Iranian Journal of Basic Medical Sciences
Year:2001 | Volume:4 | Issue:3 (11)|Papers Count:12

There are several indicators that adenosine plays an important part in the functional organization of the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord. Our laboratory has shown that adenosine has presynaptic and postsynaptic inhibitory actions on superficial dorsal horn neurons. To study the relationships between neuronal types and adenosine action, transverse slices with attached dorsal roots were prepared from the spinal cord of deeply anesthetized, young, free-ranging hamsters. Tight-seal, whole-cell recordings were made in voltage clamp mode using a K-gluconate internal solution. The slices were maintained at room temperature by superfusion with an artificial cerebral spinal fluid (ACSF). Adenosine (100 µM) suppressed the spontaneous EPSC frequency in the majority of 40 neurons tested. Notably, in those neurons exhibiting ongoing IPSCs (outward currents) adenosine also sharply reduced occurrence. There was remarkable increase in spontaneous IPSCs after cessation of adenosine application in 9/40 neurons. Rebound of responses was also observed for the spontaneous EPSCs. Dorsal root evoked EPSCs were suppressed by adenosine in cells in which it inhibited EPSC frequency. Morphological analysis of the labeled neurons showed that several distinct morphological neuronal types exhibited such adenosine-produced responses. It is concluded that adenosine is a broadly but not globally acting inhibitory agent on synaptic activity in the superficial dorsal horn and that many of the constituent neurons contain the AI adenosine receptors that mediate-this action. Supported by a research grant NS 10321 from the NINDS of the NIH.    

The effects of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of Crocus sativus stigma and petal were studied for the antidepressant activity according to the forced swimming test in mice. The aqueous and ethanolic extracts of stigma and petal decreased immobility time in comparison with normal saline (P< 0.05). The antidepressant effect of imipramine (30 mg/kg) was significantly (P< 0.05) more than the aqueous and ethanolic extract of stigma and petal. In few doses, there was no difference among the immobility time of extracts and imipramine (15 mg/kg). On the basis of these results, Crocus sativus stigma and petal extracts showed antidepressant effect.    

Most immunoglobulin preparations are produced by methods based on the Cohn ethanol precipitation technique and recommended for intramuscular administration only. In this research, large-scale production of anti-D IgG as an intravenous preparation by ion exchange chromatography is described. The method including: absorption of plasma proteins onto DEAE-Sephadex A50 except anti-D IgG, washing of the gel and elution of the anti-D IgG with 0.025 M phosphate buffer at pH 7.5, followed by eluted anti-D IgG concentration on a pellicon ultrafiltration system, addition of protein stabilizers, sterile filtration, and freeze-drying of the final product. Analysis of the product indicated that it consisted principally of the IgG monomer with traces of fragmentation or aggregation, and anticomplemantry activity was Il1significant.Amount of IgA and IgM were not higher than 10 µ.g/ml. Stability data of Anti-D preparation at 37°C for 4 weeks showed no considerable changes in antibody potency and safety, pyrogen and sterility tests meet the requirements set by USP. Anti-D prepared has low anticomplemantary activity and IgA and hence intravenous tolerate.      

Hypercholesterolemia is one of the major risk factors for Cronary Heart Disease (CHD). Plasma cholesterol concentration is increased in hypothyroidism, which can be reduced to normal by L-thyroxine treatment. In this study, 1905 out of 5165 male and female subjects who were checked up for plasma lipids were found to be with high plasma cholesterol and / or triglycerid: From these, 100 subjects were selected for further investigation. Serum lipids were measured by enzymatic methods and TSH and thyroid hormones were measured by routine RIA laboratory techniques. Results: Out of 100 hyperchlosterolemic and / or hypercholesterolemic + hypertriglyceridemic subjects, 17 were biochemically hypothyroid and 83 were euthyroid. The correlation between high plasma TSH and HC (r=+ 0.63, P<0.0005) and between TSH and hypertriglycridemia (HT) (r=+ 0.59, P<0.0005) were - statistically significant. The correlation between low plasma TT4 with HC and HT also was significant (r=- 0.79, P<0.0005 and r=-0.39, P<0.0005 respectively). Decrease in TT3 concentration and HC (r=- 0.78, P<0.0005) as well as TT3 concentration and HT (r=-0.45, P<0:0005) were also significant. In hypothyroid group, the correlation between high plasma TSH with HC and also HT were significant. The correlation between low TT4 with HC and HT was also significant. The correlation between low TT3 with HC and HT also was statistically significant. The increase in plasma TSH or decrease in-TT4 and/or TT3 also was quantitatively correlated with HC and with HT.      

Muscle  relaxant and hypnotic effects of Salvia leriifolia Benth. aqueous decoction leaves extract was studied in mice. The aqueous decoction extract (1.15 and 1.57 g/kg, i.p.) slightly increased sleeping time up to 20.58 min versus 63.67 min in diazepam (3 mg/kg) group in thiopental-hypnosis test. The extract (0.29-2.87 mg/kg, i.p.) induced relaxation of skeletal muscle in mice verified by traction test. The extract at low dose (0.29 mg/kg) showed a muscle relaxant activity as effective as diazepam (1 mg/kg). Preliminary phytochemical test showed that the extract contains low flavonoid, rich tannin and saponin. Our observation confirmed that S. leriifolia aqueous leaves extract exerted muscle relaxant and hypnotic effects.      

Philadelphia chromosome can be founding 95% of patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) by cytogenetic studies. The fused bcr/abl is transcribed in two types of chimeric mRNA. RT-PCR amplification of these two transcripts have been designed to give two different size products. This assay can detect one positive bcr/abl expressing cell in a back ground of 106 negative bcr/abl cells. The power of this assay is the detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) between 6-12 months following bone marrow transplantation (BMT) is an independent and significant factor that predicts the relapse in future. The aim of optimization was to detect β2 microglobulin (β 2M) mRNA. Detection of β2 mRNA and absence of bcr/abl indicates that the patient is negative for MRD and as a result, there is molecular remission in addition to clinical remission. To monitor MRD we tested a patient's blood sample who had tolerated allogenic BMT 7 years ago. bcr/abl wasn't detected in this patient and only β2 M was observed. This result confirmed the absence of MRD in this case. To effectively monitor minimal leukemic activity after BMT, we used a competitive RT- PCR to quantify expression of the characteristic bcr/abl fusion gene mRNA in patients with CML.    

Pancreatic cells arise from ventral and dorsal buds of the foregut endoderm during early morphogenic period of intrauterine life. It is believed that endocrine cells might be derived from the APUD system which have neuroepithelial origin. Little is known about the involvement of glycoconjugates in regulating islet cells during course of their embryonic development. In this study, lectin histochemical technique was performed on formalin or B 4 G-fixed paraffin embedded pancreatic tissue during late fetal and early postnatal periods in rats to identify in situ pattern of carbohydrate residues, during pancreatic histogenesis. Both endocrine and exocrine pancreatic cell types, reacted differently with MPA for Galactose and SBA for GalNac terminal sugars. Based on these reactions, we were able to distinguish different cell types of islets of Langerhans during late fetal period. Interestingly that all islets reactions were disappeared after the first week of postnatal life. Luminal surface of exocrine acini reacted with both lectins and stayed the same during postnatal days. The potential significance of these observations and the role of glycoconjugates in islet cells differentiation are discussed.    

Due to the importance of eye drops contamination effects, 220 samples obtained through the eye drops used in ophthalmological surgeries and different sections of Khodadad Mehrabi Hospital (77 samples from ophthalmological surgeries and 143 samples from different sections of Khodadad Mehrabi Hospital). None of the eye drops used in ophthalmological surgeries was contaminated and among the eye drops obtained from the different sections of Khodadad Mehrabi Hospital, 39 cases were not sterile. This study shows that the transfer of contamination and its consequent symptoms in consumer is possible, unless environment used for eye drops is sterile.      

In order to investigate the effect of replacement of phenyl ring with imidazolyl at active metabolite of antiepileptic drug ethotoin, we decided to synthesize benzylimidazolylhydantoins. First, starting from dihydroxy acetone and benzylamine hydrochloride, 5- hydroxymethyl-1- phenylmethyl-2 (3H) imidazolinethione.[1] was synthesized which was subsequently alkylated by alkyl halides. After oxidation of the resulting 1-benzyl-2- alkylthio 5- hydroxymethylimidazole [2] with MnO2, 1-benzyl -2-alkylthio -5- formylimidazole [3] was obtained. Finally aldehyde [3] was reacted with ammonium carbonate and sodium cyanide accoring to Bucherer reaction to give the title compound, 5- (1-benzyl- 2- alkylthio -5- imidazolyl) imidazoline -2,4- dione [4].