[Effect of lidocaine on duration of seizure and hemodynamic alterations in electroconvulsive therapy]

Electroconvulsive therapy [ECT] is one of the most common methods in treatment of different types of psychological disorder. The effectiveness of this therapy has a direct relation with the duration of convulsion. This study was conducted to assess the effect of lidocaine on duration of seizure and hemodynamic alterations in electroconvulsive therapy. This clinical trial study was conducted on 72 ASA-I, II patients with psychotic disorders in Hajar Medical Center in Shahrekord, Iran during 2010. The patients randomly divided into intervention and control group. The interventional group was received 1.5 mg/kg lidocaine and controls were received normal saline. For induction of anesthesia, all patients were received Sodium Thiopental [2mg/kg], Succinylcholine [1mg/kg] and Atropine [0.5mg] Propofol and Succinylcholine during 72 sessions of ECT. Duration of objective convulsion and hemodynamic alterations including blood pressure and heart rate were recorded [before, immediately and 3, 5 minutes after ECT]. Data were analyzed using SPSS-11.5 and t-test. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures and heart rate in 3rd minutes in interventional group following electroconvulsive therapy were 143.38 +/- 16 mmHg, 79.86 +/- 6.7 mmHg, 91.9 +/- 9.9 mmHg, respectively and in controls were 128.88 +/- 13.04 mmHg, 87.63 +/- 5.79 mmHg and 102.86 +/- 13 mmHg, respectively. These difference were significant [P<0.05]. The above-mentioned indices for 5th minutes in intervention and controls were as follow: systolic [113.47 +/- 9.97 mmHg, 122.36 +/- 13 mmHg], diastolic [73.47 +/- 4.27 mmHg, 77.63 +/- 6.26 mmHg] heart rate [84.41 +/- 4.6 in minute, 93.19 +/- 12.53 in minute]. These differences in above indices were significant [P<0.05]. This study showed that lidocaine administration during electroconvulsive therapy increase the duration of convulsion and reduces heart rate and blood pressure

[Assessment of 3[rd] grade junior school girl students' knowlege and attitude toward puberty age sanitation]

Adolescence is a critical period in any individual's life, and puberty is the most important change within this period. Care for the girls' health condition is very important because they play a crucial role in fertility and reproduction. Since today's girls are tomorrow's mothers and their health is so important. To investigate the junior school girls' knowledge and attitude toward sanitation in Lahijan, northern Iran, in 1388-1389. For the purpose of this cross-sectional study, 384 female students in 3[rd] grade of junior school in Lahijan were selected through random cluster sampling in 1389. Questionnaire was used for data collection and the collected data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16, T test and Ch-square and Pearson correlation coefficient. The average age was 14.08 years and average age variable of menarch was 12.3 +/- 1.04. Level of awareness was good in the majority [60.41%] and they had a positive attitude toward the puberty. Results showed a significant positive correlation between mothers' levels of education and their daughters' awareness [p<0.05]. Based on the results of Pearson Correlation coefficient and p<0.05, we understood there was a meaningful relationship between source of awareness and attitude toward puberty sanitation. Also, there was a meaningful relationship between the level of awareness and attitude toward puberty sanitation area, too [p<0.05]. The present results demonstrate an improvement in the level of awareness and attitude to psychological and somatic health in puberty period, compared to those during the last decade. Since the source of awareness has been the mothers in the majority of the studied cases, it could be suggested that mothers' awareness should be promoted and students should be encouraged to consult their teachers, books, journals and the related materials in order to enhance their knowledge about physiologic, psychological and behavioral changes which occur during puberty and thereby to avoid the negative consequences and improves their awareness

[PKC mediates endogenous inhibition of myelin repair in the context of local demyelination induced in mice optic chiasm]

Axon regeneration in adult CNS is limited by the presence of inhibitory proteins associated with myelin. Although blocking PKC activity attenuates the ability of CNS myelin to inhibit neurite outgrowth, the role as well as mechanisms underlying the remyelination inhibition in CNS are still largely unknown. Considering the role of PKC in axonal regeneration and the vulnerability of optic chiasm in multiple sclerosis [MS], we assessed the effect of PKC inhibition on remyelination of lysolecithin induced demyelinated optic chiasm. Demyelination was induced by stereotaxic intra-chiasmatic injection of 1 micro l lysolecithin [%1] in male mice. Intracerebroventricular daily injection of a PKC inhibitor [GO6976] was done for 14 days post-lesion. Demyelination and remyelination patterns in optic chiasm were confirmed through histological verification and electrophysiological study using Luxol fast blue staining and visual evoked potentials [VEP] recording, respectively. In lysolecithin treated animals, demyelination was mostly marked at days 3 and 7 post-lesion and an incomplete remyelination occurred at day 14 post-lesion. VEP recording showed increased P-latency at the days 3 and 7 post-lesion while it partially decreased at day 14. Following the inhibition of PKC, while the extent of demyelination and P-latency slightly decreased at the days 3 and 7 post-lesion, it recovered at day 14. VEP recording data were confirmed by histological verification. Inhibition of PKC activity could represent a potential therapeutic approach for stimulating the remyelination process in the context of multiple sclerosis

Synthesis and expression of modified bFGF gene in Escherichia coli cells

A new strategy for construction of synthetic gene encoding human basic fibroblast growth factor comprising DNA annealing-Iigation and augmentation by polymerase chain reaction was introduced. The sequence of the corresponding amino acid chain were modified in order to increase stability of the protein, First, 300 bp 160 bp fragments of the gene were assembled from 18 oligonucleotides and ligated separately. Then, the shorter fragment was completed by using PCR and combined with the longer one in a proper orientation in pUC 19, One extra nucleotide that had been found in the gene after DNA sequencing and resulted in frame shift, was rectified through the use of PCR directed mutagenesis. Finally, 5' -terminal region of the gene was augmented by means of PCR in order to restore the N-terminal part of the protein and to introduce the Nde1 recognition site The gene was subcloned into the inducible pET-3a expression vector under control of T7 promoter and expressed in Escherichia coli The identity of the recombinant protein and level of expression were detected by using Western blot analysis immunoassay. The proposed method has provided a useful strategy for synthesizing modified proteins that might be applied for protein engineering