The effects of hydro-ethanolic extract of Capparis spinosa (C. spinosa) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation and cognitive impairment: Evidence from in vivo and in vitro studies

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Capparis spinose (C. spinosa) belonging to Capparaeae, originates from dry areas in the west or central Asia and Mediterranean basin. For thousands of years, C. spinosa has been reported to be used as a therapeutic traditional medicine to relieve various ailments including rheumatism, pain and inflammatory diseases. Aim of the study: There are several studies mentioning that systemic inflammation results in learning and memory impairments through the activation of microglia. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of C. spinosa on both in vivo and in vitro models of neuroinflammation and cognitive impairment using lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Materials and methods: In vivo: 40 male rats were used in the present study. Cognitive impairment was induced using LPS (1 mg/kg/d; i.p.) for 4 weeks. Treatment with C. spinosa (100 and 300 mg/kg/d; p.o.) was performed 1 h before LPS administration. At the end of the experiment, rats were undergone for behavioral and biochemical analysis. In vitro: Primary microglia isolated from mouse was used in the present study. The cells were pretreated with C. spinosa extract (10�300 μg/ml) and then stimulated with LPS (1 μg/ml). The expression levels of inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines were elucidated using Real-Time PCR and ELISA methods. Results: The escape latency in the Morris water maze test in the LPS group was significantly greater than the control group (p < 0.001), while, in extract-treated groups, it was less than the LPS group (p < 0.001). Additionally, we found that the levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, and iNOS/Arg-1 ratio was also significantly lower in extract-treated groups than the LPS group (p < 0.001). The results revealed that C. spinosa extract significantly reduced the levels of TNF-α, iNOS, COX-2, IL-1β, IL-6, NO and PGE2, and the ratios of iNOS/Arg-1 and NO/urea, following the LPS-induced inflammation in microglia (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Our finding provides evidence that C. spinosa has a neuroprotective effect, and might be considered as an effective therapeutic agent for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that are accompanied by microglial activation, such as AD. © 202

Barriers and Facilitators of Health Care Services at the Time of Natural Disasters

Objective: Tragic impacts of natural disasters, because of interrupting normal life process, widespread mortality, injuries, massive social disruptions and generating a lot of human needs such as first aid and medical services, have to be managed strongly and coordinated by the high executive managers and organizations. The most important factor in saving human lives is delivering effective health care at the early stages of natural disasters. Since natural disasters have so many prominent effects on public health and welfare, then assessing barriers and facilitators of health care services at the time of natural disasters are in great concerns. In this paper we tried to assess the mentioned factors of health care services at the time of disaster based on the experiences of health care providers. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted by grounded theory. 14 participants consist of 4 nurses, 1 social worker, 1 psychologist, 2 psychiatrists, 1 general physician, 1 health professional, 1 epidemiologist and 2 city of Bam residents. Semi structural interviews were used for data gathering. All of the interviews were transcribed verbatim (word for word) and simultaneously constant comparative analysis was used according to Strauss and Corbin method. Results: Through data analysis, several main themes emerged to describe the factors that hindered or facilitated health care services at the time of disasters. The study participants mentioned several main factors such as human factors, coordination, equipments, management, Informational and cultural factors through the codes like, lack of professions, coordination, personnel, equipments, information broadcasting, self centrism and so on as barriers, and management services, cultural and educational factors, human resources and equipments in several codes like management unity, necessity of coordination, importance of victims transportation and cultural issues, presence of general physician and nurses, human needs meeting based on culture and so on as facilitators at the time of natural disasters. Conclusion: The participants in this study, believed that lack of coordination in management, human resources, equipments and information broadcasting were the most significant barrier of health care services at the time of disasters and delivering efficient, fast and qualified services is possible then if the work done coordinately and through a process which includes fast assessment of the location, announcing and dispatching the groups, information gathering and broadcasting and continuous evaluating these actions

The efficacy of hydro alcoholic extract of Seidlitzia rosmarinus on experimental zoonotic cutaneous leishmaniasis lesions in murine model

Objective: Leishmaniasis is one of the most important parasitic infectious diseases in the world. Since last century, many efforts have been made to control and treat the disease, but appropriate vaccines, pesticides and medicines are not available or even eligible. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of hydro-alcoholic extract of Seidlitzia rosmarinus on the lesions of experimental Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (CL) in Balb/c mice. Materials and Methods: The population study was 60 Ballb/c mice which divided to 6 groups, all infected with Leishmania major [MRHO/75/IR]. Soon after the ulcer started to appear in the early stage, a dose of provided herbal extract with 5, 10 and 15% concentration applied on each lesion. The surface area of the lesions measured during an interval of 10 days. Direct Giemsa stained smears prepared two and four weeks after treatment. Results: Increasing the mean size of the lesions was statistically significant compared to those in control group (p>0.001). Visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) developed in all of the mice including the control group that received Eucerine alone. Survival rate in group receiving 15% S. rosmarinus extracts showed significantly higher  compared to mice in control group (

Management of Health Care Services at Time of Natural Disasters

Objective: In this paper that is a part of a greater study, we tried to assess the factors that affected management of health care services at the time of disasters. Materials & Methods: The present study was conducted by grounded theory. 16 participants consist of 4 nurses, 1 social worker, 1 psychologist ,2 psychiatrists, 1 general physician, 1 health professional , 1 epidemiologist, 1 master in health, 1 nurse aid and 3 Bam residents. All of them at least have one experience at disaster. 14 of them were male and 2 of them were female and their average age was 37. Semi-structured interviews were used for data gathering. All of interviews were transcribed verbatim (word by word) and simultaneously constant comparative analysis was used according to Strauss and Corbin's method. Results: The management was mentioned by participants of the study. Planning, organization, coordination and participation of the other countries were inferred in the interviews. Lack of planning and discipline at the health care delivery, undetermined duties, overlapping, in coordination between health staff and managers, self centrism, weakness of WHO at absorption and coordination humanitarian international assistances are the most important factors that hindered health care services at the time of disaster. Appropriate management with due attention to planning, preceding preparedness based on past experiences and information's obtained from assessment of affected region and deciding based on information, covering enough personnel, correct and fast job distribution, early communication, early coordination inter and between groups by using information, appreciating humanitarian international assistance and establishing good relationship with them, can facilitate health care services at the time of disasters. Conclusion: Acquired preparedness before the impact of disasters, consideration the role of national, provincial, regional and local planning, covering enough personnel, fast and correct job distribution for health care delivering, coordination of distributing personnel and equipments, coordination by central committee settled at the affected region, absorption international participation with good relationship, prepare good condition for health care services at disasters

Efficacy and safety of Vicia faba L. extract compared with levodopa in management of Parkinson’s disease and an in‐silico phytomedicine analysis

Background: Parkinson’s disease is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system, presently lacks an effective therapy for its complex pathogenesis. Agents containing Levodopa can alleviate its symptoms. Hypothesis Vicia faba L. (Fava bean) extract may prove a useful antiparkinsonian agent similar to Levodopa. Methods: Thirty patients with Parkinson’s disease, entered into this cross over clinical study. In the first step, each participant received V. faba L. extract containing 106.5 mg of Levodopa. After a wash out period of 7 days, the patients entered the second step during which they received conventional treatment with Levodopa-C tablets. Blood Levodopa were measured 4 hours and 8 hours after each administration. The Movement Disorder Society-Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale was employed to measure the therapeutic effects in each step. Additionally, a docking analysis was performed to distinguish the chemical constituents of the plant and six key mediators actively involved in Parkinson disease. Results: The fava bean extract significantly alleviate all studied end points except for tremor at rest and freezing. Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test showed that there was not a significant difference between rigidity, rising chair, gait and bradykinesia. Docking results of the herb components and standard ligands, indicating that the antiparkinsonian activity of V. faba could presumably be related to many phytochemicals. Conclusion: This study showed a beneficial effect of V. faba L. similar to Levodopa-C. and better compliance due to lower adverse events