Pharmaceutical Sciences
Volume:14 Issue: 3, 2008

Coriandrum sativum L. (coriander) has been indicated for a number of medical problems in traditional medicine such as relief of insomnia, anxiety and convulsion. The aim of this study was to examine whether the aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts or essential oil of coriander seeds have anticonvulsant effect in mice. Anticonvulsant effects of extracts and essential oil were assessed by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced convulsion. Male mice were received the aqueous or hydroalcoholic extracts or essential oil of coriander seeds or vehicle intraperitoneally 30 minutes before the injection of pentylenetetrazole (85 mg/kg).Diazepam (3 mg/kg) was used as a reference drug. The onset time of myoclonic, clonic and tonic convulsions, the numbers of animals shown convulsion and the percentage of mortality were recorded. A significant linear relationship between the doses of the coriander extracts and essential oil and the protection against PTZ-induced tonic convulsion and death was observed (p<0.001). ED50 for protection against PTZ-induced death were 327, 560 and 646 mg/kg for aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts and essential oil, respectively. The aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts and essential oil of coriander seeds increased the onset time of myoclonic and clonic convulsions dose dependently (p<0.05). These results suggest that the extracts and essential oil of coriander seeds possess anticonvulsant activity. However, it is suggested that the major active component(s) responsible for the anticonvulsant effects is(are) mainly present in the aqueous extract.

Pelargonium roseum belongs to the family of Geraniales. Recent reports indicate that the essential oil of this plant can inhibit the experimentally induced paw and ear edema in laboratory animals. On the other hand، in some countries phenytoin is formulated as an accelerator of wound healing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of essential oil of Pelargonium roseum in comparison with phenytoin after surgical trauma on rat's skin. For this purpose، 4 full-thickness skin excision were induced on the back of 60 female Wistar rats by punching. Then these animals were divided into 6 groups randomly. The first and second groups were determined as Pelargonium-treated groups، third and fourth groups as phenytoin-treated groups، and fifth and sixth groups as control. Duration of treatment was 21 days. The wounds in first، third and fifth groups were photographed daily for histometrical study and finally analyzed with scion image software. In second، fourth and sixth groups in order to do the histopathological study in days 0، 3، 7، 14 and 21، two rats of each group were sampled randomly and then these rats were eliminated. Groups that were treated with the essential oil، showed the best healing from the point of view of wound contraction، inflammation، re-epithelialization، fibroplasia، neovascularization، collagenization and maturation of connective tissue. On the other hand phenytoin showed the worst healing. The differences were statistically significant. In full-thickness skin excisions، The essential oil of Pelargonium roseum accelerates healing process and phenytoin has an inhibitory effect on this process.

This study was designed to investigate the correlation between intrinsic dissolution rate (IDR) and some physicochemical and pharmacokinetic parameters of the compounds. 100mg of pure drug was compressed to prepare disc with smooth surface. Dissolution test was performed in sink condition using USP apparatus II and modified Wood & Syarto method. The slope of amount dissolved per unit area versus time was calculated using MS-Excel. This slope represents corresponding intrinsic dissolution rate. Solubility of the compounds in buffer solution was determined using analytical method. The results indicated that there was a linear correlation between logarithm of solubility and logarithm of IDR with a slope of 0.7289, R2=0.94 and P value =0.00 but there was no clear relation between IDR and lipophilicity and polar surface area. This investigation revealed that IDR may correlate more closely with in vivo drug dissolution dynamics than solubility. This could be attributed to the fact that the IDR is a rate phenomenon but solubility is equilibrium phenomenon.

Due to relatively low implantation rate in ART, the acceleration of endometrial maturation in ART cycles is highly investigated. Progesterone has longly been used for this purpose. Since the histological characteristics are considered as a criterion for evaluation of endometrial maturation, the aim of the present study is to compare morphological and morphometrical characteristics of mice uterine endometrium, at preimplantation stage, following progesterone and Viagra treated groups. Forty adult female mice were divided into 4 groups as: control, gonadotropin, gonadotropin + progesterone and gonadotropin + Viagra. In all 3 experimental groups the mice received 7.5 I.u HMG and later HCG. Then every two female mice with one male mouse put in one cage for mating. In two groups (from 3 experimental groups) 1mg/mouse progesterone and 3mg/kg Viagra administrated in 24, 48, 72 hours interval, after HMG injection. Ninty six hours after HMG injection, the mice in 4 groups were sacrificed, and their uterine specimens were prepared for light microscopic studies. In control group the height of endometrial epithelial cells were 20.52±2.43 μm. In gonadotropin group, the heights of the cells were 20.85±2.55 μm which were not significantly different than those in control group. In gonadotropin + progesterone group the height of the cells were 17.91±2.78 μm which were significantly (P<0.05) shorter than the control and gonadotropin groups. In gonadotropin + Viagra group heights of the cells were 17.60±2.49 μm which was similar to those in progesterone group but significantly (P<0.05) shorter than control and gonadotropin groups. Ovarian hyperstimulation followed by progesterone or Viagra injection alter the morphometrical indices of luminal epithelium of endometrium, which could affect on its maturation.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women. The aim of this study was to compare the concentration of Zinc, Selenium and Copper in serum and tumor cytosol extracts of breast cancer patients and controls. This cross sectional study was composed of 50 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 50 control individuals. Tissue samples were obtained from 32 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 24 normal individuals. Serum and cytosol extract levels of Zn, Cu and selenium were measured by using atomic absorption spectrophotometry with Graphite furnace. The Mean serum levels of Zn, Cu and Se in breast cancer patients were 0.969±.19, 1.47±.48 mg/Land 60.04±23.38mg/L, respectively. The mean serum levels of Zn, Cu and Se in normal individual were 1.07±.35, 1.09±.20 mg/L and 92.42±18.70 μg/L, respectively. There was not significant difference in the mean of Zn between two groups but there was a significant difference in the mean of Cu between two groups. (P<0.002). The ratio of Cu/Zn in breast cancer patient and controls were 1.52 and 1.12, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.001). There was a significant difference in serum levels of Se between patients (92.42 ±18.7 μg/L) and controls (60.30 ± 23.38 μg/L) (P<0.001). The Mean cytosol levels of Zn in breast cancer patients and controls were 66.75±72.5 and 28.29±3.84μg/g, respectively and this difference was significant (P< 0.006). There was a significant difference in cytosol levels of Cu between patients (28.29 ± 3.8 μg/gr) and controls (21.02 ± 6.08) (P<0.002). The ratio of Cu/Zn in patients and controls were 0.42 and 0.79, respectively. This difference was statistically significant (P<0.000). In addition, there was a significant difference in cytosol levels of Se between patient (1.01±0.42 μg/gr) and control subjects (0.51±0.22 μg/gr) (P<0.01). Based on the obtained results, it is speculated that changes of serum and cytosolic levels of Se, Zn and Cu traces in breast cancer patients could have important and biological roles in breast cancer progression.

The objective of this study was to prepare and evaluate naproxen loaded enteric microparticles produced by spherical crystallization method. The method relies on the precipitation of the enteric polymer hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose phthalate (HPMCP), when its solution in an aqueous alkaline media are dropped into an acidic environment. Various manufacturing parameters, including polymer/naproxen ratio, the initial difference in temperature between solvent and non solvent (ΔT) and concentration of acid in non solvent were altered during the microparticle production. The effects of these changes on the micromeritic characteristics of microparticles and encapsulation efficiency were examined. The microparticles were also characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and x-ray diffractometry analyses. Dissolution studies were finally carried out to verify if the microparticles possessed gastroresistant characteristics. The growth of particle size and the spherical form of the agglomerates resulted in formation of products with good flow properties. Drug release studies showed that naproxen release from microparticles exhibited pH dependent profiles. Greater encapsulation efficiency was obtained by reduction the polymer/naproxen ratio and by increasing ΔT and concentration of acid in non solvent. The spherical crystallization technique used is simple and minimize the use of organic solvents, and can be useful tools in preparing naproxen enteric microparticles.

Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a potent vasoconstrictor peptide produced by vascular endothelial cells. In the lung, the highest levels of ET-1was secreted by endothelium, smooth muscle airway epithelium and a variety of other cells. Exercise is an important factor that affects ET-1 expression and production. This substance plays an important role in lung disease. In the present study the effects of three months exercise in the expression of ET-1 gene in lungs tissue of male rats were investigated. 20 male Wistar rats (235 ± 27) were selected. The rats were randomly divided into two groups (n=10). Exercise rats ran on a treadmill for 60 min at a speed of 25 m/min daily for 3 months. 48 h after the last exercise the lungs were removed and were stored in -70°C. Total RNA was extracted from the lung tissue and the expression of ET- 1 mRNA was assessed by RT-PCR. the expression of ET-1 mRNA in the lung was significantly higher in the exercise rats than in the control rats (P<0.05). The results of this study showed that three months exercise increased the ET-1 expression in the lung and this effect could increase the blood flow of lung.