Journal of Basic & Clinical Pathophysiology
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Summer-Autumn 2014

The present study was aimed to correlate the clinical tests with the laboratory measures under dual task conditions in Parkinson''s disease (PD). Eleven people with idiopathic PD (Modified Hoehn and Yahr scores 1-3) were selected by simple non-probability sampling. Center of pressure (COP) data obtained by force platform was used to calculate mean total velocity, standard deviation (SD) of amplitude along anterior-posterior (A.P) and medial-lateral (M.L) directions, path length and total phase plane in four levels of postural difficulty (quiet standing on rigid and foam surface with open and closed eyes) and two levels of cognitive difficulty (with and without cognitive task). Functional Reach (FR), Timed UP and Go (TUG), Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and gait speed tests were used for clinical assessment. There was no significant correlation between FR and TUG test and any of COP parameters in different levels of postural and cognitive difficulty. Among different COP parameters, SD of amplitude (A.P) in standing on rigid surface with closed eyes without cognitive task and in standing on foam with closed eyes and cognitive task showed moderate to high correlation with BBS. Also significant correlation was seen between the SD of amplitude (A.P) in standing on foam with open eyes without cognitive task and gait speed test. No correlation was seen between Laboratory and clinical measures, indicating that they might evaluate different dimensions of balance control in PD.

Sensory neurons have critical role in improvement of functional outcome of any neuroprotective strategy. The herbal medicine Nepeta menthoides has been reported to have anti-apoptotic effect on axotomized spinal motoneurons. In the present study, the putative neuroprotective effect of Nepeta menthoides on the axotomized dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons in neonate rats was investigated. In fifteen two-day-old rat neonates, the right sciatic nerve was transected. The animals were subdivided into two experimental groups receiving 250 and 500 mg/kg of Nepeta menthoides and a control group treated with the normal saline as the vehicle for three days following the axotomy. At the fourth day the neonates were sacrificed and the L5 dorsal root ganglions of both sides were dissected and prepared for morphometrical cell count and TUNEL assay. In the control group, four days following axotomy, 38.51% of dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons were lost. Administration of 250 and 500 mg/kg of Nepeta menthoides for three days significantly reduced the cell loss to 24.64% and 21.69%, respectively. The findings of TUNEL assay in control group indicated that axotomy significantly increased the apoptotic index from 3.93% to 10.8%, but in both experimental groups the difference of the reduced percentage of apoptotic cells (the apoptotic index) between intact and axotomized sides was insignificant. Nepeta menthoides through attenuating the apoptotic cell death can induce neuroprotective effect on axotomized dorsal root ganglion sensory neurons.

Regarding the prevalence of epilepsy in human society and with respect to insufficiency of usual treatments, new strategies and methods for medical treatment of epileptic patients are necessary. As NMDA receptor antagonists are the most prominent anti-epileptic drugs, in the present study, we synthesized and investigated anti-epileptic effect of a new piperidine derivates 1-[1-(4-Methylphenyl) (Cyclohexyl)] 4- piperidinol as a new NMDA receptor antagonist in chemical kindling model. Sixty male mice (NMRI), weighing 25-30 g, were selected and randomly divided into 5 groups (n=12 in each group). 1: PTZ 2: 1-[1-(Phencyclohexyl) piperidine, PCP)] 3: 1-[(1-3-Methoxy phenyl tetralyl) piperidine)] 4: 1-[1-(4-Methylphenyl) (Cyclohexyl)] 4- piperidinol and 5: valproic acid (positive control). Chemical kindling was induced by PTZ (35 mg/kg, i.p) injection, 11 times on alternate days (22 days). In final injection (challenge dose) at 24th day, PTZ were applied with 75 mg/kg to the animals. Thirty minutes after PTZ injection, the animals were followed for convulsion scores (0-5). Data analysis showed that administration of 1-[1-(4-Methylphenyl) (Cyclohexyl)] 4- piperidinol has a prominent anti-convulsion effect versus PCP, especially in reduction of phase 2 duration. Meanwhile, this compound had a marked anti-epileptic effect in challenge dose. The results suggest that administration of the new piperidine derivate, 1-[1-(4-Methylphenyl) (Cyclohexyl)] 4- piperidinol could yield a prominent anti-convulsion effect in grand mal epilepsy. Regarding changes of its conformation as a non-competitive antagonist, it may block the NMDA receptors more powerfully than other piperidine derivates.

A huge amount of investigational evidence support a role for oxidative stress as an intermediary of nerve cell dysfunction in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Polyphenols such as carvacrol have been indicated to prevent neuronal deterioration caused by increased oxidative load, thus, this study evaluated whether carvacrol administration would attenuate behavioral abnormalities in an animal model of PD. In this study, unilateral intrastriatal 6-hydroxydopamine injected rats were daily pretreated with carvacrol (10 mg/kg) started three days before the surgery. Apomorphine-induced rotations and level of stress oxidative markers in the midbrain were assessed after 2 weeks. Carvacrol administration lessened the rotation number in lesioned rats. Also, carvacrol decreased the 6-OHDA-induced malondialdehyde and nitrite level and intensified the antioxidant enzyme catalase, indicative of a protective effect against lipid peroxidation and free radicals synthesis. In summary, carvacrol shows a protective effect against 6-OHDA neurotoxicity, partly through attenuating oxidative stress.

Lowering serum glucose and lipid levels in diabetic patients by using natural materials is of great importance. In this study, the effect of oral consumption of Fumaria Parviflora Lamwas was assessed on serum glucose and lipid levels in streptozocin diabetic rats. In this experimental study, 32 male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of control, control under the treatment of F. Parviflora L., diabetic and diabetic under the treatment of F. Parviflora L.. F. Parviflora L. was administered orally (6.25%) after injection of streptozocin for five weeks. Serum levels of glucose, triglyceride, total cholesterol, HDL and LDL were evaluated before and three and six weeks after the treatment. Regarding glucose level, there was no significant difference between diabetic rats treated with F. Parviflora L. and diabetic rats at third and sixth weeks. However there was a significant decrease in triglyceride level in F. Parviflora L. treated group as compared to diabetic rats at third and sixth weeks. Regarding serum total cholesterol, F. Parviflora L. treated group did not show a significant decrease at third week, but this difference was significant at sixth week. Regarding HDL cholesterol, there was no significant increase in F. Parviflora L. treated group as compared to diabetic group at third week, while this difference was significant at sixth week. Oral administration of F. Parviflora L. to streptozocin-induced diabetic rats improved triglyceride, total cholesterol and HDL serum levels, but no significant effect on serum glucose and LDL.

Based on the effect of chronic metabolic diseases including diabetes mellitus on the learning and memory, this study was designed to assess the usefulness of administration of salvialonic acid B on lessening of learning and memory deficits in streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats. Male Wistar rats were allocated into control, salvialonic acid B-treated control, diabetic and salvialonic acid B-treated diabetic groups. Salvialonic acid B was administered at a dose of 10 mg/kg/day for 8 weeks. Assessment of learning and memory was performed by Y maze and passive avoidance tests. Moreover, oxidative stress marker malondialdehyde (MDA) was also measured. The results showed that in diabetic rats, alternation score in Y maze and retention and recall in passive avoidance test decreased in comparison with control rats (p) Taken together, these results show that salvialonic acid B could improve learning and memory deficits in STZ-diabetic rats by reduction of lipid peroxidation.

Study of deleterious effect of neurotoxins on the animals'' brain is a fascinating research plan. In this project, the damage effect of colchicine on the hippocampal cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) was examined by the studying the hippocampal tissue. Injections of colchicine (1-75 μg/rat, intra- hippocampal CA1) were performed in cannulated male Wistar rats while being settled in the stereotaxic apparatus. Control group was solely injected saline (1 μl/rat, intra-CA1). Other groups of rats were trained in the conditioning device to receive the colchicine (5 and 25 µg/rat, intra- CA1) prior to the testing; the control group was given saline (1 µl/rat, intra-CA1). At the end of the experiments, the rats were decapitated and their brains were removed for histological studies. The number of the small pyramidal cells of hippocampal CA1 showed a decrease in the colchicine-received rats than the control group. The novelty behavioral assessment showed a significant difference between the colchicine given rats versus control (p) Hippocampal CA1 layer plays an important role in the memory and learning processes. Lesion of this region by the aid of neurotoxins (e.g. colchicines) may lead us to provide a proper animal model to study the learning dysfunctions in the future. This research may appropriately validate the lesion effect of the toxin in the hippocampal CA1. It may also propose an incidence of the novelty seeking behavior due to the lesion in the hippocampus.

Jaundice is one of the most common problems occurring in the neonatal period. It is commonly managed by phototherapy with its inherent complications. However, this treatment modality may itself result in the development of hypocalcaemia and create serious complications including convulsion and related conditions. To determine the effect of phototherapy on serum calcium level in full-term hyperbilirubinemic neonates. This study was performed on 198 full-term jaundiced neonates (113 males and 85 females) receiving phototherapy. These neonates had complete normal physical examination. Plasma bilirubin and calcium levels were determined before and after 48 hours of phototherapy. Fifteen neonates (7.5%) developed hypocalcaemia. After 48 hours of phototherapy, there were significant differences between serum calcium levels from baseline values of 9.46±0.8 mg/dL to 9.12±0.83 mg/dL after 48 hours of phototherapy (p) Although phototherapy induces hypocalcaemia in term infants, but the incidence of phototherapy-associated hypocalcaemia is not too much.