomly assigned to receive nortriptyline 50 mg/day plus citalopram 40 mg/day (group1) or placebo plus citalopram 40 mg/day (group2), for an 8 week, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Results: Both protocols significantly decreased the score of Hamilton Depression Rating Scale over the trial period, but the combination of nortriptyline and citalopram showed a significant superiority over citalopram alone in the treatment of moderate to severe major depressive disorder (t = 3.34, d.f. = 36, P = 0.001). The difference between the two groups in the frequency of side effects was not significant. Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that combination of nortriptyline and citalopram is more effective than citalopram alone in the treatment of depression. This advantage is probably the result of reuptake inhibition of both serotonin and norepinephrin

Developing the Guideline of Therapeutic Interventions for Street Children With Substance Use Disorders

Millions of children are left to survive on the streets around the world. Investigations on drug use disorders among street children reveal that they not only abuse all types of drugs higher than their peers who live at home or in shelters, but also they abuse more harmful drugs such as injection drugs or methamphetamines. This guideline provides a comprehensive approach to the treatment and management of substance use disorders among children of 3 to 18 years of age for the staff of substance use disorder clinics. It highlights examples of how to perceive and approach the management and issues of substance abuse among street children at an early stage of development through various medical, psycho-social, and other interventions. It also defines the characteristics of the street children with a focus on prevention. These provisions consist of addressing the applicability matters in this area and necessity of a decision model in our country