---

Background & Objective: Congenital spinal deformities usually present in infancy and make parents  worry about their child future. Because of congenital nature of these deformities, cord anomalies and other organ abnormalities must be evaluated. This study was done to determine Congenital spinal deformity and associated anomalies.

 

Materials & Methods: This cross sectional study was done on 97 patients who referred to Shafa hospital in Tehran- Iran with congenital back deformities from October 2005 to January 2007. All patients were assessed with physical examination, spinal radiography, MRI, urinary system sonography and echocardiography.

 

Results: Mean age of patients at presentation was 81 month. 81 patients had congenital scoliosis and 16 patients had congenital kyphosis. Mean cobb angle was 52 degrees for congenital scoliosis and 70 degrees for congenital kyphosis. 22 patients had neurologic or skin signs that 81% of them had cord abnormalities (p<0.05). Cord anomalies were seen in 36 scoliosis (46.5%) and 2 kyphosis (15%) (p<0.05). Most common cord anomalies were syingomyelia,diastematomyelia and tethered cord. Congenital heart anomalies was seen in 3 patients (4%) and valvular heart disease in 10 patients (13.5%) and kidney anomalies in 7 patients (12%). Only one patient with congenital heart disease and one patient with kidney anomaly had kyphosis.

 

Conclusion: Regarding to prevalence of congenital spinial deformity (CSD) in scoliosis and kyphosis patients, all of patients with CSD should screued for determiation of conganital anomalies by MRI, Eco cardiography and kidny sonography.

---

Background and Objective: Due to high mortality and morbidity of the cervical cancer we decided to compare benefits and advers effects of Gemcitabine plus conventional chemoradiation with conventional chemoradiation with cisplatin alone in Imam Hossein hospital, in Tehran, Iran. Materials and Methods: This double blind clinical trial, was carried out on 34 patients with documented cervical carcinoma during 2006-07 the patients divided into two sub groups: (A)Conventional concurrent chemoradiation with cisplatin(N=18) versus(B) concurrent chemoradiation with cisplatin plus gemicitabine (N=16). The patients with clinical stage of IB2-IVA and normal cell blood count with normal renal and liver function tests included in the study. Irradiation was delivered to all patients through external and internal beams with same dose and schedule. The patients followed for 3 months at least. Clinical response rate and adverse events included Neutropenin, Thrombocytopenia, anemia, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting compared in two groups with fisher exact test, and t-test. Results: Despite increasing of complete response rate with adding gemcitabine to conventional treatment(81.2% vs. 66.7%), the difference in two groups was not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study indicated that the addition of gemicatabine to conventional chemoradiation with cisplatinrevealed no significant benefits. All adverse events in combination chemotherapy group were greater than conventional treatment.

---

Background and Objective: Several investigations have indicated the antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, antipyretic effects and smooth muscle relaxant activity of Cassia species. This study was done to determine the effect of Cassia fistula on sleeping time and the level of anxiety in mice. Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 80 male albino mice (25-30 g) randomly allocated in 8 groups. For measuring the sleeping time we used the Angle method and animals were divided into three experimentals (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) and one control group. For evaluating of anxiety levels, animals randomly were divided into three experimentals and one control group, and elevated plus maze (EPM) model was used. The evaluation of anxiety indices included number and percent of time spent in open arm. Different doses of the aqueous extract of Cassia fistula (250, 500, 1000 mg/kg IP) were injected intraperitoneally to the treated groups. Controls were recived 10 ml/kg/BW normal saline intraperitoneally in both methods. Results: The extract of Cassia fistula (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg) significantly increased sleeping time [F (3, 39)=23.19, P<0.05]. Also open time [F (3,39)=15.55, P<0.05] and the number of open arm entries [F (3, 39)=24.21, P<0.05] were significantly in doses (250mg and 500 mg) were singnificantly more than control group, respectively (P<0.05). Conclusion: This study showed that the aqueous extract of Cassia fistula fruit incerase the sleeping time and deereasing level of anxity in mice.

---

Background and Objective: Estradiol plays an important role in folliculogenesis and its developmental stages of embryo. This study was done to determine the quantitative assessment of mouse embryo development yielded from in vitro fertilization of ovulated mature oocytes after ovarian stimulation using human menopausal gonadotropin (HMG) and Estradiol valerate (E2). Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 40 female NMRI mice were allocated into two groups. Control and treatment groups received HMG alone (10 IU/mouse) and a combination of HMG and E2 (1μg/mouse) in single dose manner, respectively. Following the induction of ovulation by HCG, the oocytes collected and morphologically evaluated. MΙΙ oocytes for in vitro fertilization (IVF) were transferred into medium containing capacitated and incubated sperm derived from male NMRI mice. The yielded embryos subsequently transferred into developmental medium for reaching to the blastocyst stage. Results: The difference between the mean percentage of yielded oocytes and healthy MII oocytes in the control and treatment groups was not significant. The percentages of the fertilized oocytes reached to two-cells was 34.22±21.87 and 36.83±20.68 in control and treatment groups, respectively. The percentages of the blastocys stages of embryos was 49.41±26.5 and 62.02±30.11 in control and treatment groups, respectively. Conclusion: The addition of estradiol to HMG as an ovarian stimulator can not increase the rates of yielded MII oocytes and embryonic development.