Single-dose intravenous sodium valproate (Depakine) versus dexamethasone for the treatment of acute migraine headache: a double-blind randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVE: Migraine headache is a chronic and disabling condition in adults. Some studies have investigated the efficacy of sodium valproate in the treatment of acute migraine, but the effectiveness and tolerability of intravenous valproate as abortive therapy remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of sodium valproate and dexamethasone in the treatment of acute migraine. METHODS: We conducted a double-blind randomized clinical trial including 90 patients aged 18 to 65 years with acute migraine headache but no aura. Patients were randomized to receive intravenous dexamethasone (8 mg) or sodium valproate (400 mg) diluted into 4 mL of normal saline. The primary outcome measure was pain relief after 0.5, 1, 3, or 6 hours after administration. The secondary outcome criteria were the associated symptom recovery, rate of headache recurrence after 24 hours, and medication side effects. Pearson’s chi square and the t-test were employed in the data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 90 patients, 80 were investigated. The percentage of headache improvement at 0.5 hours after treatment was 55% and 67.5% in the sodium valproate and dexamethasone groups, respectively. Before-treatment and 0.5 hour after treatment pain severity visual analog scale scores were 9.05±0.90 and 3.8±3.09 in the sodium valproate group and 8.92±0.79 and 3.10±2.73 in the dexamethasone group, respectively. There were no significant intergroup differences. CONCLUSION: This randomized clinical trial showed that the intravenous injection of sodium valproate 400 mg has similar effects to those of dexamethasone for improving acute migraine headache.

Condition medium of cerebrospinal fluid and retinoic acid induces the transdifferentiation of human dental pulp stem cells into neuroglia and neural like cells / 대한해부학회지

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) contains several molecules which are essential for neurogenesis. Human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) are putatively neural crest cell-derived that can differentiate into neurons and glial cells under appropriate neurotrophic factors. The aim of this study was to induce differentiation of hDPSCs into neuroglial phenotypes using retinoic acid (RA) and CSF. The hDPSCs from an impacted third molar were isolated by mechanical and digestion and cultured. The cells have treated by 10⁻⁷µM RA (RA group) for 8 days, 10% CSF (CSF group) for 8 days and RA with CSF for 8 days (RA/CSF group). Nestin, microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP2), and glial fibrillary acidic protein immunostaining were used to examine the differentiated cells. Axonal outgrowth was detected using Bielschowsky's silver impregnation method and Nissl bodies were stained in differentiated cells by Cresyl violet. The morphology of differentiated cells in treated groups was significantly changed after 3–5 days. The results of immunocytochemistry showed the presence of neuroprogenitor marker nestin was seen in all groups. However, the high percentage of nestin positive cells and MAP2, as mature neural markers, were observed at the pre-induction and induction stage, respectively. Nissl bodies were detected as dark-blue particles in the cytoplasm of treated cells. Our findings showed the RA as pre-inducer and CSF as inducer for using in vitro differentiation of neuron-like cells and neuroglial cells from hDPSCs.

effect of alpha-lipoic acid on learning and memory deficit in a rat model of temporal lobe epilepsy

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disorder in which patients experience spontaneous recurrent seizures and deficiency in learning and memory. Although the most commonly recommended therapy is drug treatment, some patients do not achieve adequate control of their seizures on existing drugs. New medications with novel mechanisms of action are needed to help those patients whose seizures are resistant to currently-available drugs. While alphalipoic acid as a antioxidant has some neuroprotective properties, but this action has not been investigated in models of epilepsy. Therefore, the protective effect of pretreatment with alpha-lipoic acid was evaluated in experimental model of temporal lobe epilepsy in male rats. In the present study, Wistar male rats were injected intrahippocampally with 0.9% saline[Sham-operated group], kainic acid[4 micro g] alone, or alpha-lipoic acid [25mg and 50mg/kg] in association with kainic acid[4 micro g]. We performed behavior monitoring[spontaneous seizure, learning and memory by Y-maze and passive avoidance test], intracranial electroencepholography [iEEG] recording, histological analysis, to evaluate the anti- epilepsy effect of alpha-lipoic acid in kainate-induced epileptic rats. Behavior data showed that the kainate rats exhibit spontaneous seizures, lower spontaneous alternation score inY-maze tasks [p<0.01], impaired retention and recall capability in the passive avoidance test [p<0.05]. Administration of alpha-lipoic acid, in both doses, significantly decrease the number of spontaneous seizures, improved alternation score in Y-maze task [p<0.005] and impaired retention and recall capability in the passive avoidance test [p<0.01] in kainite rats. Moreover, lipoic acid could improve the lipid peroxidation and nitrite level and superoxid dismutase activity. This study indicates that lipoic acid pretreatment attenuates kainic acid-induced impairment of short-term spatial memory in rats probably due to its antioxidant activity

Varenicline ameliorates learning and memory deficits in amyloid beta[25-35] rat model of Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's disease [AD] is a enfeeble neurodegenerative disorder characterized by increased beta-amyloid [Abeta] deposition and neuronal dysfunction leading to impaired learning and recall. Among proposed risk factors, impaired cholinergic transmission is a main cause for incidence of disease. In the present study, effects of the intracerebroventricularly administration of an agonist of nicotinic cholinergic receptors, varenicline[0.5 and 2 microg/microl], on learning and memory impairments induced by intrahippocampal Abeta[25-35] injection was assessed in rats. The results showed that the intrahippocampal Abeta[25-35] injected rats exhibit lower spontaneous alternation score inY-maze tasks [p<0.05], impaired retention and recall capability in the passive avoidance test [p<0.05], and fewer correct choices [p<0.001] and more errors[p<0.001] in the RAM task. Varenicline, almost in both doses, significantly improved alternation score in Y-maze task [p<0.001], impaired retention and recall capability in the passive avoidance test [p<0.05], and correct choices in the RAM task [p<0.001]. This study indicates that varenicline pretreatment attenuates Abeta- induced impairment of short-term spatial memory in rats probably due to its agonist activity at nicotinic receptors.