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  Background & Objectives: Eczema is an inflammatory skin reaction to exogenous and endogenous factors which originate by processes within the body. One of clinical forms is Dry palmar Eczema. This condition affects housewives and cleaners who frequently immerse their hands in water and detergents. Emollients and topical steroids are used in all cases of Eczema. It is believed that alpha-hydroxy acid agents causes the regrowth and increase the viable epidermal thickness. This study showes the effects of Alpha- hidroxy acids and Vaseline on housewives hand Eczema.

  Methods: At this clinical trial, 22 housewives who had mild dry palmar Eczema were entered to study. One hand was treated by A.H.A (7% glycolic acid) and the other hand by vaselin (placebo) for a month, four times daily. Collected data were analyzed by SPSS soft ware.

  Results: Age mean of patients were 26±2 years. There was a significant relationship between Alpha-hydrocy acid and erythema improvement whith 99% confidence (p<0.01) and also between Vaseline and arrhythmia improvement with 95% confidence (p<0.04). There was a significant relationship between performing preventive recommendation and the decline in the number of complaints (p<0.01). Improvement was seen in the epidermal atrophia in 50% of the cases in Alpha-hydroxy acid group (p<0.0001). Whereas in the Vaseline group' it was not seen.

  Conclusion: Improvement and repair in Damages of stratum corneum of Epidermis by A.H.A agents is better done than through Vaseline. Howere, Vaseline is also effective in decreasing complaints and Erythema.

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  Background & Objectives : Scalp defects have various etiologies which included scalp cancers, trauma, burns, congentital vascular lesions (Hemangioma & arteriovenous malformations), acquired & congenital skin defect such as aplasia cutis and infections. These defects need different reconstructive methods. The aime of this study was to determine the etiology of scalp defects and out come of various reconstructive methods.

  Methods : This was a descriptive study and based on the patient’s files during two years from 2004 to 2006. All patients operated for scalp defects were included in the study. Different methods of reconstructive surgery were considered and results analyzed using descriptive statistics.

  Results : The study included 75 patients, (52 males and 23 females) with the mean age of 42 years old. In most cases the scalp defect was in the temporoparietal region and most defects were reconstructed using tissue expander (TE). The most common cause of scalp defects was Basal cell corconoma (primary and recurrence) and the most common primary reconstructive method was skin graft. The second cause of scalp defects was burn scar and in these cases the most common reconstructive method was TE. Operative complications in this study were partial necrosis of the graft or distal flap that was repaired by using the repeated skin graft. In one case there was infection of tissue expander that was extracted.

  Conclusion: The most common cause of scalp defect were Basal Cell Carcinoma and burn respectively and in these cases the skin graft and TE were the most common reconstructive methods respectively .

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  Background & objectives : Epileptic seizures accompany disturbances in learning, memory, and cognitive skills. With regard to antiepileptic potential of curcumin and its beneficial effect on memory, the effect of its administration on learning and memory in kainate-epileptic rats was investigated.

  Methods: Forty male rats were divided into sham, positive control ( valproate-treated epileptic), epileptic, and two curcumin-treated epileptic groups. Rat model of epilepsy was induced by unilateral intrahippocampal administration of 4 μg of kainate per rat. Rats received intraperitoneal injection of curcumin (50 and 100 mg/kg) daily for 1 week before surgery. For evaluation of learning and memory, initial (IL) and step-through latencies (STL) were determined using passive avoidance test and alternation behavior percentage was obtained according to Y maze test.

  Results: Regarding IL, there was no significant difference between the groups. In contrast, STL significantly decreased in curcumin-50-treated epileptic group (p<0.05) (a change from 263.1 to 184.5 s). However, this parameter significantly increased in curcumin-100-treated epileptic group as compared to epileptic group (p<0.01) (a change from 263.1 to 220.3 s). In addition, STL was also significantly higher in valproic acid-treated epileptic group versus epileptic group (p<0.05) (a change from 145.7 to 210.3 s). Alternation percentage was also significantly higher in curcumin-50- and curcumin-100-treated epileptic groups relative to epileptic group (p<0.05) (a change from 60.5 to 77.6 and 80.3%).

  Conclusion: Curcumin could dose-dependently enhance the consolidation and recall in epileptic animals and could improve spatial memory in such animals.

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Background & objectives: Stroke is third leading cause of death and disability in the most of human communities. Several experimental studies have shown that combination therapy with drugs that act via different mechanisms can produce amplified protective effects. We examined the effects of combination therapy with candesartan and alpha tocopherol against cerebral ischemia.

Methods: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into five groups (n=24): sham, control ischemic, candesartan treated (0.3 mg/kg), alpha tocopherol treated (30 mg/kg) and combined treated ischemic groups. Transient focal cerebral ischemia was induced by 90-min-long occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery followed by 24-h-long reperfusion. Neurological deficit score was evaluated at the end of the reperfusion period. Thereafter, the animals were randomly used for measurement of the infarct volumes and investigation of ischemic brain edema formation using a wet/dry method.

Results: Induction of cerebral ischemia produced considerable brain infarction in conjunction with severely impaired motor functions and edema formation. Combined treatment with candesartan and alpha tocopherol significantly reduced the infarct volume and lowered the water content in the ischemic lesioned hemisphere. These effects on brain edema and oxidative stress biomarkers were significantly more than the monotherapy with candesartan.

Conclusion: The combination therapy with candesartan and alpha tocopherol can noticeably decrease ischemic brain injury and attenuate edema formation likely via increasing the antioxidant activity.

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Background & objectives: Ischemic stroke has complex pathophysiology and its treatment with single neuroprotective drugs has so far failed. Combination therapy could produce amplified protective effects via different mechanisms. We examined the neuroprotective effects of enalapril and/or alpha tocopherol against sensorimotor dysfunctions of ischemic stroke.

Methods: Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into five groups (n=8): sham, control ischemic, enalapril (0.03 mg/kg), alpha tocopherol (30mg/kg) and enalapril plus alpha tocopherol treated groups. Transient focal cerebral ischemia (90 min) was induced by occlusion of the left middle cerebral artery that followed by 24 h reperfusion periods. Infarct volumes were detected by TTC coloring technique and sensorimotor dysfunctions investigated by rotarod, grip strength and hotplate tests.

Results: Induction of cerebral ischemia in the control group produced severe neurological sensorimotor deficits in conjunction with considerable cerebral infarctions. Compared with the enalapril or alpha tocopherol groups, the combined treatment significantly improved neurological motor and sensory functions (p=0.038 and p=0.034, respectively) and also reduced the infarct volume (p=0.032).

Conclusion: Administration of alpha tocopherol increased protective effects of enalapril. Enalapril combined with alpha tocopherol can produce an augmented protection against ischemic brain injury, and improvement in sensorimotor dysfunctions.

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Background & objectives: Non-alcoholic fatty liver is one of the most common diseases. Nutrition and exercise are recommended for the patients with this disease, and chicory is considered due to its protective effects on the liver. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of chicory extract along with treadmill walking on the hepatic transaminases levels and tissue changes in rats with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Methods: In this experimental study, 56 mature male rats were divided into control (without treatment), sham (treatment with high-fat diet 10 ml/kg) and 5 experimental groups receiving high-fat diet (10 ml/kg) with 200 and 100 mg/kg chicory extract alone and with treadmill walking. Chicory was administered as gavage in 28 consecutive days. At the end, after anesthetizing the animals and collecting blood from their hearts the Aspartate Aminotransferase (AST), Alanine Aminotransferase (ALT) and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes were measured. The their livers were removed and after preparing the tissue sections, the results of hepatic enzymes measurements were analyzed by ANOVA and Duncan tests and P≤0.05 was considered significant.
Results: The results showed that high-fat diet increased AST, ALT and ALP enzymes and hepatic tissue damage compared to the control group at p<0.001. Treatment with chicory and treadmill walking alone and together resulted in a significant reduction of the above enzymes at p<0.001 and improvement of hepatic tissue compared to the high-fat diet group.
Conclusion: The results showed that high-fat diet increased the levels of ALT, AST and ALP, and hepatic tissue damage. Treadmill walking and chicory extract alone and together reduced the above enzymes and improved the hepatic tissue structure.

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Background & objectives: Epilepsy is one of the most common problems in the health system, of which some cases are resistant to treatment. Recently, environmental enrichment has shown beneficial results in the recovery of some cases of epilepsy.
Methods: Male mice were reared in an enriched or normal medium during their growth period. To induce seizures, at adult age, each group was divided into two subgroups, which one of them received pentylenetetrazole eleven times, with two days interval.
Results: The enriched environment greatly reduced seizure behaviors and prevented the occurrence of anxiety-like behavior and cognitive disorders. It also prevented an increase in the inflammatory cytokine of TNF-α in the hippocampus.
Conclusion: Therefore, a suitable growth environment in childhood and adolescence can be useful in preventing seizure disorders in adulthood.

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Background & objectives: The deposition of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide in the brain is one of the most important features of Alzheimer's disease. In addition to memory loss, Aβ can lead to depression behavior. Alpha-pinene is a type of monoterpene that has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Here, by using an animal model for Alzheimer's disease, we investigated the effect of alpha-pinene on neuronal cell death in the hippocampus and depression induced by Aβ_1-42.
Methods: Male Wistar rats weighing 240-260 g were divided into four groups including control, alpha-pinene, Aβ, and Aβ-alpha-pinene. Rats were placed in stereotaxic surgery apparatus and Aβ_1-42 was injected into the hippocampus (4 µg per side) and alpha-pinene was treated intraperitoneally (50 mg/kg) for 14 consecutive days. At the end of the course, the level of depression was assessed using the forced swimming test. The animals' hippocampus was also examined microscopically after Nissl staining.
Results: Intra-hippocampal injection of Aβ_1-42 increased the total immobility time in the forced swimming test (p<0.01), decreased the number of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 area (p<0.001), and reduced the thickness of the neuronal layer in this region of ​​the hippocampus. Treatment with alpha-pinene largely prevented these changes.
Conclusion: It can be concluded that alpha-pinene decreased the beta-amyloid-induced depressive behavior in rats and inhibited the neuronal loss, suggesting that this neuroprotective compound may have a critical role in depression. Alpha-pinene is probably a suitable therapeutic strategy for repressing Aβ-induced neurodegeneration