Hypnotic effect of salvia reuterana boiss for treatment of insomnia

Insomnia, which is difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep, is a very common experience for many people. Considering the increasing interest in medicinal plants in the past decade, many plants such as Coriandrum sativum, Salvia leriifolia, Salvia reuterana and Stachys lavanduli folia have been used in Iranian traditional medicine to abate insomnia. The present study was designed to investigate hypnotic effect of Salvia reuterana on male mice. Ethanolic extract of S. reuterana was prepared. Five groups of 6 animals each were pretreated with vehicle, Salvia extract [50, 100 and 250 mg/kg; i.p.] or diazepam [0.5mg/kg; i.p.] 30 minutes before ketamine injection [100 mg/kg, i.p.]. The latency and total sleeping times were recorded to determine the hypnotic effect of the extract. The results indicated that ethanolic extract of S. reuterana, reduced the latency time and induced the total sleeping time in a dose dependent manner, compared to saline group. The present study suggests that S. reuterana produces hypnotic effect which can be evaluated clinically

[Serum ferritin level in febrile children with and without seizures]

Background: Although febrile seizure is the most common cause of convulsion in childhood and strongly age-dependent, its incidence is rare before 9 months and after 5 years. Moreover, iron deficiency in these ages may have a detrimental effect on neurological and intellectual functioning. This study was designed to determine the serum ferritin level in febrile children with and without seizures

Materials and Methods: This case-control study was performed on 80 children [6 months to 5 years] referred to Kashan Shahid Beheshti hospital from January until June 2010. They were divided into two equal case and control groups [children with febrile seizures and febrile children without seizure, respectively]. Children with the CNS disorder, developmental delay, renal failure, and shigellotic gastroenteritis were excluded. Ferritin, Hb, MCV and MCH values between the two groups were compared

Results: The mean serum feritin levels were 97.6 +/- 90.6 ng/ml for cases and 109.2 +/- 106.2 ng/ml for controls [P=0.351]. The mean corpuscular hemoglobin was 11.17 +/- 0.881 g/dl in the case group and 11.04 +/- 0.963 g/dl in the control one [P=0.534]. Moreover, the mean MCV in the febrile seizure and fever groups were 73.71 +/- 4.16 fl and 71.86 +/- 4.42 fl, respectively [P=0.049]. Also, the mean MCH in the febrile seizure and fever groups were 24.80 +/- 1.64 pg and 23.83 +/- 2.16 pg, respectively [P=0.033]

Conclusion: No relationship between the serum ferritin level and febrile seizure is seen in both groups

[Comparison of excyclotorsion induced by two surgical methods in rabbit eyes]

Compaison of excyclotorsion induced by horizontal transposition of vertical rectus muscles versus vertical transposition of horizontal rectus muscles in rabbit eyes. In this exprimental study, group 1 underwent full tendon nasal transposition of the superior rectus and full tendon temporal transposition of the inferior rectus [10 adult rabbits]; group 2 underwent superior transposition of the lateral rectus and inferior tranposition of the medical rectus [10 adult rabbits]. External limbal marking was used to estimate the magnitude of excyclotorsion resulting from muscle surgery. The mean angle of excyclotorsion in group 1 was 31 +/- 1.8 degree, ranging from 28-35 degree. The mean angle of excyclotorsion in group 2 was 12.85 +/- 1.6 degree, ranging from 10-16 degree. Excyclotorsion induced by horizontal transposition of vertical rectus muscles was significantly larger than that induced by vertical transposition of horizontal rectus muscles [P<0.001]. The amount of excyclotorsion after LR displacement [1.1 +/- 0.8 degree] was significantly smaller than the amount of excyclotorsion after MR displacement [12.6 +/- 1.7 degree] [P<0.001]. Althaugh the mean angle of excyclotorsion induced by horizontal transposition of vertical rectus muscles was larger than that of vertical transposition of horizontal rectus muscles, superior displacement of the LR muscle induced no significant change in globe torsion. The torsional effect of horizontal transposition of vertical rectus muscles can be changed varying amounts of globe torsion