The effect of intra-cerebroventricular injection of insulin on nociception of formalin test in non-diabetic and short-term diabetic rat models.

Pain is a complex process in the central nervous system (CNS). Several factors can alter the pain threshold and insulin is one of them which is produced by the beta cells of pancreas and capable of crossing blood-brain barrier. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of intra-cerebroventricular (ICV) injection of insulin on the pain response to formalin in short-term induced diabetic and non-diabetic rats. Sixty-four Sprague-Dawley male rats (280 ± 30 g) were divided into non-diabetic and diabetic groups. Diabetes was induced with streptozotocin (STZ, 60 mg/kg, i.p) for elimination of peripheral insulin. After proving diabetes, insulin (5 mU/animal, 5 µL) was injected to the left lateral cerebral ventricle while equal volume of normal saline was injected in control groups. After 10 min, formalin test was performed. Present study showed that ICV injection of insulin possessed anti-nociceptive effect in non-diabetic rats in formalin test while in diabetic rats, it did not have this effect and even decreased pain threshold partially. In conclusion we showed that ICV injection of insulin in non-diabetic rats, in contrast with diabetic rats, has an anti-nociceptive effect in formalin test. In short-term diabetic rats, ICV injection of insulin was not able to reduce pain response and partially decreased pain threshold.

The effects of probiotic, prebiotic and synbiotic diets containing Bacillus coagulans and inulin on rat intestinal microbiota.

An in vivo experiment was conducted to study the effects of probiotic Bacillus coagulans spores, with and without prebiotic, inulin, on gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota of healthy rats and its potentiality to survive in the GI tract. Forty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n=12) and fed as follows: standard diet (control), standard diet supplied with 5% w/w long chain inulin (prebiotic), standard diet with 10(9)/day spores of B. coagulans by orogastric gavage (probiotic), and standard diet with 5% w/w long chain inulin and 10(9) spores/day of B. coagulans by orogastric gavage (synbiotic). Rats were fed the diets for 30 days. At day 10, 20 and 30 of experiment, 24 h post administration, four rats from each group were randomly selected and after faecal collection were sacrificed. Small intestine, cecum, and colon were excised from each rat and used for microbial analysis. Administration of synbiotic and probiotic diets led to a significant (P<0.05) increment in lactic acid bacteria (LAB), total aerobic and total anaerobic population compared the prebiotic and control diets. A significant decrease in Enterobacteriaceae counts of various segments of GI tract (except small intestine) in synbiotic, probiotic and prebiotic fed groups were also seen. The obvious decline in spores count through passing GI tract and high surviving spore counts in faecal samples showed that spores are not a normal resident of GI microbiota and affect intestinal microbiota by temporary proliferation. In conclusion, the present study clearly showed probiotic B. coagulans was efficient in beneficially modulating GI microbiota and considering transitional characteristics of B. coagulans, daily consumption of probiotic products is necessary for any long-term effect.

Impact of estrous synchronization methods on cellular proportions in cervical mucus and serum hormone concentrations.

The objective of this study was to examine cytological changes of cervical mucus following the induction of estrus with intra-vaginal drug release (CIDR) devices in dairy cows. Sixty healthy Holstein Frisian cows, averaging 80 (+/-10) days post-partum, were selected from a commercial dairy farm around Shiraz. Cows in the control group were synchronized by the Ovsynch protocol. Cows in the second group (OV+CIDR) were subjected to the same Ovsynch protocol but in addition were administered a progesterone-releasing CIDR. Cows in the third group (OV+S-CIDR) were subjected to Ovsynch procedures but received the skeleton of a CIDR device, which did not release progesterone. Cows in the fourth group (E2+CIDR) received a progesterone releasing CIDR but were injected with estradiol benzoate. Cows in group 5 (E2+S-CIDR) received a CIDR skeleton and estrodial benzoate. CIDR devices were removed from cows in groups 2-4 and all cows were injected with PGF2alpha on day -3. Blood samples and cervical mucus discharges were collected from all cows on days -10, -3, 0 and 12 relative to AI. On the day of AI, the mean+/-S.D. percentage of neutrophils was significantly higher (p<0.05) in the S-CIDR+OV and S-CIDR+E2 groups than in Ovsynch group. Comparing the percentage of neutrophils in cervical mucus of Ovsynch group (less than 1%) with that of other treatment groups on the day of AI (from 5 to 39%) revealed the influential effect of a CIDR device on the reproductive tract. Results of the current study did not reveal hormonal effects but did identify mechanical effects of CIDRs on cell percentages in cervical mucus. The hormonal effects were probably masked by mechanical effects. Therefore, we were not able to confirm hormonal effects on proportions of different cells in cervical mucus. Consequently, additional research on hormonal effects and the mechanical effects of CIDR on the uterus is required.

Isolated lingual leishmaniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in Fars Province, southern Iran. However, mucosal leishmaniasis is extremely uncommon. Herein, we report a patient with isolated lingual leishmaniasis in an immunocompetent 40-year-old man. The lesion was totally excised. The patient was cured completely and is doing well after four years of follow-up, with no medical treatment.

Therapeutic values of different routes of administration of vitamin A with ferrous sulfate in treating deferoxamin-induced iron-deficiency anemia.

About half the pregnant women in developing countries suffer from iron-deficiency anemia. The treatment of choice for these patients includes iron compounds such as ferrous sulfate. It was recently shown that a concomitant administration of vitamin A with ferrous sulfate increases iron-induced hematopoietic effect. In the current study, the efficacy of various routes of administration of vitamin A with ferrous sulfate in deferoxamin-treated anemic rats were compared. The work reveals no difference among various routes of administration, including several alternates of oral and intramuscular injection of vitamin A and ferrous sulfate for 28 d. It was therefore concluded that the therapeutic effect of vitamin A in iron-deficiency anemia is probably not via its influence on iron absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.