Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Farsam.
Methanol extracts of 26 commonly used vegetables in Iranian diet were monitored for antioxidant activity against linoleic acid peroxidation. Some vegetable extracts including savory, radish leaf, garden-cress, spirmint, leek, chive (aerial part), lettuce and dill showed an antioxidant activity comparable with those of dl-alpha-tocopherol and quercetin.
The methanolic extract of the aerial parts of Satureja khuzistanica was investigated for its antimicrobial activity. The maximum antibacterial and antifungal activities were observed against Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans.
BACKGROUND: Studies investigating possible correlations between plasma lithium concentration, lithium treatment duration, and frequency of lithium administration, and lithium nephrotoxicity have yielded conflicting results. OBJECTIVES: Our main objective was to investigate whether there was any relationship between erythrocyte lithium concentration (ELC) and renal side effects. Another objective of our study was to identify a parameter, which could be estimated inexpensively, for assessing possible renal side-effects of lithium. METHOD: Seventy Iranian inpatients with bipolar disorder entered this case-control study. Medications taken concurrently by the patients were recorded. A direct method of measuring ELC was used in this study. The cases were patients on lithium who had urine specific gravity (SG) of 1.006 or less after 8-10 h water deprivation at night and the controls consisted of patients on lithium with urine SG of 1.011 or more after this period. Blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, sodium and potassium and urine SG, sodium, and potassium were measured in all patients during this time. Renal indices were compared by using independent sample t-test at a significance level of a P-value of 0.05 or less. Non-parametric Spearman's rank correlation test was used to investigate the relationship between clinical variables and the indices of renal function. RESULTS: Results revealed that in case group mean serum sodium concentrations were significantly higher (P = 0.008) and mean urine sodium and potassium were significantly lower than those of controls (P = 0.004 and 0.007 respectively). We found no statistically difference in lithium ratios between the two groups. However, ELCs were significantly higher in the cases (P = 0.026). There were no significant correlation between concomitant use of neuroleptics, benzodiazepines or carbamazepine and ELC or lithium renal side-effects. CONCLUSION: This study showed that ELC may reflect lithium renal side-effects better than plasma lithium level.
The interaction of 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) with calf thymus DNA was studied in darkness at 25 degrees C and pH 7.4. The enthalpy curve for 8-MOP-DNA interaction was obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry and showed a two-step process for the interaction. According to the spectrophotometric data, it was suggested that some compaction may occur in the DNA structure at higher [8-MOP](t)/[DNA] ratio. Using the fluorescence quenching data, the Scatchard analysis was performed for 8-MOP-DNA interaction at the extended ranges of drug concentration. The results indicated that the first set of binding sites was occupied by 1 mol of drug bound per near eight base pairs of DNA. Also 8-MOP caused the quenching of the fluorescence emission of DNA-ethidium bromide complex. The Scatchard analysis of these data indicated the non-competitive manner for quenching. A non-displacement based quenching mechanism has been suggested for this behavior. The circular dichroism spectra also confirmed the non-intercalative binding of 8-MOP at higher concentrations accompanied by some conformational changes in DNA structure. It has been suggested that at low drug load, 8-MOP binds to DNA as an intercalator, which is an endothermic process, whereas at higher ratios of [8-MOP](t)/[DNA], it binds to the outside of DNA, probably in the minor groove and causes some compaction in DNA, which is the exothermic process.
In order to determine interaction of smoking with single dose pharmacokinetics of phenobarbital, a 60 mg tablet of the drug was given to 12 healthy male subjects in two groups (6 smokers and 6 non-smokers) in a double blind study. An HPLC method using UV detection was developed to assess phenobarbital in plasma of the subjects. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated and compared in the two groups. Pharmacokinetic parameters of the two groups were not significantly different in the two groups (p<0.05). The results show no considerable effect of cigarette smoking on phenobarbital pharmacokinetics, which is in agreement with enzyme studies performed previously.
The root of Biebersteinia multifida DC (Geraniaceae), a native plant of Iran, has been used topically for the treatment of musculoskeletal disorders as a folk medicine. The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of the root extract were studied using carrageenan induced edema and formalin tests. A similar activity was seen between Biebersteinia multifida root extract (10 mg/kg; i.p.) and indomethacin (4 mg/kg; i.p.) in carrageenan test. The results of formalin test showed the analgesic activity of the root extract (50 mg/kg; i.p.) was comparable with morphine (10 mg/kg; i.p.) at the first phase of formalin test. Furthermore, the probable ulcerogenic activity of the root extract was also studied. The extract did not show any ulcerogenic effect at anti-inflammatory doses (10 mg/kg; p.o.).
Heliotropium crassifolium Boiss, (Boraginaceae) from a population of Ilam, western region of Iran was studied for pyrrolizidine alklaoids (PAs). Four alkaloids have been identified: europine 1, europine N-oxide 2 and a new pyrrolizidine alkaloids ilamine 3 and its N-oxide 4, respectively. Their structures were elucidated by IR, 1H-NMR and EIMS data.
Thebaine-derived mu-opioid agonists were synthesized through the reaction of thebaine with N-aryl maleimide and tested for opioid activity. Morphine was used as reference compound. Our results show that an attachment of aryl succinimide group to thebaine produced series of compounds with mu-opioid agonist activity. The most active compound in smooth muscle preparation was compound 6 with an IC50 ratio of delta/mu = 248.69 and was as potent as morphine with ED50 value 26.65 mg kg-1 i.p. in hot-plate test and showed good antinociceptive activity.
Documented studies support the emerging idea that drug enantiomers could have different pharmacological activity. Our bibliographical data have shown that so far no report has been published on the pharmacological activity of individual enantiomers of methocarbamol. This study was conducted to characterize the muscle relaxant activity of methocarbamol enantiomers. The rotarod test was used to compare the muscle relaxant activity of racemic methocarbamol and pure enantiomers after intraperitoneal administration of the enantiomers to mice. The results show that (+)-R-methocarbamol has higher muscle relaxant activity compared with racemic methocarbamol or (-)-S-methocarbamol.
We have developed a stereoselective high-performance liquid chromatography technique for analytical separation of methocarbamol enantiomers. Precolumn derivatization was performed at room temperature using (-)-menthylchloroformate as a chiral reagent in the presence of pyridine as catalyst. The resulting diastereomers were separated on two Resolve C18 columns connected in series. The mobile phase was phosphate buffer (pH 7.5)-acetonitrile (50: 50, v/v) at a flow rate of 1 mL min(-1). UV detection was set at 274 nm. The optimum amount of reagent and the maximum peak intensity of the diastereomers were determined. The resolution of the diastereomers was satisfactory (alpha = 1.04) under the conditions used.
1. Previous studies paying attention to concurrent use of lithium (Li+) with a neuroleptic were not done under constant and controlled conditions. We were therefore encouraged to do a prospectively controlled study, presuming constant relevant factors, on concomitant use of Li+ with neuroleptic as well as other psychotropic agents. 2. The effects of concurrent administration of chlorpromazine, haloperidol, imipramine and carbamazepine with Li+ on the erythrocyte:plasma Li+ ratio and the intraerythrocyte Li+ concentration were studied in mice by using a new, direct method of measuring erythrocyte Li+ concentration. 3. All of the foregoing agents with the exception of carbamazepine were observed to significantly decrease the Li+ ratio. 4. Lack of any significant effect by carbamazepine on Li+ transport may be an indication of this drug's efficacy as a supplement in Li+ therapy of bipolar affective disorders. 5. The decrease in Li+ ratio observed with chlorpromazine, haloperidol and imipramine may be explained through the mechanism by which these drugs stabilize the cell membrane and consequently affect Li+ transport in erythrocytes. 6. Moreover, our study proves that, although the Li(+)-sodium countertransport mechanism does not exist in mice, the same interaction between Li+ and other psychotropic drugs is seen. It can be concluded that such interaction is not mediated through Li(+)-sodium countertransport. 7. It is suggested that, with concurrent use of a psychotropic drug and Li+, the amount of intraerythrocyte Li+ concentration be measured, instead of relying on the plasma Li+ concentration alone.
In this study the warfarin level in the plasma of 60 patients receiving different dosage regimens of warfarin were determined by HPLC. The corresponding prothrombin times (PT) were also measured. The steady state plasma level of warfarin in 10 healthy volunteers was 900.7+/-158.21 ng/ml. A mean dose of 3.79+/-1.02 mg of warfarin corresponded to a therapeutic level of 1193.81+/-300.35 ng/ml with a mean PT of 20.13+/-0.69 s. The results of this study suggest that Iranian subjects are more sensitive to warfarin than North American and European subjects, but have responses very similar to those of Asians. Dietary, ethnic and geographical factors as well as differences in drug dispensition may be the cause of the observed dosage variability of warfarin.
A sensitive stereoselective HPLC method was developed for determination of mefloquine (MFQ) enantiomers in plasma, urine and whole blood. The assay involved liquid-liquid extraction of MFQ from biological fluids with a mixture of hexane and isopropanol in the presence of sodium hydroxide and derivatization of the residue by (+)-(S)-naphthylethylisocyanate (NEIC) as chiral derivatizing reagent. Separation of the resulting diastereomers was performed on a silica normal-phase column using chloroform-hexane-methanol (25:74:1) as the mobile phase with a flow-rate of 1 ml/min. Using 200 microl of plasma or whole blood, the limit of determination was 0.2 microg/ml with UV detection for both enantiomers. The limit of determination in 500 microl of urine was 0.08 microg/ml with UV detection.
Patients treated with lithium (Li+) and neuroleptic drugs concomitantly are reported to show more pronounced adverse effects than patients on Li+ alone. There are conflicting results about the effect of neuroleptic drugs on the erythrocyte/plasma Li+ ratio and intraerythrocyte Li+ concentration, and methodological problems may be a reason for this. The effect of the concurrent use of neuroleptic drugs with Li+ on the Li+ ratio was studied in 66 patients with bipolar affective disorders during prophylactic Li+ therapy using the new direct method of measuring erythrocyte Li+ concentration. This new direct method has been shown to give much more precise and accurate results than the values obtained by other methods. No relationship was found between the Li+ ratio and sex, age, Li+ dosage, duration of treatment or plasma Li+ concentration. Results revealed that patients taking a combination of Li+ and neuroleptic drugs showed significantly lower Li+ ratios and intraerythrocyte Li+ concentrations as compared with those on Li+ alone. It is notable that this reducing effect of neuroleptic drugs was increased by the concurrent use of two types of neuroleptic drugs. The effect on neuroleptic drugs on the Li+ ratio may be mediated through a stabilizing effect of these drugs on the cell membrane and consequently Li+ transport in erythrocytes.
Due to the claim that lithium (Li+) reduces morphine self-administration in dependent rats, the effects of acute and chronic Li+ treatments on naloxone-precipitated withdrawal syndrome and physical dependence development to morphine in mice chronically treated with morphine, were evaluated. Morphine dependency was induced by the ingestion of morphine through drinking water in increasing doses for 10 days. Physical dependence to morphine was observed by precipitating an abstinence syndrome with naloxone (2 mg/kg, i.p.). In the acute experiments, Li+ (1 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) was administered 1 hr prior to challenge with naloxone to morphine-dependent mice whereas for chronic studies, mice received morphine concomitant with Li+ (1200 mg/l) as drinking fluid for 10 days. Results obtained indicate that acute Li+ administration significantly reduced the withdrawal signs, and we were unable to induce some degree of morphine dependency in co-administration of Li+ to mice receiving chronic morphine treatment as compared to chronic morphine administration alone. The present study revealed that even in mice with very much lower serum Li+ levels than the commonly accepted therapeutic range there was a significant reduction in the withdrawal signs. It has been shown that Li+ and morphine have diverse effects on the transmembrane signal control systems. The interaction of Li+ and morphine might be through these systems.
1. The effects of acute and chronic lithium (Li+) treatments on the antinociception caused by morphine were studied in mice using the tail-flick test. 2. Subcutaneous injection of morphine (10 mg/kg) caused significant antinociception. 3. Acute Li+ administration (0.05, 0.1, 0.3, 1, 5 and 10 mg/kg, i.p.) alone had no significant antinociceptive effect but changed morphine analgesia; low doses of Li+ (0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/kg) were found to decrease the antinociception induced by morphine whereas higher doses of the drug (10 mg/kg) potentiated this effect. 4. The 6 day administration of Li+ with a serum level of 0.528 mM decreased the antinociceptive effect of morphine. 5. The effect of Li+ on morphine-induced analgesia persisted for 96 hr in spite of the fact that Li+ drinking was discontinued (the serum Li+ level decreased from 0.528 to 0.022 mM). 6. It has been reported that Li+ might change both the binding of opioids to their receptors and biosynthesis or release of endogenous opioids. There is also a considerable body of evidence which indicates that both Li+ and morphine affect phosphoinositide turnover, intracellular calcium content and cyclic AMP level. The interaction of two drugs may conceivably take place through these systems. 7. These data suggest that the biological effects of Li+ may exist at very much lower serum Li+ levels than the commonly accepted therapeutic range.
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In this study 228 traffic policemen and 68 policemen engaged in office duties were studied for lead absorption. The average value of blood lead of traffic policemen (29.52 +/- 7.78 micrograms/100 mL) in the city of Tehran was significantly (p less than 0.01) higher than for the policemen in office duties (21.74 +/- 5.63 micrograms/100 mL). No correlation between blood lead level and age and/or length of occupation was found. The most reasonable explanation for the findings of this study is that lead emission from motor vehicles is causing this effect.