Physiology and Pharmacology
Volume:20 Issue: 3, Sep 2016

Musculoskeletal growth is variable during adolescent period and reaches its maximum by 18 years, whereas hemopoietic parameters reach adult values by 15 years. After adolescence period, the blood parameters may vary with nutrition and built of the individual. The purpose of this study was to find out any correlation between anthropometric and hematological parameters after the adolescent growth period.
Total of 81 subjects (males: 20; females: 61), 18-22 years were analyzed for 4 anthropometric measures and 19 hematological markers. Blood was collected in citrate tubes and analyzed for hematological parameters.
Difference between BMI sub-groups with respect to hemoglobin (Hb), red cell distribution width-standard deviation (RDW-SD) and red cell distribution width-coefficient of variation (RDW-CV) in males and females was not significant. In males, height showed negative correlation with mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and weight showed positive correlation with hematocrit. BMI positively correlated with Hb. Body surface area (BSA) correlated with red blood cell count (RBC) and hematocrit. In females, height, weight and BSA did not show significant correlation with any of the blood parameters. BMI correlated positively with mid-cell fraction and negatively with mean platelet volume. RDW-SD and RDW-CV did not reveal any statistically significant correlation with height, weight, BMI and BSA in both males and females.
In male subjects, hemoglobin concentration positively correlated with BMI whereas RBC count and hematocrit correlated with BSA. In females no such association was noted. RDW did not show any correlation with anthropometric measures in both genders.

Transient receptor potential vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1) and protein kinase Cγ (PKCγ) are involved in sensitization/desensitization to noxious stimuli. We aimed to examine the gene expression levels of TRPV1 and PKCγ in rat lumbosacral cord and midbrain on days 1, 4 and 8 of induction of morphine analgesic tolerance.
Two groups of male Wistar rats received twice daily saline (1 ml/kg) or morphine (10 mg/kg) for eight days and were monitored for analgesic tolerance with a hotplate test on days 1, 4 and 8 of the injections. Six independent groups in three sets were also treated with saline or morphine, decapitated on days 1, 4 or 8 of the schedule, respectively and their lumbosacral cord and midbrain were dissected.
The result of the hotplate test revealed induction of analgesic tolerance on days 4 and 8 of morphine injections. The TRPV1 gene expression in the lumbosacral cord was significantly increased only on day 4 of morphine injections, but the PKCγ gene expression remained with no significant changes on days 1, 4 and 8. In the midbrain, the TRPV1 gene expression was significantly increased only on day 1; however, the PKCγ gene expression was significantly increased on days 4 and 8 of morphine injections.
It can be concluded that the TRPV1 gene expression changes in the lumbosacral cord and midbrain is associated with early phase of morphine-induced analgesic tolerance but the PKCγ gene expression is altered only in midbrain at the later phase of process.

Spinal cord injuries are accompanied with significant demyelination of axons and subsequent locomotor dysfunction. To identify the extent of damage following electrolytic lesion of ventrolateral white matter, essential area for initiation of locomotor activity, we assessed demyelination as well as alteration in motor performance. Moreover, the protective effect of estradiol as a candidate treatment for preservation of myelin and locomotor activity after injury was examined due to its anti-apoptotic and anti-inflammatory activities.
A unilateral electrolytic lesion positioned in the right ventrolateral funiculus (VLF) was applied following laminectomy at T8-T9. In the estradiol-treated injury group, animals received a pharmacological single dose of estradiol valerate (4 mg/kg) at 30min post injury. Locomotor function was assessed using rotarod and open field tasks during 4 weeks after injury.
Obtained results showed significant demyelination at the site of injury and caudal areas following lesion as well as altered motor performance. Post-spinal cord injury administration of estradiol enhanced white matter maintenance at the site of lesion, restored the level of myelin basic protein (MBP), decreased TUNEL positive cells and improved functional recovery.
Taken together, these results indicate that demyelination after lesion in VLF may be a contributing factor to limited motor performance, and suggest that pharmacological doses of estradiol may have an early protective effect through sparing of white matter.

Congenital long QT syndrome (LQTS) is a cardiac disorder characterized by QT interval prolongation at basal ECG. Different LQTS genes encode ion channel subunits or proteins involved in regulating cardiac ionic currents. Long QT syndrome type 6 (LQT6) is caused by mutation in the KCNE2 gene. Our research aimed to analyze genetic variants of KCNE2 gene causing the disease in Iranian population.
Twenty nine patients consented for participation in the study. They were diagnosed based on Schwartz's criteria. After DNA extraction from peripheral blood cells, two exons of the KCNE2 gene were amplified. Afterwards, PCR-SSCP was carried out for screening the possible mutated gene variants. As the last verification step, direct sequencing was done to determine the sequence.
All samples were detected by PCR-SSCP and sequenced. None of the patients had the mutation in the KCNE2 gene.
Investigating a genetic variant associated with LQTS, in Iranian patients clinically diagnosed with LQT6, no association was found between the disease and KCNE2 gene. Other previously identified genes, especially the major genes, should be considered for further investigation.

The systemic and local content of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines play substantial roles in pathophysiology of arthritis. This study was purposed to verify the roles of synovial TNF-α, IL-6 and fractalkine (Fkn) in edema changes during different stages of Complete Freund’s Adjuvant (CFA)-induced knee arthritis in rats.
168 male Wistar rats were divided in 7 groups and each group was divided to 4 subgroups. Each subgroup contains 6 male rats. Arthritis was evoked into the right knee joint. Changes in knee edema were evaluated by caliper and synovial TNF-α and IL-6 levels were assayed by rat standard ELISA kit in homogenized synovial tissues on days 0, 7, 14 and 21 of study. Synovial Fkn content was assessed during different stages of study using western blot. For analysis of within-groups differences, ANOVA followed by post hoc Tukeys was used. Unpaired student t-test was used for analysis of differences between groups.
CFA injection caused intense knee edema which was reduced by anti-TNF-α and anti-Fkn administration. In anti-IL-6 treated rats, knee edema was reduced in the first two weeks but increased on day 21 of study. Remarkable increase in synovial TNF-α, IL-6 and Fkn levels were observed after CFA treatment. Anti-TNF-α treatment reduced synovial levels of IL-6 and Fkn. Anti-IL-6 administration caused a reduction in synovial IL-6 level and an increase in TNF-α synovial level. Anti-Fkn administration caused a reduction in Fkn and TNF-α level.
It seems that Fkn plays an important role in modulating the TNF-α and IL-6 effects on edema changes in CFA-induced inflammation.

The management of pain and inflammation related problem is a real challenge that people face daily. Although several drugs are available for these conditions, medicinal plants are believed to be an important source of new chemical substances with potential therapeutic effects. The objective of current study was to investigate the anti-nociceptive effect of Tanacetum Fisherae which has been traditionally used for treatment of pain.
In this experimental study, formalin test was performed with drug (Tanacetum Fisherae) or DMSO pretreatment 30 min prior to formalin injection in 40 male Wistar rats. Fifty microliters of 2.5% formalin was injected into the plantar surface of the right hind paw. Immediately after injection, licking and flinching number and paw-shaking responses were observed at 5-min intervals for 1 h. Animals were divided into five experimental groups. There were 8 animals in each group. Each group received vehicle (7% DMSO) or Tanacetum Fisherae essential oil (25, 50 or 100 μg) or morphine (5 mg/kg). Two-way and one-way ANOVA were used for data analysis. Differences were considered significant at the level of P Results showed that Tanacetum Fisherae essential oil dose dependently reduced licking and flinching number and also pain score in the late (15-35 min) and recovery phase (35-60 min) of formalin test (p0.05) in early (0-5 min) phase and interphase (5-15 min).
Results demonstrate the effectiveness of Tanacetum Fisherae to mitigate the inflammatory pain.

Our previous study has showed that chronic administration of magnesium oxide nanoparticles (MgO NP) can reduce anxiety in adult male rat. In this study the effects of MgO NP on anxiety induced by morphine withdrawal were investigated in adult male mice.
Adult male NMRI mice (weighing 27 ± 3 g) divided into groups: control, receiving intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of MgO NP (1, 2.5, 5 mg/kg), morphine withdrawal groups that receiving saline or MgO NP (2.5, 5 &10 mg/kg) as acute (a single injection at the test day) and chronic (co-injected with morphine for 4 days). To develop morphine dependency, increasing doses of morphine (20, 40, 80 mg/kg( injected subcutaneously for 4 days. Mice received a final morphine injection (40 mg/kg) 3 hours prior to naloxone (5 mg/kg (i.p.) on the day of testing (day 4). In addicted groups, after naloxone injection, morphine withdrawal signs were evaluated. In all groups, anxiety like behavior was assessed by the elevated plus maze apparatus.
MgO NP (2.5 & 5 mg/kg) reduced anxiety like behavior (P Due to the positive effect of MgO NP on anxiety like behavior and morphine withdrawal signs and symptoms, this nanoparticle can be a potential candidate for reducing the side effects of chronic usage of morphine and morphine withdrawal.

Sandfish (Holothuria scabra) is a marine species generally sold as a raw material that has been dried even though the meat contains steroid hormone with high economic value, which has the potential to become a source of safe natural steroid hormone. This study was aimed to look at the potency of sandfish as an anti-aging for menopausal women. Sandfish could become a source of natural steroid for hormone replacement therapy to replace synthetic hormone that is proven to have negative impacts on health.
This study used female rats (Rattus norvegicus) Sprague-Dawley Strain Variety II that were twelve weeks old and ovariectomized. In these animals, the bioassay test was conducted with the treatment of sandfish meat powder (SP) containing 30, 40, and 50 μg steroid/100 g. At the end of the treatment, the examination was carried out toward the concentration of steroid in blood serum using radioimmunoassay (RIA) and the uterine weight.
The treatment with SP in 30 μg steroid/100 g could increase the estradiol hormone in blood serum of test animals that were ovariectomized and produce the highest concentration of uterine weight.
This study showed that a dose of SPcontaining 30 μg steroid/100 g body weight had the highest potential as an anti-aging in menopausal women.