Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder and menstruation

Background

Gender issues and the female preponderance in neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have been investigated before, yet the interplay between NMOSD and menstrual characteristics has remained unknown. Thus, the aim was to compare menstrual cycle patterns and their symptoms in NMOSD patients and healthy women.

Parental participation and mismanagement: A qualitative study of child care in Iran

The purpose of this study was to explore parents' and nurses' experiences of parental participation in child care in hospitals in Iran. Using thematic analysis, the data were collected through interviewing 14 parents and 11 nurses from two pediatric hospitals. The results showed that four major themes emerged, including the necessity of a parent's presence, the unplanned and informal delegation of care to the parents (which itself had five subthemes: the parents as nurses, the delegation of care without sufficient and planned parental training, informal parent-to-parent support, the continuum of parents' willingness to participate, and the neglect of parents' needs), the inconsistency of care, and the parents as informal evaluators of care. Based on the study's findings, effective communication by nurses with parents is required. Nurses need to make an ongoing assessment of parents' wishes for involvement and negotiate care accordingly, with enough support and supervision to warrant quality of care.     

The effects of magnesium and vitamin E co‐supplementation on wound healing and metabolic status in patients with diabetic foot ulcer: A randomized,double‐blind,placebo‐controlled trial

This study was carried out to determine the effects of magnesium and vitamin E co‐supplementation on wound healing and metabolic status in patients with diabetic foot ulcer (DFU). The current randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial was conducted among 57 patients with grade 3 DFU. Participants were randomly divided into two groups to take either 250 mg magnesium oxide plus 400 IU vitamin E (n = 29) or placebo per day (n = 28) for 12 weeks. Compared with the placebo, taking magnesium plus vitamin E supplements reduced ulcer length (β [difference in the mean of outcomes measures between treatment groups] ?0.56 cm; 95% CI, ?0.92, ?0.20; p = 0.003), width (β ?0.35 cm; 95% CI, ?0.64, ?0.05; p = 0.02) and depth (β ?0.18 cm; 95% CI, ?0.33, ?0.02; p = 0.02). In addition, co‐supplementation led to a significant reduction in fasting plasma glucose (β ?13.41 mg/dL; 95% CI, ?20.96, ?5.86; p = 0.001), insulin (β ?1.45 μIU/ml; 95% CI, ?2.37, ?0.52; p = 0.003), insulin resistance (β ?0.60; 95% CI, ?0.99, ?0.20; p = 0.003) and HbA1c (β ?0.32%; 95% CI, ?0.48, ?0.16; p < 0.003), and a significant elevation in insulin sensitivity (β 0.007; 95% CI, 0.003, 0.01; p < 0.001) compared with the placebo. Additionally, compared with the placebo, taking magnesium plus vitamin E supplements decreased triglycerides (β ?10.08 mg/dL; 95% CI, ?19.70, ?0.46; p = 0.04), LDL‐cholesterol (β ?5.88 mg/dL; 95% CI, ?11.42, ?0.34; p = 0.03), high sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hs‐CRP) (β ?3.42 mg/L; 95% CI, ?4.44, ?2.41; p < 0.001) and malondialdehyde (MDA) (β ?0.30 μmol/L; 95% CI, ?0.45, ?0.15; p < 0.001), and increased HDL‐cholesterol (β 2.62 mg/dL; 95% CI, 0.60, 4.63; p = 0.01) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) levels (β 53.61 mmol/L; 95% CI, 4.65, 102.57; p = 0.03). Overall, magnesium and vitamin E co‐supplementation for 12 weeks to patients with DFU had beneficial effects on ulcer size, glycemic control, triglycerides, LDL‐ and HDL‐cholesterol, hs‐CRP, TAC, and MDA levels.     

Treatment with troxerutin protects against cisplatin-induced kidney injury in mice

Background: Cisplatin (CP) is a synthetic and anticancer drug, and one of the major side effects of CP is nephrotoxicity. This study was done to evaluate the renoprotective effects of troxerutin (Tro) in nephrotoxicity induced by CP in male mice.

Methods: In this experimental study, 28 male mice were divided randomly into four groups. Mice were treated with CP (20?mg/kg, i.p.) then Tro (75 and 150?mg/kg/day, po) was administered for three consecutive days. Blood samples were collected to determine serum creatinine (Cr) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. The kidney tissues were used for histological examination and biochemical assays. Malondialdehyde (MDA) level, superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity were assessed in renal tissue.

Results: Results showed a significant increase in the Cr, BUN and MDA levels and a significant decrease in the renal SOD and GPx activity by CP administration. Treatment with Tro for three consecutive days attenuated these changes. Also, the renoprotective effect of the Tro was confirmed by the histological examination of the kidneys.

Conclusions: Our results demonstrated that Tro has protective effects against CP-induced nephrotoxicity through improving the biochemical indices and the oxidative stress parameters.     

LTP of GABAergic synapses in the ventral tegmental area and beyond

One of the mechanisms by which the experience-dependent reorganization of neural circuitry can occur is through changes in synaptic strength. Almost every excitatory synapse in the mammalian brain exhibits LTP (long-term potentiation) or LTD (long-term depression), two cellular mechanisms of synaptic plasticity. However, LTP and LTD have been reported much more rarely at fast inhibitory GABA_A receptor synapses. Our recent study suggests that in vivo morphine initiates a long-lasting alteration of GABAergic synapses in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) by blocking the mechanisms required for LTP of GABAergic synapses. Here we put this work into the context of other examples of synaptic plasticity at GABAergic synapses.     

Selenium as a chemopreventive agent in experimentally induced colon carcinogenesis

AIM: To elucidate the chemopreventive efficacy of selenium during experimentally induced colon carcinogenesis.METHODS: Thirty-two male wistar rats were divided into four groups: group I (normal control); group II [1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) treated]; group III (selenium treated); and group IV (DMH + selenium treated). Groups II and IV were given subcutaneous injections of DMH (30 mg/kg body weight) every week for 20 wk. Selenium, in the form of sodium selenite, was given to groups III and IV at 1 ppm in drinking water ad libitum for 20 wk. At the end of the study, rats were sacrificed and their colons were analyzed for the development of tumors, antioxidant enzyme levels and histological changes.RESULTS: 100% of the DMH treated rats developed tumors, which was reduced to 60% upon simultaneous selenium supplementation. Similarly, tumor multiplicity decreased to 1.1 following selenium supplementation to DMH treated rats. Levels of lipid peroxidation, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) decreased following DMH treatment, whereas levels of glutathione (GSH) and glutathione reductase (GR) significantly increased in DMH treated rats. Selenium administration to DMH treated rats led to an increase in the levels of lipid peroxidation, SOD, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and GPx, but decreased the levels of GSH and GR. Histopathological studies on DMH treated rats revealed dysplasia of the colonic histoarchitecture, which showed signs of improvement following selenium treatment.CONCLUSION: The study suggests the antioxidative potential of selenium is a major factor in providing protection from development of experimentally induced colon carcinogenesis.     

Chronic in vivo morphine administration facilitates primed-bursts-induced long-term potentiation of Schaffer collateral–CA1 synapses in hippocampal slices in vitro

In this study, the effects of chronic morphine administration (20–30 days) on long-term potentiation (LTP) were investigated at the Schaffer collateral–CA1 pyramidal cell synapses of the rat hippocampal slices. Orthodromic population spike (OPS) amplitude and delay (peak latency) were measured as indices of increase in synaptic efficacy. The amounts of LTP of OPS delay and LTP of OPS amplitude were higher in slices from dependent rats. Perfusion of slices from control and dependent rats with morphine containing ACSF and delivering tetanic stimulation, showed that short-term presence of morphine could not mimic the LTP enhancing effects of chronic morphine administration, however, attenuated the amount of LTP of OPS amplitude in slices of dependent rats. This study supports the hypothesis that the susceptibility of CA1 synapses to plastic changes increases by chronic, not acute exposure to morphine and suggests that a withdrawal phenomenon might be an underlying mechanism for the observed augmented LTP of OPS amplitude in slices of dependent rats.