BACKGROUND Developmental differences in responses to acute and chronic nerve injury have received minimal attention. This study examines developmental differences in behavioral responses to a proximal (closer to the spinal cord) (L5 and L6 spinal nerve root ligation) or to a more distal (closer to peripheral innervation) (partial sciatic nerve ligation) nerve injury in rats paralleling the infa...

BACKGROUND Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) from spinal microglia is crucial for aberrant nociceptive signaling in several pathological pain conditions, including postoperative pain. We assess the contribution of spinal microglial activation and associated BDNF overexpression to the early post-incisional nociceptive threshold. METHODS Male Sprague-Dawley rats were implanted with an in...

Avoidance of the negative affective (emotional) symptoms of nicotine withdrawal (e.g., anhedonia, anxiety) contributes to tobacco addiction. Establishing the minimal nicotine exposure conditions required to demonstrate negative affective withdrawal signs in animals, as well as understanding moderators of these conditions, could inform tobacco addiction-related research, treatment, and policy. T...

Alcohol withdrawal hypertension is a common clinical problem which often goes unrecognized. We report a case in which the symptoms and signs of withdrawal with a marked elevation in blood pressure mimicked the features of a phaeochromocytoma. Despite a positive phentolamine test no further evidence for phaeochromocytoma was found and both blood pressure and symptoms settled as the features of a...

BACKGROUND This study tests the hypothesis that loss of spinal activity of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contributes to the allodynia and hyperalgesia observed after peripheral nerve injury. METHODS Intrathecal catheters were implanted in male Sprague-Dawley rats. Antinociception was assessed by measuring withdrawal latency to immersion of the tail in a 52 degrees C water bath. Nerve injury ...

Objective: To compare the efficacy of Topiramate in reducing Heroin withdrawal symptoms in Iranian paients. Design: Double blind placebo-controlled trial. Place & Duration of Study: Study was conducted in Ibn-e-Sina Hospital, Mashad, Iran in a period of two years i.e., 2006-07. Subjects & Methods: The study was carried out on 149 patients with Heroin dependency (74 in Topiramate group and 75 in...

Endogenous thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) reserve and pituitary thyrotropin (TSH) reserve were assessed in four normal subjects, three patients post-cryohypophysectomy, one patient with a hypothalamic lesion secondary to trauma, and four patients with Sheehan's syndrome. TSH reserve was determined by the immunoassayable TSH response to 500 mug TRH given i.v. (TRH stimulation test). TRH res...

purpose: this study aimed to evaluate risk factors associated with threshold retinopathy of prematurity (rop) in premature infants referred to farabi eye hospital during 2008-2009. since blindness and sever visual impairments will occur in a high percentage of infants stricken with threshold retinopathy, we intended to examine relationship between demographic factors and threshold retinopathy i...