Coadministration of dexamethasone and melissa officinalis has neuroprotective effects in rat animal model with spinal cord injury

Objective: Spinal cord injury [SCI] causes inflammation, deformity and cell loss. It has been shown that Melissa officinalis [MO], as herbal medicine, and dexamethasone [DEX] are useful in the prevention of various neurological diseases. The present study evaluated combinational effects of DEX and MO on spinal cord injury

Materials and Methods: Thirty six adult male Wistar rats were used in this experimental study. The weight-drop contusion method was employed to induce spinal cord injury in rats. DEX and MO were administrated alone and together in different treatment groups. Intra-muscular injection of DEX [1 mg/kg] was started three hours after injury and continued once a day for seven days after injury. Intra-peritoneal [I.P] injection of MO [150 mg/ kg] was started one day after injury and continued once a day for 14 days

Results: Our results showed motor and sensory functions were improved significantly in the group received a combination of DEX and MO, compared to spinal cord injury group. Mean cavity area was decreased and loss of lower motor neurons and astrogliosis in the ventral horn of spinal cord was significantly prevented in the group received combination of DEX and Melissa officinalis, compared to spinal cord injury group. Furthermore, the findings showed a significant augmentation of electromyography [EMG] recruitment index, increase of myelin diameter, and up-regulation of myelin basic protein in the treated group with combination of DEX and MO

Conclusion: Results showed that combination of DEX and MO could be considered as a neuroprotective agent in spinal cord injury

Effect of mozart husic on hippocampal content of BDNF in postnatal rats

Introduction: It has shown that listening to Mozart music can potentiate spatial tasks in human; and reduce seizure attacks in epileptic patients. A few studies have reported the effects of prenatal plus postpartum exposure of mice to the Mozart music on brain-drived neurotrophic factor [BDNF] in the hippocampus. Here we investigated the effect of postpartum exposure to The Mozart music on BDNF concentration in the hippocampus of rat. Methods: Thirty male one day old newborn Wistar rats divided randomly in two equal experimental and control groups. Experimental group exposed to slow rhythm Mozart music [Mozart Sonata for two pianos KV 448, 6 hour per day; sound pressure levels, between 80 and 100 dB] for 60 successive days. The control group was kept in separate room with housing conditions like experimental group except music exposure. After 60 days the rats were euthanized and hippocampuses extracted; then the content of BDNF protein was measured using ELISA sandwich method. Results: Data analysis revealed that rats exposed to Mozart Sonata music had significantly increased BDNF content in the hippocampus as compared to control rats [P +/- 0.01]. The concentrations of BDNF were 86.30 +/- 2.26 and 94.60 +/- 6.22 ng/g wet weight in control and music exposure groups respectively. Discussion: Exposure to the Mozart music early in life can increase the BDNF concentration in the hippocampus in rats