Comparing the Effect of Intranasal Lidocaine 4% with Peppermint Essential Oil Drop 1.5% on Migraine Attacks: A Double-Blind Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: Prevalence of migraine, as a chronic neurovascular disorder, was approximately 10.3 and 23.1% among men and women, respectively, mostly in people younger than 40 years old. Migraine is prevalent in different geographic areas worldwide. The present study was designed to compare the impact of intranasal lidocaine 4% and peppermint essential oil drop 1.5% on migraine attacks. METHODS: In this double-blind, parallel, randomized controlled trial, 120 adult patients with a diagnosis of migraine based on the International Headache Society criteria were treated with intranasal lidocaine drop 4% or peppermint essential oil drop 1.5% or placebo. Patients expressed their symptoms 5 and 15 min after dripping, and if they still had a headache after 15 min, they were given the second dose. Patients with a second dose of medication, 15 min later recorded their headache rate. All patients recorded their symptoms after 30 min. Symptoms of the patients were followed by a researcher through the phone and in-person after 2 months. Then, the questionnaires were filled. RESULTS: In the present study, there was a significant difference among groups in headache intensity after treatment (P < 0.001). In 40% of the patients in the peppermint oil and lidocaine groups, the intensity of headache decreased. In the placebo group, fewer patients responded highly to the treatment, whereas 41.5% of patients in the lidocaine group and 42.1% of patients in the peppermint oil group responded to the treatment considerably. CONCLUSIONS: Concerning the findings of the present study, nasal application of peppermint oil caused considerable reduction in the intensity and frequency of headache and relieved majority of patients' pain similar to lidocaine. On the basis of findings of this study, it can be concluded that nasal menthol, such as lidocaine, can be used to relieve migraine headaches.

Bioactivity-guided isolation of new antiproliferative compounds from Juniperus foetidissima Willd.

Based on a literature survey on cytotoxic medicinal plants, Juniper species were identified as interesting source of antitumor compounds. Using bioassay-guided fractionation against Caov-4 cancer cells on acetone extract of leaves and branchlets of Juniperus foetidissima led to the isolation of a new 3H-benzofuaran-2-one: 4-methyl-3-methoxy-3H-benzofuaran-2-one (1), a new sesquiterpene: 4,9(α)-dihydroxy-nardosin-6-en (2) and an already known labdane-type diterpene: 15-hydroxy-8(17),13(E)-labdadiene-19-carboxilic acid (3). Compounds 1-3 exhibited cytotoxic effects, with moderate cytotoxicity against the EJ-138 bladder and CAOV-4 ovary cancer cell lines.

Association of glomerular C4d deposition with various demographic data in IgA nephropathy patients; a preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most prevalent primary chronic glomerulopathy worldwide. Thus, it is of vital importance to search for factors aggravating the disease progress, monitor disease activity and predict disease-specific therapy. C4d is a well-known biomarker of the complement cascade with a potential to meet the above needs. OBJECTIVES: The aim of our study was, therefore, to determine whether C4d staining at the time of kidney biopsy had any correlation with the demographic, clinical and biochemical variables in IgAN. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The definition of IgAN requires the presence of diffuse and global IgA deposits which were graded ≥2+ and weak C1q deposition. C4d immunohistochemical staining was conducted retrospectively on 29 renal biopsies of patients with IgAN, which were selected randomly from all biopsies. C4d immunohistochemical staining was performed on 3-µm deparaffinized and rehydrated sections of formaldehyde-fixed, paraffin-embedded renal tissues. RESULTS: Of 29 selected patients, 68% were male. In this study, 54.2±25 percent of glomeruli in all biopsies were positive for C4d. The mean and standard deviation (SD) of serum creatinine and the magnitude of proteinuria were 1.72±1.2 mg/dl and 1582±1214 mg/day, respectively. In this study, we observed statistically significant correlations of percent C4d positivity with the serum creatinine (r=0.61, p=0.0005), magnitude of proteinuria (r=0.72, p=0.0001), the proportion of globally sclerotic glomeruli (r=0.43, p=0.02) and the proportion of tubulointerstitial fibrosis (r=0.54, p=0.0023). CONCLUSIONS: The results from our investigation on C4d positivity in biopsy-proven cases of IgAN are in accord with some of the previous studies. These findings, however, require further validation in larger samples.

Clinicopathological correlations in lupus nephritis; a single center experience.

BACKGROUND: Renal biopsies play an important role in the diagnosis, management and prognosis of patients with lupus nephritis (LN). OBJECTIVES: To determine the correlation between the pathological features of LN and the demographic, clinical and laboratory parameters. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted from 2008 to 2014 on all consecutive cases of biopsy-proven LN at a nephropathology laboratory in Iran. The demographic, clinical and laboratory data were obtained from patients(') files and the biopsy findings from the original biopsy request forms. RESULTS: Of the 84 patients enrolled, 69 (82.2%) were females and 15 (17.8%) males. The mean age was 32.7±12 years. The mean serum creatinine was 1.5±0.94 mg/dl and the mean 24-h proteinuria, 1.6±1.9 grams. The majority of cases belonged to classes III and IV. The extracapillary proliferation was found in 42.86% of biopsies and endocapillary proliferation in 66.67% of biopsies. Patients of class IV-LN had a higher mean serum value of creatinine in comparison to class III-LN (2.19±1.09 versus 1.2±0.56 mg/dl; p= 0.0001). There was no significant difference of 24-h proteinuria between the two classes (p= 0.882). A significant association of serum creatinine with 24-h proteinuria (p= 0.041) was seen. Serum creatinine had significant positive correlation with activity percent (p< 0.001), and chronicity percent (p= 0.006), and also with proportion of glomeruli with crescents (p < 0.001). While there was a significant relationship of proteinuria with chronicity percent (p= 0.001), this association for activity percent was not significant (p= 0.094). Furthermore, the association of proteinuria with totally sclerotic glomeruli and proportion of crescents was not statistically significant (p= 0.186 and p= 0.0145 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, the results from our study on biopsy-proven cases of LN largely concur with the previously reported studies from Iran and other parts of the world.

The protective effects of Ziziphus vulgaris L. fruits on biochemical and histological abnormalities induced by diabetes in rats.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus arises from a deficient production and action of insulin. Ziziphus vulgaris L. (jujube) is a medicinal plant that is known to have anti-diabetic actions. The aim of the present study was to investigate the protective effects of jujube fruit powder and extract against biochemical imbalances in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes. METHODS: Diabetes was induced in rats using intraperitoneal injection of STZ at a dose of 60 mg/kg body weight (bw). Jujube powder (1 g/kg bw) and extract (1 g/kg bw) were administered daily via gavage, from two weeks prior to three weeks after STZ injection. Serum concentrations of glucose, insulin, and lipids and histological changes of the pancreas tissue were assessed at the end of study. RESULTS: The kaempferol content of jujube extract was found to be 0.013 ± 0.0005% (w/w). Two weeks of supplementation with jujube powder resulted in a significant reduction of serum glucose levels compared with the non-diabetic control group prior to STZ treatment. Both jujube preparations prevented serum insulin decrease following STZ treatment, increased antioxidant capacity, and reduced total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, and malondialdehyde levels. Jujube powder reduced serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and C-reactive protein concentrations while jujube extract had no effect on these parameters. Histopathological examination revealed a significant attenuation of pancreatic inflammation in the jujube-treated animals. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings suggest a protective role of jujube supplementation, in particular in the powdered form, against diabetes-induced biochemical and histopathological abnormalities.