Protection by Ziziphora clinopoides of acetic acid-induced toxic bowel inflammation through reduction of cellular lipid peroxidation and myeloperoxidase activity

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic condition of the intestine with unknown etiology involving multiple immune, genetic and environmental factors. We were interested in examining the effect of a total extract from Ziziphora clinopoides, an Iranian folk herbal medicine, in the prevention and control of experimental mouse IBD. Z. clinopoides was administered (75, 150, 300 mg/kg) through drinking water to mice, which dispensed a toxic dose of acetic acid intrarectally. Prednisolone was used as the standard drug for comparison. Biochemical, macroscopic and microscopic examinations of the colon were performed. Biochemical evaluation of the inflamed colon was carried out using assays of myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and thiobarbituric acid reacting substances (TBARS) as indicators of free radical activity and cellular lipid peroxidation. Results indicated that the activity of MPO and lipid peroxidation products (TBARS) increased in acetic acid-treated groups, while recovered by pretreatment of animals with Z. clinopoides (75-300 mg/kg) and prednisolone. All doses of Z. clinopoides and prednisolone-treated groups showed significant lower score values of macroscopic and microscopic characters when compared to the acetic acid-treated group. The beneficial effect of Z. clinopoides (300 mg/kg) was comparable to that of prednisolone. It is concluded that Z. clinopoides inhibits acetic acid toxic reactions in the mouse bowel through inhibition of cellular oxidative stress. Proper clinical investigation should be carried out to confirm the same activity in human.     

Pathologic characteristics and treatment of lobular capillary hemangioma (pyogenic granuloma) in a Holstein calf

Lobular capillary hemangioma (LCH or pyogenic granuloma) is a benign vascular proliferation. It has features of a capillary hemangioma with a circumscribed aggregation of capillaries arranged in one or more lobules. It occurs in humans and rarely in animals. The present report describes pathologic findings of a pyogenic granuloma occurence on the mandibular gingiva of a Holstein calf. Grossly, the mass was polyploidy, reddish- to brown-colored, and pedunculated with an ulcerated surface that covered with a layer of white to yellow exudate. Histopathologic examination revealed characteristic lobular proliferation capillaries in a loose stroma. The stroma was formed from numerous fibroblasts, fibrocytes, and slender collagen fibers. It was edematous with scattered of mononuclear cells. Infiltration of neutrophils were visible adjust to the ulcerated area. Remarkable involution was seen after washing with povidone iodine 1%. This tumorlike lesion was diagnosed as LCH based on gross appearance, histopathologic features, and treatment by mouthwash povidone iodine.     

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy in Iranian patients

We determined the frequency of clinical thyroid ophthalmopathy in Iranian patients. This cross-sectional study was performed at the Endocrinology Institute of Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All patients with documented thyroid disorders from September 2003 to July 2005 were recruited. Eye examinations included evaluation of soft tissue changes, measurement of proptosis, lid width, lagophthalmos, evaluation of eye muscle function, and determination of visual acuity. The activity of ophthalmopathy was scored according to the NOSPECS scale. Among 851 visited patients, 303 cases had thyroid eye disease (TED). The nature of the ophthalmopathy breaks down as follows: 53.4% were hypothyroid (9.3% Hashimoto disease), 5.5% euthyroid and 41.1% had Graves' disease. The prevalence of TED in males was 60% which was nearly 2 times the prevalence of TED in females. There was a significant relationship between presentation of TED and active smoking of the patients (P<0.0001) while no significant relationship with passive smoking was obtained (P=0.181). The most common clinical sign of TED in descending order respectively were proptosis with 63.4%, soft tissue involvement (40.9%), extraocular muscle involvement (22.1%), corneal involvement (12.9%) and optic nerve dysfunction (6.3%). Myasthenia gravis occurred in only 2 patients. In the logistic regression, occurrence of TED was influenced by cardiovascular disease (OR=5.346), Graves' disease (OR=47.507), radioiodine therapy (OR=2.590), and anti-thyroid medications (OR=0.650). Thyroid ophtalmopathy (orbitopathy) is a matter of important health concern among patients with thyroid disorder. Since TED occurred with a high prevalence in all thyroid states, a close collaboration between endocrinologists and ophthalmologists along with timely referrals of patients with any eye complaint is deemed necessary. Also smoking was the most important risk factor for developing TED. Therefore, it is advisable to raise awareness and to strongly encourage smokers with thyroid disorders to quit smoking.     

The nonadrenergic noncholinergic-mediated relaxation of corpus cavernosum was impaired in chronic lithium-treated rats: improvement with l-arginine

One-third of lithium-treated men complain from sexual dysfunction, although the exact mechanisms of which are not yet known. In this study we investigated the effect of chronic lithium (LiCl, 600 mg/l for 30 days) administration on the neurogenic relaxation of isolated rat corpus cavernosum. The corporal strips were precontracted with phenylephrine and electrical field stimulation (EFS) was applied to obtain relaxation. Relaxation to EFS was significantly (P<0.001) impaired in LiCl-treated rats. The nitric oxide (NO) synthase inhibitor Nomega-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME; 100 microM) inhibited the relaxation to EFS in both LiCl-treated and control rats. The NO precursor l-arginine, at per se noneffective concentration (0.1 mM), significantly (P<0.001) enhanced the EFS-induced relaxation of LiCl-treated corporal strips. The relaxation responses to the NO donor sodium nitroprusside were similar between two groups. These data demonstrate that chronic lithium treatment could impair the NO-mediated neurogenic relaxation of rat corpus cavernosum which could be prevented by l-arginine.     

Cokeromyces recurvatus in a cervical papanicolaou test: A case report of a rare fungus with a brief review of the literature

Here we report a rare case of Cokeromyces recurvatus in a Pap test in an asymptomatic pregnant patient. Each liquid‐based Pap slide contained multiple rounded yeast‐like forms measuring 10‐30 µm including some profiles with peripheral small buds. The background had neither epithelial abnormality nor any significant inflammation. A positive silver stain aided in confirming a fungal organism. Rare fungi were considered including Paracoccidioides brasiliensis due to the ‘mariner's wheel’ morphology of forms with peripheral budding; however, the final report morphologically favored C. recurvatus which was subsequently confirmed by culture. This is the sixth report of C. recurvatus isolated at a gynecologic site. While C. recurvatus has been reported to cause invasive disease in immunocompromised patients at deep sites, in the gynecologic tract it has so far been reported as a non‐pathogenic colonizer. Awareness of this organism and use of either culture or molecular diagnostics are important in avoiding misdiagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2016;44:419–421. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Assessment of expression of RELN signaling pathway in multiple sclerosis patients

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease of the central nervous system. Nearly 85% of MS patients are recognized with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), a typical clinical course of disease which is distinguished by several episodes of relapses, separated by remissions of neurological impairment. Failure of repair mechanisms is a main factor in progression of neurological dysfunction in MS. Several lines of evidence suggest that Reelin (RELN) signaling pathway can contribute in the regulation of repair mechanisms in MS patients. In the present study, we assessed expression levels of RELN and Disabled-1 (DAB1), two key genes in RELN signaling pathway, in peripheral blood of 50 RRMS patients and 50 matched healthy subjects. RELN was significantly down-regulated in total MS patients, and total female patients compared with the matched controls. However, no statistically significant difference was found in DAB1 mRNA expression between MS patients and controls. Furthermore, considerable correlations were detected between expression levels of RELN and DAB1 in the patients group. There were no significant correlations between expression levels of genes and EDSS, disease duration or age at onset. Our study provides evidences for the role of RELN signaling pathway in the pathogenesis of MS. Further studies are required to clarify the exact clinical significance of this pathway in MS patients.     

Dental innervation and CGRP in adult p75-deficient mice

Adult dental tissues have unusual neurotrophin biology. Pulpal fibroblasts express nerve growth factor (NGF) and the low-affinity p75 neurotrophin receptor, their sensory nerve fibers express p75 and trk A, and pulpal sympathetic fibers lack p75. Following tooth injury, there is increased pulpal NGF, sprouting of sensory nerve endings, and increased immunoreactivity for the sensory neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). In the present study, we have analyzed tooth structure and innervation of pulp and periodontal ligament in young (6–8 weeks, 3 months) and older (5–12 months) adult mice carrying a null mutation in the p75 gene and compared the results with those of age-matched wild-type controls. Our hypotheses were that tooth structure would be abnormal and that pulpal innervation would be greatly reduced because it consists primarily of nociceptive fibers that have been found to be severely depleted in skin of p75^−/− mice. Tissues were fixed, X-rayed for gross dental morphology, decalcified, and analyzed for immunoreactivity for CGRP and for a general nerve marker, protein gene product 9.5. Radiographs showed worn-down molar crowns in p75-deficient mice. Light microscopy confirmed the accelerated molar wear and showed intense CGRP immunoreactivity in pulp nerve endings of mutant mice, compared with a gradual decrease in CGRP intensity in controls during normal aging. The CGRP intensity in 5–12-month-old pairs of mice was threefold greater in the mutants (P < 0.03), and in younger mice the mutant always had more CGRP than its matched control. The innervation of molar ligament in all p75-deficient mice was similar to that of controls except there was nerve sprouting near bone loss in mutants. The incisors of mutant mice did not have unusual wear and their pulpal CGRP immunoreactivity remained normal, but their periodontal ligament had fewer thin branched nerve endings at all ages. Thus, most innervation of teeth and their supporting tissues developed normally, and the only neural changes in p75^−/− mutant mice were the reduction of incisor ligament sensory receptors and increased molar CGRP. Sensory nerves in teeth gradually lose neuropeptide intensity during aging, but that did not happen in the mutant mice, suggesting that the accelerated molar wear stimulated persistent high levels of CGRP. J. Comp. Neurol. 385:297–308, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Human Papilloma Virus Genotype Distribution in Cervical lesions in Zanjan,Iran

Objective: Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers among women all over the world, and main cause is persistent infection with high risk human papillomavirus (HPV) strains. It has been reported that the distribution and prevalence of HPV types varies by geographical region, so that this is important for prevention by type-specific vaccines. The aim of current study was to determine the genotype distribution of HPV using the INNO-LiPA genotyping assay in Zanjan province, North West Iran. Methods: A total of 112 formalin-fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue samples from cases of low-grade intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), high-grade intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) were collected. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify DNA for genotyping. Results: Among the 112 samples from females (ranging from 20 to 69 years, mean age 43.8 ± 10.1) tested for HPV DNA, 50 samples were positive. Based on results of genotyping, most common HPV genotypes were HPV18 (48%) followed by HPV-6 (24%), HPV73 (16%), HPV-51(8%), HPV-31(8%), HPV-16 (8%), HPV-56 (4%), HPV-44 (4%). Conclusion: While HPV infection is the major etiological factor for cervical cancer, presence was relatively low in our survey. In the positive cases, however, HPV18 was the most common in line with many other populations. The fact that types vary among different populations must clearly be taken into account in design of vaccines for our country.     

Inhibitory effect of Crocus sativus L. ethanol extract on adjuvant-induced arthritis

Saffron is a well-known spice produced from dried stigmas of Crocus sativus L. flowers. Apart from its wide use in food preparations, it also has a broad range of medical properties. We examined the potential anti-inflammatory effects of saffron ethanolic extract (SEE) using an animal model of arthritis. Adjuvant-induced arthritis was induced in Wistar rats by injection of Complete Freund's Adjuvant. The rats were then injected intraperitoneally every other day with 25–600 mg SEE/kg or dexamethasone (DEX, 2 mg/kg). Changes in body weight, paw oedema and arthritis indices were recorded over the subsequent 12 days of treatment. Results revealed that SEE particularly at the higher concentrations significantly reduced paw and tibiotarsal joint diameters and comparing with DEX caused no significant change in body weight. These observations suggest that SEE displays a considerable anti-inflammatory potency and could potentially be used as an anti-arthritic agent in control of inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis.