Venlafaxine inhibits naloxone-precipitated morphine withdrawal symptoms: Role of inflammatory cytokines and nitric oxide

Metabolic Brain Disease - Opioid-induced neuroinflammation plays a role in the development of opioid physical dependence. Moreover, nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in several oxidative and...     

Morphologic and proliferative characteristics of goat type a spermatogonia in the presence of different sets of growth factors

PurposeThe present study by using different growth factors was aimed to develop the best practical culture condition for purification of goat undifferentiated SSCs and their colonization under in vitro and in vivo conditions.MethodsThe enzymatically isolated SSCs obtained from one month old goat testes were cultured in DMEM plus FCS supplemented with different sets of growth factors (GDNF, LIF, bFGF, and EGF) for 2 weeks. At the end of each week, the morphological characteristics of cells and colonies alongside with purification rate of undifferentiated type A spermatogonia were evaluated by immunocytochemical staining and flow cytometry.ResultsThe number and size of colonies in treatment groups were significantly (P < 0.01) higher than corresponding values in control group. In immunocytochemical evaluation, the proportion of KIT and PGP9.5 positive cells were significantly (P < 0.001) higher in control and treatment groups, respectively.ConclusionsThe culture medium comprising all four growth factors, especially the one supplemented with the higher concentration of GDNF, was superior to the other groups with respect to the population of undifferentiated type A spermatogonia and its propagation in culture system. Additionally, goat SSCs could colonize within the mouse testis following xenotransplantation.     

Cardiovascular and autonomic responses to passive arm or leg movement in men and women

European Journal of Applied Physiology - Women display an attenuated mechanoreflex during leg movement; however, sex differences in the response to arm movement are unknown. Men...     

Efficacy of tightening of orbicularis oculi muscle in patients with functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of tightening of lateral portion of orbicularis oculi muscle in patients with functional nasolacrimal duct obstruction (FNLDO).Methods: This is an interventional cross-section study for evaluation of effect of orbicularis oculi tightening procedure in patients with FNLDO. Patients with unexplained epiphora, open lacrimal system in syringing and evidences of lacrimal pump weakness in lacrimal scintigraphy underwent surgery. In this procedure, a stripe of preseptal and pretarsal orbicularis muscle was dissected, slightly resected and secured to the periosteum of lateral orbital rim. Each subject completed a questionnaire about the intensity of epiphora before surgery and 1, 3 and 6 months after surgery. Furthermore, fluorescein dye disappearance test (FDDT) was performed before surgery and repeated in the follow-up visits. At last visit, the pre- and post-operative data were analyzed and compared.Results: Fifteen eyes of 12 patients (5 males and 7 females) with the mean age of 56.7 years included in the study. Severity of epiphora and tearing effect on daily life were significantly improved following the operation. FDDT result was improved significantly after 1 month follow-up in all eyes (15 eyes), at 3 months follow-up in 80% of eyes (12 eyes) and at the end of the 6th month in 66.7% of eyes (10 eyes). Subjective and objective success rates were 87% and 80%, respectively. No significant complications or side-effects were observed.Conclusion: Tightening of lateral portion of preseptal and pretarsal orbicularis muscle seems an effective, safe, and easy procedure to decrease epiphora in patients with FNLDO.     

Effects of vision and cognitive load on static postural control in subjects with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome

Objective: To compare the effects of vision and cognitive load on static postural control in subjects with and without patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS). Methods: Twenty-eight PFPS patients and 28 controls participated in the study. Postural control was assessed in isolation as well as with visual manipulation and cognitive loading on symptomatic limb. The outcome measures of postural control were quantified in terms of area, anterior-posterior (AP), medial-lateral (ML), and mean velocity (MV) of the displacements of center of pressure (COP). In addition, cognitive performance (auditory Stroop task) was measured in the forms of average reaction time and error ratio in baseline (sitting) and different postural conditions. Results: PFPS subjects showed greater increases in area (p = 0.01), AP (p = 0.01), and ML (p = 0.05) displacements of COP in the blindfolded tasks as compared to control group. However, cognitive load did not differently affect postural control in the two groups. Although PFPS and control group had similar reaction times in the sitting position (p = 0.29), PFPS subjects had longer reaction times than healthy subjects in dual task conditions (p = 0.04). Conclusion: Visual inputs seem to be essential for discriminating postural control between PFPS and healthy individuals. PFPS patients biased toward decreasing cognitive performance more than healthy subjects when they perform the single leg stance and cognitive task concurrently.     

Computational investigations of click-derived 1,2,3-triazoles as keystone ligands for complexation with transition metals: a review

In recent years, metal complexes of organo 1,2,3-triazole click-derived ligands have attracted significant attention as catalysts in many chemical transformations and also as biological and pharmaceutical active agents. Regarding the important applications of these metal–organo 1,2,3-triazole-based complexes, in this review, we focused on the recently reported investigations of the structural, electronic, and spectroscopic aspects of the complexation process in transition metal complexes of 1,2,3-triazole-based click ligands. In line with this, the coordination properties of these triazole-based click ligands with transition metals were studied via several quantum chemistry calculations. Moreover, considering the complexation process, we have presented comparative discussions between the computational results and the available experimental data.

1,2,3-Triazole based ligands and their complexes with transition metals are used in pharmaceuticals and catalysis. Here we assess recent computational research on the structural, electronic and spectroscopic properties of these complexes.