Involvement of nitric oxide pathway in the acute anticonvulsant effect of melatonin in mice

Melatonin, the major hormone produced by the pineal gland, is shown to have anticonvulsant effects. Nitric oxide (NO) is a known mediator in seizure susceptibility modulation. In the present study, the involvement of NO pathway in the anticonvulsant effect of melatonin in pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced clonic seizures was investigated in mice. Acute intraperitoneal administration of melatonin (40 and 80 mg/kg) significantly increased the clonic seizure threshold induced by intravenous administration of PTZ. This effect was observed as soon as 1 min after injection and lasted for 30 min with a peak effect at 3 min after melatonin administration. Combination of per se non-effective doses of melatonin (10 and 20 mg/kg) and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) substrate L-arginine (30, 60 mg/kg) showed a significant anticonvulsant activity. This effect was reversed by NOS inhibitor N(G)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME, 30 mg/kg), implying an NO-dependent mechanism for melatonin effect. Pretreatment with L-NAME (30 mg/kg) and N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA, 10 mg/kg) inhibited the anticonvulsant property of melatonin (40 and 80 mg/kg) and melatonin 40 mg/kg, respectively. Specific inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor aminoguanidine (100 and 300 mg/kg) did not affect the anticonvulsant effect of melatonin, excluding the role of iNOS in this phenomenon, while pretreatment of with 7-NI (50 mg/kg), a preferential neuronal NOS inhibitor, reversed this effect. The present data show an anticonvulsant effect for melatonin in i.v. PTZ seizure paradigm, which may be mediated via NO/L-arginine pathway by constitutively expressed NOS.     

Comparison of dapoxetine versus paroxetine in patients with premature ejaculation: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, fixed-dose, randomized study

PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety of dapoxetine, paroxetine, and placebo for the oral pharmacotherapy of premature ejaculation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Three hundred forty potent men with premature ejaculation were recruited to this study. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 60 mg dapoxetine (group 1, n = 115), or 20 mg paroxetine (group 2, n = 113) or placebo (group 3, n = 112) orally daily during a 12-week period for each agent. The efficacy of the 3 treatments was assessed every 2 weeks during treatment and at the end of study using responses to International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) evaluation, mean intercourse satisfaction domain, mean weekly coitus episodes and adverse drug effects. RESULTS: At the end of the 12-week treatment with dapoxetine, paroxetine, and placebo, the mean IELT was increased from 38, 31 and 34 seconds to 179, 370 and 55 seconds, respectively (P = 0.01 in group 1 and P = 0.001 in group 2). Baseline mean intercourse satisfaction domain values of International Index of Erectile Function of 10, 11, and 11 reached 14, 17 and 12 at the end of the 12-week treatment in groups 1, 2, and 3 respectively (P = 0.03 in groups 1, 2). The mean weekly intercourse episodes increased from pretreatment values of 1.4, 1.3, and 1.3 to 2.2, 2.5 and 1.4, for dapoxetine, paroxetine and placebo, respectively (P = 0.04 in groups 1, 2). The incidence of adverse effects with dapoxetine and paroxetine was significantly higher (P = 0.04 in groups 1, 2) compared to that of placebo. CONCLUSIONS: Paroxetine appears to provide significantly better results in terms of IELT and intercourse satisfaction versus dapoxetine. Each treatment was well tolerated.     

Prompt reversal of a severe complement activation by eculizumab in a patient undergoing intentional ABO‐incompatible pancreas and kidney transplantation

Summary We describe the presumably first intentional ABO‐incompatible deceased‐donor kidney and pancreas transplantation with a severe antibody‐mediated rejection during a rebound of isoagglutinins. Rejection was successfully treated with eculizumab, which inhibits the terminal pathway of complement. Complement analysis (C3, C3d,g, and a modified assay of classical complement‐related hemolytic function) documented complement activation and confirmed that eculizumab completely blocked complement function. At 6 months, the patient had normal kidney and pancreas function, and histological evaluations revealed no evidence of sustained graft damage. This successful transplantation suggests that ABO barriers can safely be overcome without extensive preconditioning, when the complement inhibitor eculizumab is included.     

Modified retro-tubercle opening-wedge versus conventional high tibial osteotomy

Despite the fact that common surgical techniques for the treatment of genu varum usually correct the malalignment in the affected knee, these methods have significant complications and cause problems in the long term. Retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy is among the newer techniques for the treatment of genu varum. The goal of this study was to compare the results of retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy with those of medial opening-wedge osteotomy. In a randomized, controlled trial, 72 patients with varus knees who were scheduled for surgery were assigned into either the retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy (n=34) or medial opening-wedge osteotomy groups (n=38). Groups were matched for age and sex. The position of the patella was compared with respect to the tuberosity and the upper tibial slope pre- and postoperatively. Patients were followed for an average of 13 months (range, 10-21 months). In the retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy group, the length of the patellar tendon did not significantly differ pre- and postoperatively (P≥.5); however, in the medial opening-wedge osteotomy group, a statistically significant shortening was noted in patellar tendon postoperatively (P≤.05). Similarly, the tibial plateau inclination showed a statistically significant difference postoperatively in the medial opening-wedge osteotomy group, while the difference in the retro-tubercle opening-wedge high tibial osteotomy group did not reach statistical significance.     

Study of short-pulse laser propagation in biological tissue by means of the boundary element method

Propagation of short pulses of light through biological tissues can be studied by numerically solving the diffusion equation. The boundary integral method was used to convert the differential equation to integral form and the result was solved using the boundary element method. The effects of different optical parameters of the tissue, i.e. scattering, absorption coefficients and anisotropic factor, on temporal evolution of the diffusely reflected pulse were studied. The results were compared with those obtained using the finite difference time domain method and the boundary integral method was found to be more precise and faster than the last method. The method can be used to investigate reflected pulses in the study of cell morphology and tumours in different types of tissue.     

Trauma care system in Iran

Objective

The high burden of injuries in Iran necessitates the establishment of a comprehensive trauma care system. The purpose of this paper is to describe the current status of trauma system regarding the components and function.

Methods

The current status of trauma system in all components of a trauma system was described through expert panels and semi-structured interviews with trauma specialists and policy makers.

Results

Currently, various organizations are involved in prevention, management and rehabilitation of injuries, but an integrative system approach to trauma is rather deficient. There has been ongoing progress in areas of public education through media, traffic regulation reinforcement, hospital care and prehospital services. Meanwhile, there are gaps regarding financing, legislations and education of high risk groups. The issues on education and training standards of the front line medical team and continuing education and evaluation are yet to be addressed. Trauma registry has been piloted in some provinces, but as it needs the well-developed infrastructure (regarding staff, maintenance, financial resources), it is not yet established in our system of trauma care.

Conclusions

It seems that one of the problems with trauma care in Iran is lack of coordination among trauma system organizations. Although the clinical management of trauma patients has improved in our country in the recent decade, decreasing the burden of injuries necessitates an organized approach to prevention and management of trauma in the context of a trauma system.     

Effect of bilateral median nerve excision on sciatic functional index in rat: an applicable animal model for autologous nerve grafting

Autologous nerve graft is still the treatment of choice in peripheral nerve injury when end-to-end nerve repair is not possible. The sciatic nerve is the most widely used nerve in rat experimental studies. To assess the possibility of using the rat median nerve as a delayed animal autologous nerve graft model in nerve regeneration studies, the effect of median nerve excision on the sciatic functional index (SFI) was evaluated. Thirty rats were distributed into three equal groups: in the sciatic and median nerve excision (SMNE) group, 10 mm of the right sciatic nerve was excised and 5 mm of both median nerves were excised a week later; in the median nerve excision (MNE) group, 5 mm of both median nerves were excised (both sciatic nerves remained intact); in the control group, no intervention was performed. SFI was calculated before and after each intervention. There was no significant difference between mean SFI values calculated before and after median nerve excision in SMNE (-86.8 versus -88.4, P = 0.61) and MNE groups (-3.9 versus -3.3, P = 0.93). Therefore, it may be suggested that median nerve excision does not affect SFI measurements in intact and/or completely injured sciatic nerve, which may propose the median nerve as an autologous donor nerve graft model in rats.     

Modifiable Risk of Breast Cancer in Northeast Iran: Hope for the Future. A Case-Control Study

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. Its prevalence is increasing annually by 2%. The determination of modifiable risk factors has been the subject of various studies. The aim of this study was to determine risk factors of breast cancer in women in Golestan Province. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This case-control study was conducted among women with breast cancer recorded in the cancer registry system between 2004 and 2006 (n = 134), and their age-matched healthy neighbors (n = 133). Data were statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Age at marriage, menarche and pregnancy, breast feeding, positive family history, marital status, and educational level were not significantly correlated with risk of breast cancer, but age at menopause (< 46.6 years) was significantly correlated (95% confidence interval 1.15-7.37; p = 0.021). Live births, still births, and infant deaths were not significantly different between the 2 groups. For other variables, such as smoking history, no odds ratio was calculated. CONCLUSION: Results show that there is no significant correlation between variables and risk of breast cancer in our population, except for age at menopause. A large cohort study is recommended.     

The preventative analgesic effect of preincisional peritonsillar infiltration of two low doses of ketamine for postoperative pain relief in children following adenotonsillectomy. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study

Background:  In literature, the use of ketamine for the preventative analgesia in the management of postoperative pain is controversial. The purpose of the present study was the clinical assessment of the efficacy of preincisional peritonsillar infiltration of two doses of ketamine on postoperative pain relief compared with peritonsillar saline in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.
Methods/materials:  Seventy-five ASA physical status I and II patients, aged 3–12 years, scheduled for adenotonsillectomy were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients were divided into three groups of 25 each and received a local peritonsillar infiltration of 0.9% saline (group S), ketamine 0.5 mg·kg⁻¹ (group K1), or ketamine 1 mg·kg⁻¹ (group K2). All medications were 2 ml in volume which was applied 1 ml per tonsil 3 min prior to tonsillectomy. The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Pain Scale (CHEOPS) and Wilson sedation scale were used to evaluate pain levels and sedative conditions, respectively.
Results:  Group S had significantly higher CHEOPS scores than group K1 and K2. Both K1 and K2 groups had comparable scores, which were not statistically significant ( P  > 0.05). During 24 h after surgery, 16 patients in group S and no patients in groups K1 or K2 needed analgesics ( P  <   0.001).
Conclusions:  A 0.5 or 1 mg·kg⁻¹ dose of ketamine given at approximately 3 min before surgery by peritonsillar infiltration provides efficient pain relief during 24 h after surgery without side-effects in children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.     

Evolution of endoscopic management of ectopic ureterocele: a new approach

PURPOSE: We report the evolution of endoscopic treatment of ectopic ureteroceles from the unroofing technique to a novel approach using concomitant ureterocele double puncture and intraureterocele fulguration. We also compare the results of different endoscopic modalities at a single center. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed the records of 46 children with ectopic ureteroceles who were treated endoscopically between 1995 and 2005. The patients were divided into 2 main groups. Group 1 included 17 patients who underwent common endoscopic treatments, including ureterocele incision (4 patients), single ureterocele puncture (4), and single puncture with insertion of a Double-J stent (9). Group 2 included 29 children who underwent ureterocele double puncture and fulguration of the anterior and posterior walls of the collapsed ureterocele after insertion of a Double-J stent into both punctured sites. We also managed concomitant vesicoureteral reflux by endoscopic injection of tricalcium phosphate ceramic into the subureteral region. RESULTS: Total success rates in group 1 were 0%, 25% and 33% in patients who underwent ureterocele incision, single ureterocele puncture and single puncture with insertion of a stent, respectively. Total success rate in group 2 was 90% (p<0.05). New onset vesicoureteral reflux developed in 8 patients (47%) in group 1, of which 6 were in ureterocele moieties, and in 8 patients (28%) in group 2, with none in a ureterocele moiety (p<0.01). A total of 13 patients (76%) in group 1 required open surgical intervention, compared to 3 (10%) in group 2 (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: This new endoscopic approach is highly effective in the treatment of children with ectopic ureteroceles.