Nitric oxide and peroxynitrite serum levels in Parkinson's disease: correlation of oxidative stress and the severity of the disease.

BACKGROUND: Nitric oxide (NO) and its toxic product peroxynitrite contribute to oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in Parkinson's disease (PD). The relationship of serum levels of these oxidants with the severity of the disease [evaluated by the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS)] is not established. AIM: This study was designed to evaluate whether patients with PD had higher NO and peroxynitrite serum level or not. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty eight patients with PD and 15 healthy volunteers entered this study. The concentrations of serum NO and peroxynitrite were assayed and their correlation with the UPDRS score was assessed. RESULTS: Mean serum NO levels in patient group was 29.8 ± 21.631 versus 7.49 ± 2.573 in control group, which was significantly higher in patients (p ≤ 0.0001). Peroxynitrite levels in patient and control groups were 7.37±3.501 µmol/L and 3.94 ±1.389 µmol/L respectively. Patients had a significantly higher peroxynitrite level (p = 0.0004). CONCLUSIONS: Higher levels of NO and peroxynitrite leads to higher UPDRS scores. It seems since current PD treatments do not affect the pathology of the disease, using drugs that exert neuroprotective properties should be considered for the treatment of PD in order to prevent further neuronal cell loss.  

Multislice CT urography: state of the art.

Recent improvements in helical CT hardware and software have provided imagers with the tools to obtain an increasingly large number of very thin axial images. As a result, a number of new applications for multislice CT have recently been developed, one of which is CT urography. The motivation for performing CT urography is the desire to create a single imaging test that can completely assess the kidneys and urinary tract for urolithiasis, renal masses and mucosal abnormalities of the renal collecting system, ureters and bladder. Although the preferred technique for performing multislice CT urography has not yet been determined and results are preliminary, early indications suggest that this examination can detect even subtle benign and malignant urothelial abnormalities and that it has the potential to completely replace excretory urography within the next several years. An important limitation of multislice CT urography is increased patient radiation exposure encountered when some of the more thorough recommended techniques are utilized.

Melissa officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy and safety of Melissa officinalis extract using a fixed dose (60 drops/day) in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. DESIGN: A four month, parallel group, placebo controlled trial undertaken in three centres in Tehran, Iran. METHODS: Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease aged between 65 and 80 years (n = 42; 18 women, 24 men) with a score of >or= 12 on the cognitive subscale of Alzheimer's disease assessment scale (ADAS-cog) and

Salvia officinalis extract in the treatment of patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease: a double blind, randomized and placebo-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Alzheimer's disease is characterized by a slow, progressive decline in cognitive function and behaviour. Acetylcholine esterase inhibitors are the only agents approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. All other agents prescribed for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease are used on an off-label basis. Current research into new drugs is focused on agents that will prevent, slow down and/or halt the progress of the disease process. Salvia officinalis has been used in herbal medicine for many centuries. It has been suggested, on the basis of traditional medicine, its in vitro cholinergic binding properties and modulation of mood and cognitive performance in humans, that Salvia officinalis might potentially provide a novel natural treatment for Alzheimer's disease. The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of Salvia officinalis extract using a fixed dose (60 drops/day), in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease, over a 4-month period. METHODS: This was a 4-month, parallel group, placebo-controlled trial undertaken in three centres in Tehran, Iran. Patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease aged between 65 and 80 years (n = 42, 18 women) with a score of > or = 12 on the cognitive subscale of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-cog) and < or = 2 on the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) were randomized to placebo or fixed dose of S. officinalis extract. Over the 16 weeks, the main efficacy measures were the change in the ADAS-cog and CDR-Sum of Boxes scores compared with baseline. In addition, side-effects were systematically recorded throughout the study using a checklist. RESULTS: At 4 months, S. officinalis extract produced a significant better outcome on cognitive functions than placebo (ADAS-cog: F = 4.77, d.f. = 1, P = 0.03) (CDR-SB: F = 10.84, d.f. = 1, P < 0.003). There were no significant differences in the two groups in terms of observed side-effects except agitation that appears to be more frequent in the placebo group (P = 0.09). CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate the efficacy of S. officinalis extract in the management of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Moreover, S. officinalis may well reduce agitation of patients but this needs to be confirmed.