Influence of malt extract and marjoram oil on the neurobehavioral changes of scopolamine -induced demented rats

Dementia can result from Neurodegenerative diseases: Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, toxic insults and sleep disorder. Alzheimer's disease [AD] is a progresstve degenerative condition that represents the most common cause of dementia. Scopolamine is a reference substance for inducing Alzheimer-like cognitive deficits in both man and animals Donepezil hydrochloride is highly selective for the CNS and is used for the symptomatic treatment of mild to moderately severe dementia in Alzheimer's disease. Malt extract and marjoram oil are natural products used in folk medicine for the treatment of some psychiatric disorders. The present work aims to study the influence of malt extract and marjoram oil on the behavioral responses, cholinesterase activity, brain monoamines, malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione of scopolamine induced demented rats. The results show that scopolamine decreased the ambulation and rearing frequencies in the open field test. Norepinephrine, dopamine and reduced glutathione contents were also decreased. However, cholinesterase activity and malondialdehyde content were increased significantly. Treatment of demented rats with donepezil, malt extract or marjoram oil individually could normalize the effect of scopolamine on these measured parameters. Data revealed that malt extract and marjoram oil could play an important role in treatment of demented rats by improving the changed behavioral parameters, altered brain neurotransmitters, cholinesterase activity and oxidative biomarkers

Study on the psychotherapeutic potential of marjoram oil on clonidine-induced depressed rats

Depression is a strong mood involving sadness, discouragement, despair, or hopelessness that lasts for weeks, months, or even longer. It interferes with a person's ability to participate in normal activities. Depression affects a person's thoughts and behavior as well as mood. The use of herbal medicine in psychiatry practice has increased tremendously in the past decade due to its fewer side effects and it can enhance the effects of conventional agents or be an alternative treatment. Marjoram is considered one of the most common herbs of Lamiaceae family. The therapeutic properties of marjoram oil are analgesic, antioxidant, calms nerves, anti-spasmodic, expectorant, hypotensive and sedative. This work aims to investigate the effect of marjoram oil on the brain neurotransmitters of clonidine-induced depressed rats as well as their behavioral responses using open field and forced swimming tests. The results show that marjoram oil treatment normalized the brain neurotransmitters content, the latency period and ambulation frequency in clonidine depressed rats. A decrease in the immobility time and an increase in the struggling time were observed in the forced swimming test. Treatment with fluoxetine or marjoram oil of the depressed rats decrease malondialdehyde content and increase the reduced glutathione content. It can be conclude that marjoram oil could play an important role in treatment of depression and alter behavior

Effect of malt extract on the neuron-behavioral changes in clonidine-induced depressed rats

Depression is a serious disorder that represents a major public disease often associated with symptoms at the psychological and physiological levels. Herbs and herbs-derived products have attracted much attention in relation to prevention of many diseases including psychiatric illnesses. Their therapeutic potential has been assessed in a variety of animal models, and the mechanisms of action have been investigated through neurochemical approaches. The aim of the present study is to investigate the possible antidepressant effects of malt extract using the open field and forced swimming tests and evaluation of brain neurotransmitters and oxidative stress biomarkers in the clonidine-induced depressed rats. Clonidine hydrochloride [0.8mg/kg] was injected intraperitoneally into rats daily for seven days in order to induce depression. Brain contents of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine as well as malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione were estimated. Effect of the antidepressant drug fluoxetine was also studied. Malt extract normalized the clonidine-induced altered behavior in the open field and forced swimming tests. Malt extract as well as fluoxetine normalized the reduced brain serotonin and dopamine contents winle fluoxetine increased the brain content of norepinephrine in the clonidine-induced depressed rats. In addition, both malt extract and fluoxetine normalized the altered oxidative biomarkers. The behavioral and biochemical results revealed that malt extract may have antidepressant activity which may he mediated through changes in the brain neurotransmitters and oxidative stress biomarkers

Influence of exposure to vapour of certain pyrethroids household mosquito repellant preparations on the neurobehavioral action of fluoxetin in rats

The environment includes increasing number of synthetic chemical compounds that cause environmental contamination . One of the most popular contaminating compounds are pyrethroids insecticides .Therefore, their wide spread use in agriculture and puplic health stimulated our attention for studying their possible toxic effect[s] on drug action .Fluoxetine is a selective inhibitor of serotonin reuptake which is widely used as an antidepressant . The aim of this work was to study the effect of inhalational exposure to vapour of two commonly used mosquito repellant preparations containing pyrethroids on the neurobehavioural action of fluoxetine . Sprague Dawley adult male rats were allocated into 3 main groups namely, control, and Ezalo and Ragon exposed groups .Exposure was performed 20 mm/day for 7 days in a static chamber . Twenty four hours later, i.p injection of fluoxetine [10 mg/kg] was performed . Contents of serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine were determined in differtent brain regions one hour after fluoxetine injection . Behavioural parameters were also determined using open field and swimming test techniques.The obtained results showed that pre-exposure to Ezalo vapour induced significant increase in ambulation and rearing frequencies, while pre-exposure to Ragon vapour induced significant increase in ambulation, grooming and rearing frequencies as compared to fluoxetine-treated animals . Contents of serotonin and dopamine were also significantly altered in most brain regions .The obtained changes in the neurobehavioural parameters may be due to the effect[s] of pyrethroids and or the accompanying substances present in the mosquito repellant preparations on the biotransformation of fluoxetine

Surgical management of hydatid liver cysts; inra-operative pair, cysto-pericystectomy and omentoplasty

Liver hydatid cysts caused by Echinococcus granulosus presents medical, veterinary and economic problems worldwide. In an attempt to eradicate liver hydatid cysts by eliminating the parasite, disappearance of the residual cavity, preventing complications and recurrence, the present study was done in Theodore Bilharz Research Institute on 36 patients. They were 11 females and 25 males with age ranging between 18-55 years old. All patients were sub to a full history taking and clinical examination, a full battery of hematological, biochemical, immunological and radiological investigations. Intra-operative Puncture Aspiration Injection and Re-aspiration [PAIR] was performed to all cysts before surgical intervention. Total cysto-pericystectomy [CPC] was done in 25 patients with both open and closed technique. Partial cysto-pericystectomy was done in 11 patients due to firm adherence of the cyst to the liver structures. Omentoplasty [OP] was performed to fill all cavities accompanied with external open system drainage tube. There were no mortalities in this study. Post operative complications were found in 7 patients. Cystectomy and omentoplasty related complication were found in 3 patients, General surgical complications were found in 1 patient. Biliary related complications occurred in 3 patients in the form of biliary leak in 2 patients and biliary fistulae in 1 patients. All these complications responded well to conservative management. A combination of different radical and conservative surgical modalities in the same sitting in the form of intra-operative Puncture Aspiration Injection and Re-aspiration, cystopericystectomy and omentoplasty could be considered the surgical method of choice with no mortality

Zinc variation during liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy in schistosomiasis [experimental study]

This study aimed to estimate the serum level and hepatic content of zinc in experimental schistosomiasis as well as their alteration during liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy. The included animals were divided into two groups, schistosomal [40 hamsters] and non-schistosomal [33 hamsters]. The hamsters, either infested or not, were subjected to 35% partial hepatectomy [left lateral lobe hepatectomy]. Scarification of animals, collection of blood samples and regenerating liver tissue were done at two days, one, two and three weeks after hepatectomy. The serum level and hepatic content of zinc were estimated biochemically. The rate of hepatic regeneration was studied by histopathological examination and measurement of DNA content in the liver remnant. Hypozincemia with decreased hepatic zinc content was reported in schistosomal group preoperatively. Their DNA content [175.8 ug/g] had significant lower level when compared with the non-schistosomal group [335.75 ug/g]. During liver regeneration, serum zinc declined sharply; however the highest hepatic concentration and peaked DNA content were recorded in the first 48 hours following partial hepatectomy in schistosomal group. The mean liver weight reached a maximum of only 72.3% of its preoperative weight

identification of a novel Helicobacter species in cholecystitis specimens; a preliminary study

This work tried to verify the role if any of helicobacter species in the incidence of cholecystitis. This study was conducted in the General Surgery Department at Theodore Bilharzia Research Institute. 83 patients were included in this study. A full history was taken with emphasis on symptoms suggestive of cholecystitis. The 83 cholecystectomy specimens removed by both laparoscopic and conventional open surgical procedures and collected for histopathological examination. Most of the examined gall bladders contained stones [79 specimens], while the other 4 specimens contained gravel material [biliary mud]. All positive cases for helicobacter were cases of chronic calculus cholecystitis. The study detected histopathologically certain bacterial species similar in morphology, staining characters and cellular distribution to Helicobacter pylori in few cholecystectomy specimens. Six specimens were removed from patients with chronic cholecystitis. These few cases were associated with gastric type metaplasia of gall bladder mucosa. These microorganisms may contribute in the pathogenesis of chronic calcular cholecystitis and or the development of gall stones [lithiasis]. Further bacteriological and molecular studies are recommended to identify the exact nature of these microorganisms, the method of infection and the response to therapy