effect of ibuprofen on intractable epileptic attacks in children

Background and Purpose: It seems that during seizures special inflammatory processes remain in the epileptic tissues and can induce still another attack. Based on this hypothesis many studies have been conducted to determine the efficacy of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on controlling seizures and have obtained different results. so we decided to perform this research. Therefore the present research was conducted to investigate the effect of ibuprofen on controlling intractable epileptic attacks in children

Methods and Materials: This quasi-experimental double-blind study was conducted in 2006-2007 on 30 patients [3-13 years old] with intractable epilepsy. The patients were observed for one month; then they were given ibuprofen syrup [30 mg/k/day divided into 3 doses] for two months; taking ibuprofen syrup was paused for one month; placebo was given for two months with a similar dosage. Patients simultaneously received their previous anticonvulsant drugs during the study period. In each stage the frequency duration and probable complications of each attack were recorded. The obtained data were analyzed in SPSS using paired t-test and chi-square

Results: Patients' mean age and mean seizures onset age were 7.23?3.22 and 2.73?2.43 years respectively. Partial complex epilepsy occurred in 13 cases [43.3%] and 17 patients [56.7%] experienced myoclonic epilepsy. Ibuprofen decreased frequency of attacks in 8 cases [26.7%] and even stopped them in 4 cases. However placebo just decreased attacks in 4 cases [13.3%] but the observed difference was not statistically significant [P=0.434]

Conclusion: Based on the findings there was no statistically difference between effects of Ibuprofen and placebo on controlling epileptic attacks

Rosa Damascena oil: an adjunctive therapy for pediatric refractory seizures

Several investigations have demonstrated that Rosa damascena has an inhibitory effect on the hypothalamus and on pituitary system reactivity in the rat; it ahs also been shown that the essential oil of Rosa damascena has significant antiepileptic effects on pentylentetrazole [PTZ] induced seizures in rats. We aimed at assessing the effects of the essential oil of Rosa damascena when used as an adjunct treatment to treat children with refractory seizures In this double-blind clinical trial, conducted as a pilot study between April 2004 and March 2005, we administered essential oil of Rosa damascena to sixteen children with refractory epilepsy as an adjunct therapy, and evaluated its effects. 16 patients, age range 3-13 years, were enrolled; 56.3% [n=9] girls and 43.8% [n=7] boys. All has been under treatment for 3-6 weeks [baseline phase]. They received either the essential oil or placebo for a period of 4 weeks and in between these periods, they took only their pre-existing antiepileptic drugs for two weeks [washout phase]. The mean frequency of seizures in those using essential oil, showed significant decrease as compared to the controls using placeboes [p=0.00]. It can be concluded that the essential oil of Rosa Damascena has beneficial antiepileptic effect in children with refractory seizures

[Effect of tanacetum parthenium in treatment of migraine headache comparing to placebo]

Migraine is secondary common cause of headache. Headache is the most common clinical syndrome of pain. There are several methods in treatment of migraine including herbal medicine. Tancetum parthenium, a kind of chrysanthemum from kacny race is traditionally used for treatment of headache. The aim of this research was to assess the effect powder of Tanacetum parthenium in treatment of migraine. This is a double blinded clinical trial that lengthened for 8 months from 2004 to 2005. Patients were selected from Imam Reza hospital neurology clinic, Mashhad University of medical science. We had two groups: drug and placebo group. 45 people were introduced in each group. In our research, 4 patients in drug group and 11 patients in placebo group were missed. Patients with migraine that their headache frequency was more than 3 times in a month were included in our research. Severity and frequency of headache and kind of prescribed drug were variables that investigated in this study. After 15 days, 29 people [70.7%] in drug group and 21 people [61.8%] in placebo group were good or better than before treatment [p=0.49]. There was a significant improvement in severity and frequency of headache in drug group compared to placebo group only 105 days after treatment [P=0.01]. This research shows that Tanacetum parthenium is significantly more effective than placebo [p<0.05]. So use of this drug is suggested in treatment of migraine

Treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in murine model by alcoholic extract of Berberis vulgaris

In order to evaluate the effect of Berberis vulgaris extract on the experimental ulcers of cutaneous leishmaniasis [CL] on Balb/c mice, a study was undertaken over a 12 months period. Forty Balb/c mice were divided into 2 main groups A and B. Each main group in turn was divided into 5 sub groups of 4 mice and each sub group were inoculated subcutaneously by 0.1ml liquid phase culture containing promastigotes of Leishmania major. After 2-3 weeks, nodules and ulcers appeared on 37 of 40 inoculated mice. Ethanol extract of the stem and leaves as well as roots of Berberis vulgaris in different concentrations, were used topically on CL lesions of 4 sub groups A and B, respectively. Ethanol alone was used on the lesions of control mice. The surface area of lesions were measured before and 1-2 weeks after treatment. Direct Geimsa stained smear prepared 20 days after treatment. The results showed that after 2 weeks, a statistically significant decrease of ulcer size of treated mice observed, while in the control group the lesion growth continued. The examinations showed that using higher concentration of the extract caused more decrease in surface area of CL lesions on day 15 and negative direct smear on day 20. Alcoholic extract of B.vulgaris root was more effective than leaves and stem extract. Alcoholic extract of B vulgaris might be further used in animal model

[Side effects of Sodium Valproate in epileptic patients]

One of the most important problems in the treatment of epileptic patients is the drug effects. Na Valproate is a widely used drug for the treatment of epilepsy. The side effects of the drug include digestive disorders, increasing liver enzymes, fatal hepatitis, cognitive disorder, behavior disorder, insomnia, hyperactivity, tremor, stupor and coma, metabolic disorders, hair waving, curling, thinning and loss, pancreatitis, blood effects, fetal hydatoine syndrome irregular menstruation and secondary amenorrhea in this descriptive study 170 patients with epilepsy were evaluated. These patients were referred to Ncurologic clinic of Imam Reza Hospital over a period of 3 years from September 1996, and treated with Na Valproate. Sixty-five percent of patients were male due to the fact that females avoid Na Valproate during the fertility period. Our study was done to determine complications of Na Valproate, and the following complications developed in our patients transient neutropenia as the most common complication, 12 cases [7%], weight increasing, 7 cases [4%] diminished appetite, 4 cases [2.5%], tremor, 1 case, abdominal pain 1 case, and ALP increasing 1 case. Regarding to the limited side effects of Na Valproate and its good therapeutic effects in controlling different types of epilepsy, it is suggested that this drug is very effective in treatment of epilepsy except of children aged less than 2 years and women who are in the fertile ages

Antibacterial and antifungal effects of Nigella sativa extracts against S. aureus, P. aeroginosa and C. albicans

Nigella sativa seeds [blackseed; kalonji] have been used in traditional medicine for the treatment of a variety of diseases including diarrhea and asthma. In this study, the antibacterial and antifungal effects of the aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts of the seeds against standard and hospital strains of Candida albicans, coagulase-positive Staphylococcus aureus [CPSA] and Pseudomonas aeroginosa were investigated and compared with standard drugs, clotrimazole, cloxacillin and gentamicin respectively. Aqueous and methanol extracts were prepared using reflux device and the chloroform extract was prepared by the wetting method. 50 samples from each microorganism were collected from different biological samples such as wound, blood, urine and CSF and the inhibitory effects of the extracts were assessed using agar dilution, cylinder plate and disk diffusion methods. The aqueous extract did not show any effect, but the other extracts showed high inhibitory effects against all the microorganisms in all the three methods and can be suggested as a subject of more extensive investigations in this field

Analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of Portolaca oleracea extracts in mice and rat

Portolaca oleracea is a plant, which is used as vegetable in some parts of Iran and also is a well-known herbal medicine. Several effects such as smooth and skeletal muscle relaxant effect, cardiac muscle relaxant effect, analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect have been reported for this plant. This study was performed to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of the portolaca oleracea. Aerial parts of plant [stem and leaves] were collected and dried in shadow. The dried parts then were powdered and ethanolic and aqueous extracts were prepared by suxhelet. Analgesic effects were assessed by hot plate and tail flick tests at 0, 30, 60 and 90 minutes after treatment of animals. For each test sixty white mice with about 25- 30 g body weight were randomly divided into six groups. Groups A and B were received 200 and 400 mg/kg of aqueous extract respectively, groups B and C received 200 and 400 mg/kg of ethanolic extract respectively and groups E and F were received normal saline [as negative control] and morphine 9 mg/kg [as positive control]. To determine anti-inflammatory effect, 32 Wistar - Albino rats with 250- 300 g B.W were divided into 4 groups; experimental groups received 400 mg/kg B.W of aqueous and / or ethanolic extracts, and control groups were received 10 mg/kg B.W diclofenac sodium [positive control] or saline [negative control] one hour prior to caraggeenan injection to induce foot paw edema. Foot volume to a strict drawn line on leg when immersed in a 25 ml cylinder was measured before caraggeenan injection and 1and 3 hours after injection; the increase in swollen paw were determined for each rat. The results were determined and compared by an analysis of variances [ANOVA] for all groups and changes were compared by Tukey-Kramer test. The difference was considered to be significant when the P value was less than 0.05. Both aqueous and ethanolic extracts at 400 mg/kg B.W showed analgesic effects, which was significant as compared to that of negative control [P<0.001 for both tests]. The maximum effect was determined at 60 minutes after injection. The analgesic effects of both extracts at 60 minutes were equal to 60% of morphine [hot plat]. The differences between aqueous and ethanolic extracts were not significant. Both aqueous and athanolac extracts significantly decreased paw edema at 1 [P<0.01] and 3 [P<0.001] hours after caraggeenan injection in treated rats. The results of this study demonstrated that Portolaca oleracea at the dose of 400 mg/kg have a considerable analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects and thus may be used as oral or topical anti-inflammatory and analgesic products

Antimicrobial effect of different extracts of Nerium oleander L on standard and clinically isolated microorganism

In folk medicine, Nerium oleander L is used as cardiotonic, diuretic and as local in treating fungal infections. In this research the antimicrobial and antifungal effects of Nerium oleander was studied. In this study, aqueous, methanol and chloroform extracts were prepared by maceration and soxhelet methods. Different concentrations of each extract were applied on standard and nosocomial microorganisms by agar dilution, disk and cylinder plate methods. Microorganisms such as S. aureus, P. aerogenosa and C. albicans were taken from blood, feces, spinal fluid, wound, vagina and so on. Cloxacillin, gentamicin and clotrimasol were used as positive controls. The results showed that, among extracts, methanol extract had significant antimicrobial and antifungal effects, which was comparable to that of standard antibiotics. Chloroform extract showed no effect. Effect of methanol extract on microorganisms was as follow; 500 mg/100 ml of extract was equal to 1mg/100ml cloxacillin on S. aureus and 2mg/100mI gentamicin on P. aerogenosa respectively. 2g/100ml of extract was equal to 0.4mg/100mI clotrimasol on C. albicans. The methanol extract of Nerium oleander exerts significant effect compare to standard drugs