Anticonvulsant effects of Pasipay [prepared from passion flower] by PTZ model in the mice

Passion flower has shown antianxeity and sedative effects in human. In this study, anticonvulsant effects of hydroalcoholic extract of passiflora were studied. Anticonvulsant effects of Pasipay were examined by using pentylenetetrazole model [PTZ] on mice. In this research pasipay, diazepam, and normal saline were injected i.p. at doses [0.05-0.4 mg/kg], [0.5-1 mg/kg], [10 ml/kg] respectively and after 30 minutes, PTZ [90 mg/kg, i.p] was injected to these mice. For investigating the mechanism of pasipay, flumazenil [2 mg/kg, i.p] and naloxone [5 mg/kg, i.p] were also injected 5 minutes before pasipay. An ED[50] value of pasipay was 0.2 mg/kg [%95 CL: 0.119, 0.408]. In this model, pasipay at the dose of 0.4 mg/kg prolonged the onset time of seizure and decreased the duration of seizures compared to control [p<0.001]. In this dose the seizure and mortality protection was 100%. Flumazenil and naloxone could suppress anticonvulsant effects of pasipay. It seems that pasipay may be useful for treatment of absence seizure and these effects may be related to the effect of it on GABAergic and opioid systems

Morphine effects on mouse seminiferous epithelium by lectin histochemistry

Morphine causes disorders in testis and fertilization in animals. On the other hand they have shown important role of glycoconjugates in spermatogenesis. Lectins can detect glycoconjugates with specific terminal sugars. This study was conducted to assess possible effects of morphine on testicular glycoconjugates. One hundred and two BALB/c male mice [2-4 months] were assigned in three groups. One group received morphine, second treated with normal saline and third remained intact. After preparing paraffin blocks from testes, 5 micro m sections were obtained and incubated with different lectins by means of lectin histochemistry. Testicular cells reactions were assessed and graded with light microscope. Then results analyzed by variance test. Statistical test showed that there was a significant difference [p<0.05] in reaction to wheat germ agglutinin [WGA], specific for sialic acid, between experimental and control groups. About other lectins, which were employed for galactose, fucose and galactose- N acetyl galactosamine, there were no significant differences. Changing in reaction to WGA in significant reduction form in morphine treated samples, means sialic acid content reduction. Considering sialic acid importance in spermatogenesis, we can predict that adverse changes in spermatogenesis and reduction in fertilization rate due to sialic acid deficiency was resulted by morphine administration

[Assessment of sialic acid distribution in mouse epididymis]

Previous studies have shown that epididymal epithelium and its secretions are critical for sperm maturation. These secretions contain many glycoconjugates with sialic acid terminal sugar. This terminal sugar by intervening in cellular interactions and masking surface receptors has an important role in sperm maturation and protection. Moreover, lectins have been employed as useful probes to detect the presence of glycoconjugates with specific sugar residues such as sialic acid. Considering the importance of sialic acid, distribution of this terminal sugar in different parts of mouse epididymis was studied by means of lectin histochemistry. For this purpose, epididymal tissue species were obtained from 15 adult male BALB/c mice. After fixation and routine laboratory process, 5 pm sections prepared from paraf3n blocks. Slides were exposed to lectins with lectin-histochemistry. For this purpose, Wheat germ agglutinin [WGA], specific for sialic acid, was employed. Then they assessed with light microscope. The rate of reactions in epithelial cells and spermatozoa were significantly different n different parts of epididymis. In the manner that, in spermatozoa, stereo cilia and luminal surface the least reactions were seen in caput, while the most reactions were seen in cauda. Epithelial cells, too, showed less reaction in caput comparing to corpus and tail of epididymis. Sialic acid has been identified in many glycoproteins secreted by epididymis and is necessary for sperm maturation. It seems that this maturation happens mostly in bod2 and tail of epididymis during epididymal transit. Increase in sialic acid content of spermatozoa during epididymal transit is probably due to the secretion of glycoconjugates containing this component by epididymal principal and flask cells