Effect tf rubia tinctorum l. extractson carrageenan-induced paw edema in rats

Inflammation is a dynamic process that is elicited in response to various harmful stimulantsthat may threaten the well-being of the host. Herbs have been traditionally used as anti-inflammatory agents since very early times. Rubia tinctorum L. is one of these herbs that havebeen used for treating inflammatory diseases in Iranian traditional medicine. This study aims at considering anti-inflammatory effects of R. tinctorum and comparing its extracts in this property. The root of Rubia tinctorum [Rubiaceae] was collected from Yazd province, in the center of Iran. The root extracts of plant were studied for their anti-inflammatory activity by using carrageenan-induced hind paw edema in Wistarmale rats. Indomethacin and normal saline were used as positive and negative controls, respectively. Different concentrations of aqueous, ethanolic, and 50% aq. ethanolic extracts [600, 800, 1000 mg/kg] were given orally before carrageenan injection. The paw thickness was measured at 1, 3 and 5 hours after injection. Results: Both, aqueous and 50% eq. ethanolic extracts reduced paw edema at 600 and 800 mg/kg concentrations. Moreover, ethanolic extract showed significant effect only inl[st] hour after carrageenan injection. The results indicated that the aqueous extract were exhibited higher anti-inflammatory effect compared with other extracts. Accordingly, the potent anti-inflammatory effect of the root extracts is attributed to the polar compounds which are extracted in the water

Effects of training in the Morris water maze on the spatial learning acquisition and VAChT expression in male rats

It has been well established that cholinergic pathway plays an important role in learning and memory processes. The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of Morris water maze [MWM] training on spatial memory acquisition and expression of the vesicular acetylcholine transporter [VAChT] in male rats. Methods: In this study, training trials of all groups of animals were conducted in the MWM task. Rats received one training session consisting of four trials per day which continued for another four consecutive days. Controls received visible platform MWM training. The escape latency, the traveled distance and swimming speed for each rat were recorded and used to evaluate the performance of the animal during training period. For evaluation of expression of VAChT protein levels, brain tissues from animals in each experiment were obtained immediately after the last trial on the related experimental day and processed for immunohistochemistry staining and western blotting analysis. There was a significant difference between animals subjected to one day training and those receiving four days of training in escape latency and travel distance. There were an apparent increase in VAChT immunoreactivity in the medial septal area [MSA] and CA1 region of the hippocampus in one day and four day trained animals compared with controls [visible group]. Quantitative immunostaining analysis by optical density measurements in the CA1 region and evaluation of immunopositive neurons in medial septal area of brain sections confirmed qualitative findings. Assessment of VAChT protein level expression in hippocampus by western blotting evaluation showed the same pattern of immunohistochemistry results. Overall, results of this study reveal changes in cholinergic neuron activity in different stages of training in the MWM task. Data suggest that there is a significant level of cholinergic neuronal activity during early stages of the training especially in the hippocampus region that may contribute to the apparent increase in VAChT expression

[Occupational burnout in Birjand dentists]

Occupational burnout is a psychological syndrome resulting from continuous tensions which causes absence, conflict, job changing, etc. In spite of much effort done in optimizing the work conditions and satisfying the employed persons, the dentists still suffer from this incident. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree of occupational burnout in Birjand dentists and to provide an approach. In this descriptive-analytical study by the census method, 38 dentists were investigated using Maslach questionnaire. Average values were compared with chi-square and comparison among the groups was performed by Tukey test using SPSS software. P 0.05]. Protection of this stratum, providing educational programs and creating job variations are necessary for optimizing the work environment. Future studies with more sample size are suggested to determine the effect of factors

Time course effects of lithium administration on spatial memory acquisition and cholinergic marker expression in rats

The effects of chronic lithium exposure on spatial memory in rats remain controversial. In this study a time course of the effects of lithium, administered systemically, on spatial memory acquisition in Morris water maze was investigated. Lithium [600 mg/L] was administered to four groups of rats in their drinking water; the first group of animals received lithium for one week, the second group for two weeks, the third group for three weeks, and the fourth group for four weeks. As controls, four groups of animals received only normal drinking water for the same period of time. Toward the end of their lithium or water treatment, all animals were trained for four days; each day included one block and each block contained four trials. Test trials were conducted 48 hrs after completion of the lithium treatment. Escape latency, traveled distance and swimming speed were evaluated during testing trials. Brain tissues from animals were processed according to the standard protocols for immunohistochemical analysis. Lithium treatment decreased escape latency and traveled distance, but not swimming speed, compared with controls, suggesting significant spatial memory acquisition enhancement by lithium. Quantitative analysis showed that lithium, particularly after four weeks of exposure, significantly increased the number and density of immunostained ChAT-containing [choline acetyltransferase] neurons in the medial septal area in comparison with control groups. There was also a significant correlation between the number of immunostained ChAT neurons and behavioral measures. These results suggest that chronic oral administration of lithium causes spatial memory acquisition improvement in rats and an increase in ChAT immunostaining levels in medial septal nuclei

Aluminum phosphate shows more adjuvanticity than Aluminum hydroxide in recombinant hepatitis-B vaccine formulation

Although a number of investigation have been carried out to find alternative adjuvants to aluminum salts in vaccine formulations, they are still extensively used due to their good track record of safety, low cost and proper adjuvanticity with a variety of antigens. Adsorption of antigens onto aluminum compounds depends heavily on electrostatic forces between adjuvant and antigen. Commercial recombinant protein hepatitis B vaccines containing aluminum hydroxide as adjuvant is facing low induction of immunity in some sections of the vaccinated population. To follow the current global efforts in finding more potent hepatitis B vaccine formulation, adjuvanticity of aluminum phosphate has been compared to aluminum hydroxide. The adjuvant properties of aluminum hydroxide and aluminum phosphate in a vaccine formulation containing a locally manufactured hepatitis B [HBs] surface antigen was evaluated in Balb/C mice. The formulations were administered intra peritoneally [i.p.] and the titers of antibody which was induced after 28 days were determined using ELISA technique. The geometric mean of antibody titer [GMT], seroconversion and seroprotection rates, ED50 and relative potency of different formulations were determined. All the adjuvanicity markers obtained in aluminum phosphate formulation were significantly higher than aluminum hydroxide. The geometric mean of antibody titer of aluminum phosphate was approximately three folds more than aluminum hydroxide. Aluminum phosphate showed more adjuvanticity than aluminum hydroxide in hepatitis B vaccine. Therefore the use of aluminum phosphate as adjuvant in this vaccine may lead to higher immunity with longer duration of effects in vaccinated groups

[Prevalence of major abnormality and some of its related factors in the newborns in Shahid Yahyanejad hospital in Babol [2001]]

Introduction: Today, congenital abnormality is a common cause of long term disability and mortality in children; and it is one of the most important parts of the medical problems

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence of apparent major abnormality in the newborns who were born in Shahid Yahyanejad hospital in Babol [2001]

Materials and Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study at basis of 3756 hospital records in the newborn ward in Shahid Yahyanejad hospital in Babol [2001]. The data of abnormality status, type of abnormality, gestational age, maternal age, parity, background disease of mothers [diabetes mellitus and hypertension], weight and height of newborn have been collected from hospital charts. The data was analyzed using SPSS software and logistic regression model

Results: The findings showed that the prevalence of apparent abnormality was 4 per 1000. the rate of abnormality have a significant association with gestational age and parity [P=0.000]. But there is not a significant association with maternal age, sex of newborn, and background disease of mothers. The most common abnormalities were: skeletal, urogenital, CNS, head and neck

Conclusion: The findings indicated that the prevalence of apparent major abnormality is lower in compared with other reports from Iran and other countries. This can be a consequence differences in health status and detection methods or in defective data of underreport in the hospital records