Effects in rats of adolescent exposure to Cannabis sativa on emotional behavior and adipose tissue.

OBJECTIVE: Cannabis sativa L has remained the most widely used recreational and abused drug worldwide. This study determined adipose tissue histological changes and the anxiety-like behavior in elevated plus-maze tests in rats treated with C. sativa. METHODS: C. sativa L. was provided from Islamic Azad University Herbarium. To reach cannabis powder, a rotary evaporator was used. Forty-five male Wistar rats were randomly divided into three equal groups of experimental receiving 2 mg/kg of cannabis extract dissolved in 70 % ethanol in 0.6 mL volume subcutaneously daily for three weeks, the sham group subcutaneously injected with equal volume of 70 % ethanol and the control receiving just distilled water, identically. To assess the anxiety level, elevated plus maze was used. Histopathological changes in adipose tissue was evaluated after 7, 14, and 21 days post-intervention. RESULTS: After cannabis administration, inflammation, degeneration and necrosis in adipose tissue occured. Regarding the anxiety level for the percentage of time spent in open arm (OAT), the percentage of time spent in closed arm (CAT), the percentage of time spent in central parts, and head dipping over the side of the maze) after one week, no significant difference was noticed between the groups; but 2 and 3 weeks of cannabis use, the anxiety level significantly increased. CONCLUSION: Histological findings denoted to inflammation, degeneration and necrosis in adipose tissue after cannabis use. Behavioral assessment of anxiety level revealed that one week after cannabis, no changes were seen in anxiety, but 2 and 3 weeks after cannabis use, the anxiety level increased significantly (Fig. 5, Ref. 38).

First Report of Tomato mosaic virus on Common Sow Thistle in Iran.

The natural incidence of Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) in common sow thistle (Sonchus oleraceus) from vegetable fields was assessed to determine the role of this weed species as a virus inoculum source. Twenty sow thistle plants with virus-like foliar symptoms including mosaic and malformations were collected from five vegetable fields in Tehran province, Iran, and analyzed by double antibody sandwich (DAS)-ELISA for the presence of ToMV, Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV), and Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) using specific polyclonal antibodies (Agdia, Elkhart, IN). Six out of the 20 sow thistle plants tested by ELISA were infected with ToMV. This virus was detected in three of five vegetable fields surveyed, while CMV and TMV were not detected. Mosaic symptoms were associated with the ToMV infection, similar to those caused by TMV in common sow thistle in Iran (2). Viral infection was confirmed by RT-PCR using previously described specific primers to amplify a region in the coat protein gene of ToMV (3). The RT-PCR resulted in the amplification of an expected fragment of ~480 bp from ToMV-infected but not from healthy plants. The nucleotide sequence of the amplified DNA fragment was purified (GeneJET Gel Extraction Kit, Fermentas, Germany), directly sequenced, and deposited in GenBank as Accession No. KF527464. BLAST analysis showed 95 to 97% and 98 to 100% identity at the nucleotide and amino acid levels, respectively, with comparable sequences of other ToMV isolates (GenBank AF062519, FN985165, GQ280794, and JX857634). Mechanical inoculation of sow thistle plants with sap of symptomatic sow thistles reproduced symptoms of field-infected sow thistles. The presence of ToMV in the inoculated plants was confirmed by ELISA and RT-PCR. This suggested that ToMV could be the causal agent of the disease on sow thistle. In our earlier studies, the distribution and genetic diversity of ToMV isolates infecting vegetable crops and weed plants were studied (1); however, to our knowledge, this is the first report of ToMV infecting common sow thistle in Iran. References: (1) V. Aghamohammadi et al. J. Plant Pathol. 95:339, 2013. (2) A. Alishiri et al. Plant Pathol. J. 29:260, 2013. (3) B. Letschert et al. J. Virol. Methods 106:10, 2002.

Peripheral nerve surgery: the role of high-resolution MR neurography.

High-resolution MRN is becoming increasingly available due to recent technical advancements, including higher magnetic field strengths (eg, 3T), 3D image acquisition, evolution of novel fat-suppression methods, and improved coil design. This review describes the MRN techniques for obtaining high-quality images of the peripheral nerves and their small branches and imaging findings in normal as well as injured nerves with relevant intraoperative correlations. Various microsurgical techniques in peripheral nerves, such as neurolysis, nerve repairs by using nerve grafts, and conduits are discussed, and MRN findings of surgically treated nerves are demonstrated.