Co-Administration of Vitamins E and D3 on Spatial Learning and Memory of Hippocampal Formation of Rat Following Ethidium Bromide- Induced Demyelination

Background: The hippocampus as part of the limbic system has a major role in the formation of several types of memory including spatial memory. Cognitive and memory impairment have been reported in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) by several studies and vitamins have antioxidant role for neuro-regeneration. The present study investigates the effects of combined administration of vitamins E and D3 on spatial learning and memory in the demyelinated hippocampus of rat following administration of ethidium bromide. Materials and Methods: Male Wistar rats were anesthetized with intraperitoneal injection of chlorate hydrate. The animal head was fixed in a stereotaxic apparatus and 3 microliter of ethidium bromide was injected into the dentate gyrus of hippocampus for 7 days. Behavioral tests after intra-peritoneal administration of vitamin E (mg/kg100) and D3 (μg/kg5) were carried out. Animals were subjected to 5 days of training in the Morris water maze 4 days with the invisible platform to test spatial learning and the 5th day with the visible platform to test sensory-motor coordination. Results: The results showed that co-administration of vitamins E and D3 significantly decreased the total traveled distance to the platform compared to the lesion group. However, the indexes of escape latency and swimming speed did not decrease significantly. Conclusion: The co-administration of vitamins E and D3 slightly enhanced spatial learning and memory impairment probably through its neuro-protective effect in the hypocampus

An herbal formulation for hemorrhoids treatment

Background and objectives: Hemorrhoids is the most painful rectal disease. Straining and pregnancy seem playing chief roles in the development of hemorrhoids. Symptoms of hemorrhoids may include bleeding, inflammation and pain. Despite current medical efforts, many discomforts of hemorrhoids have not been handled. The aim of the present study was to formulate and evaluate Itrifal-e muqil (IM) tablet to achieve desired pharmaceutical properties. Method: Quality control tests of Allium ampeloperasum L, Commiphora mukul (Hook. ex Stocks) Engl., Phyllanthus emblica L., Terminalia chebula Retz. and Terminalia bellerica Retz. were performed. Afterwards, different formulations were prepared and their physical properties were evaluated. Subsequently, the formulation was coated and its physicochemical characteristics were assessed. Result: All of the herbs demonstrated good results in quality control tests according to United State Pharmacopeia (USP). Formulation-1 that was completely prepared based on explained manufacturing process of IM in traditional medicine manuscripts did not show suitable pharmaceutical properties. Among different formulations, Formulation-3 that consisted of A. ampeloperasum, C. mukul, P. emblica, T. chebula and T. bellerica, displayed best outcomes through different tests. Conclusion: Modern pharmaceutical approaches can excellently be adapted for IM preparations

TIME SERIES ANALYSIS OF INSAR DATA TO STUDY LAND SUBSIDENCE INDUCED BY GROUNDWATER LEVEL DECLINE IN SIRJAN PLAIN

Sirjan located in Southwest of Kerman City, Iran, is a city with average annual rainfall of 132mm. Over-exploitation of groundwater used for irrigation of pistachios gardens has caused serious land subsidence in Sirjan Plain. In this research we have used the Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar technique to estimate the subsidence rate in Sirjan plain. 18 Interferograms extracted from 12 ENVISAT ASAR images spanning between April 2004 and September 2010, have been studied. The SBAS algorithm was then applied in order to estimate the mean subsidence velocity map. Maximum subsidence rate is estimated as 28cm/yr. Furthermore, groundwater level fluctuations in the study area has been investigated in the piezometer wells located in the study area. Comparing between the results obtained from the interferometry and groundwater level fluctuation maps, shows a strong correlation between head decline in groundwater and land subsidence

Anti-hemorrhoidal plants in Iranian traditional medicine

Background and objectives: Hemorrhoidal disease is a prevalent anorectal condition that is explained as the symptomatic expansions and displacements of the normal hemorrhoidal cushions. Symptomatic hemorrhoids affect more than one million individuals in the western world every year. Hemorrhoids is a well-known disease in Iranian traditional medicine (ITM). Avicenna and other Iranian traditional practitioners have exactly defined this condition in their manuscripts and herbal therapy was the main treatment that was recommended. In the present study, medicinal plants with hemorrhoids healing properties in ITM have been investigated. Method: ITM  textbooks including “Al Qanun fi al-tibb (Canon of medicine)”, “Al-Havi (Liber continent)”, “Alabnie an haghaegh ol advieh (the Book of remedies)”, “Al-jami li-mufradat al-adviya va al-aghziya”, “Ikhtiyarat‑e‑ badiyee”, “Tohfat-ol-momenin” and “Makhzan ol advieh  were searched to find the most used herbs. Results: Some of obtained plants such as Commiphora mukul (Hook. ex Stocks) Engl., Phyllantus emblica L. and Aloe vera (L.) Burm.f.,were the most used herbs. Conclusion: these plants could be introduced as the good resources for future studies in order to produce novel drugs

Traumatic brain injury accelerates kindling epileptogenesis in rats

Objectives: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a well-known cause of symptomatic epilepsy. In animal models of post-traumatic epilepsy (PTE), progression of trauma to epilepsy takes several weeks to months. Although this long process is similar to clinical PTE, it is costly and laborious. We used a combination of TBI and kindling as an accelerated animal model to develop epilepsy in much shorter period compared to that occurring in PTE. Methods: Traumatic brain injury was exerted to parieto-temporal cortex of anaesthetised rats by controlled cortical impact (CCI, 5�mm round tip, 4.5�mm/seconds velocity and 150�ms duration). Chemical kindling started 24�hours after CCI by intraperitoneal injection of 30�mg/kg pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) every other day until manifestation of three consecutive generalised seizures. Rapid electrical kindling of the amygdala began 1�week after TBI by exertion of 12 daily threshold stimuli (50�Hz mono-phasic square-wave stimulus of 1�ms per wave for 3�seconds) with 5�minutes interval between each stimulation until the rats became kindled. Results: Controlled cortical impact injury accelerated rate of both chemical and electrical kindling. Number of PTZ injections required for acquisition of generalised seizures decreased from 13.1 ± 1.6 in sham-operated animals to 7.1 ± 0.3 in traumatic rats (p < 0.05). The required number of stimuli to elicit electrically kindled focal and generalised seizures decreased from 24.0 ± 3.9 and 80 ± 6.5 in sham-operated animals to 6.6 ± 0.9 and 53 ± 6.5 in traumatic rats (p < 0.01), respectively. Limitations: Unlike the animal models of PTE in which recurrent seizures occur spontaneously after TBI, in our study, epilepsy is elicited by kindling stimulations. Discussion: Traumatic brain injury facilitates acquisition of epilepsy in both chemical and electrical kindling models. Combination of trauma and kindling can be considered as an inexpensive and time-saving animal model in PTE studies. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Determination of the Best Concentration of Streptozotocin to Create a Diabetic Brain Using Histological Techniques

Alzheimer�s disease (AD) is one of the most important disorders among neurodegenerative diseases which is characterized by neurofibrillary tangles and senile plagues. Intercerebroventricular (ICV) streptozotocin administration is a form of sAD which was applied to examine different factors following AD. Previous reports used different doses of streptozotocin (STZ) to create Alzheimer�s model, but no standard dose has been introduced. Therefore, we decided to investigate the best concentration of STZ to induce a diabetic brain with lowest mortality rate and high severity of destruction. We treated rats with three different doses of STZ (STZ 1.5, 2.25, and 3 mg/kg, ICV). Spatial memory for treated rats was evaluated by Morris water maze (MWM). Locomotor activities of rats were assessed by open field test. Histological observation such as immunohistochemistry, immunofluorescence, and Nissl staining were performed on the brain especially in CA1, CA3, and DG regions of hippocampal neurons at residues P-ser396 and P-ser404. Our data suggest that although the percentage hyperphosphorylation of tau protein by injection of STZ 3 mg/kg was about 10 more than STZ 2.25 mg/kg compared to the control group, we considered the latter doses due to no effect on motor activities and enhance the number of glial cells. © 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York