Tehran University of Medical Sciences

About: Tehran University of Medical Sciences is a education organization based out in Tehran, Iran. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cancer. The organization has 35661 authors who have published 57234 publications receiving 878523 citations. The organization is also known as: TUMS.

Antinociceptive effects of the essential oil of Dracocephalum kotschyi in the mouse writhing test.

Abstract: PURPOSE. Dracocephalum kotschyi is a wild-growing flowering plant belonging to the family Labiatae and found abundantly in Iran. This plant has been used in Iran folk medicine as analgesic. METH- ODS. The Dracocephalum kotschyi essential oil was iso- lated and studied on writhing test a visceral pain model in mice. Different constituents of the essential oil were determined by gas chromatography mass spectropho- tometry technique. RESULTS. Limonene, verbenone, α-terpineol, perillyl alcohol and caryophyllene were the major constituents of the essential oil. The essential oil in doses (mg kg -1 ) used 12.5 (13.9%, P<0.05), 25 (43.1%, P<0.01), 50 (68.7%, P<0.01), 75 (39.8%, P<0.01) induced significant reduction in pain response when compared to control. The ED 50 was 61.61 mg kg - 1 . Hyoscine (1 mg kg -1 ) and indomethacin (5 mg kg -1 ) induced significant (P<0.01) reductions (74.9% and 76.7% respectively) in pain response in comparison to control. CONCLUSION. This study confirms that antinociceptive properties of D. kotschyi are compara- ble to those of hyoscine and indomethacin used. Pres- ence of limonene and α-terpineol might be responsible for antinociceptive properties of this essen- tial oil. Further studies are necessary to find out a place for it in antispasmodic therapies in human.

From in vitro Experiments to in vivo and Clinical Studies; Pros and Cons

Abstract: Biomedical investigators use different methods including experimental animals, tissue, and cell cultures as well as computational simulations and clinical studies finding the ways to treat human diseases and disorders. All the mentioned procedures have their own advantages and disadvantages. For instance although animal models provide some drawbacks like difference in biokinetics parameters or extrapolation of results to human, they are more reliable than in vitro tests. The disadvantage of the in vitro procedures is that they are mostly performed on cancerous cell lines that have a substantially abnormal function. Furthermore, although in vitro models are fruitfully used in biological fields, finding an end point, the initial aim of chemical attack, and extrapolation of the effects to the human are some real weaknesses. Absence of biokinetics in in vitro methods may lead to a misinterpretation of the data. The present review has criticized the pros and cons of both methods, especially in the fields of pharmacology, toxicology, and medical sciences.

Identification of aspergillus species using morphological characteristics

Abstract: Objectives: Although molecular methods continue to improve and become more rapidly available, microscopy and culture remain commonly used and essential tools for identification of Aspergillus spp. In this study we emphasize on morphological methods including; macroscopic and microscopic characteristics for identification of Aspergillus species isolated from environmental and clinical specimens. Methodology: We used four differential media: czapek dox agar (CZ), czapek yeast agar (CYA), malt extract agar (MEA), and czapek yeast 20% sucrose agar. Morphological features of colonies on above culture media as well as microscopically characteristics for the major strains were studied and then compared with those of standard Aspergillus strains. Our major subjects were Iranian Aspergillus strains isolated from clinical and environmental specimens. Standard Aspergillus strains for study development included; A. fumigatus, (JCM 10253), A. flavus (JCM 2061), A. niger (JCM 10254), A. nidulans (JCM 02728), A. tereus (JCM 10227). Morphological features of Aspergillus cultures were studied, the major and remarkable macroscopic features in species identification were the colony diameter, color (conidia and reverse), exudates and colony texture. Microscopic characteristics for the identification were conidial heads, stipes, color and length vesicles shape and seriation, metula covering, conidia size, shape and roughness also colony features including diameter after 7 days, color of conidia, mycelia, exudates and reverse, colony texture and shape. Finally we compared the morphological characteristics of tested Aspergillus isolates with those of the standard species Results: Aspergillus isolates were identified in the level of species using the differential culture media. A total of 205 Aspergillus isolates studied included: 153(75%) environmental Aspergilli and 52 (25%) clinical isolates. Within 11 Aspergillus species identified, A.flavus (55%), A.niger (31.7%) and A. fumigatus (8.7%) were the most common Aspergillus isolates from all of the specimens. Conclusion: In our view morphological method using the differential media is the most reliable and sensitive assay to identify more medically important Aspergillus species.

Adjunctive estrogen treatment in women with chronic schizophrenia: a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled trial.

Abstract: The estrogen hypothesis of schizophrenia postulates that estrogen exerts a protective effect against schizophrenia and that this partly explains the observed sex differences in premorbid adjustment, onset age, treatment response, and illness course. It has been suggested that estrogen supplementation can augment the treatment effects of antipsychotics. The purpose of the present investigation was to access the efficacy of ethinyl estradiol as an adjuvant agent in the treatment of premenopausal women with chronic schizophrenia in an 8-week, double-blind, and placebo-controlled trial. Eligible participants in the study were 32 women of childbearing age with schizophrenia. All patients were inpatients, in the active phase of illness, and met DSM-IV criteria for chronic schizophrenia. Patients were allocated in a random fashion, 16 to haloperidol 15 mg/day plus ethinyl estradiol 0.05 mg/day and 16 to haloperidol 15 mg/day plus placebo for an 8-week, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Although both protocols significantly decreased the score of the positive, negative, and general psychopathological symptoms over the trial period, the combination of haloperidol and ethinyl estradiol showed a significant superiority over haloperidol alone in the treatment of positive and general psychopathology symptoms as well as Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) total scores. Although the means Extrapyramidal Symptoms Rating Scale (ESRS) for the placebo group were higher than ethinyl estradiol group, the differences were not significant over the trial. A significant difference was observed between the overall mean biperiden dosages in the two groups. The results of this study suggest that estrogen may be an effective adjuvant agent in the management of women of childbearing age with chronic schizophrenia. Nevertheless, results of larger controlled trials are needed before recommendation for a broad clinical application can be made.