---

Background and Objective: Lead threaten living creature’s life as air pollutant and causes several diseases such as degenerative disease of nervous system. This research was conducted to determine the effect of Curcumin on BDNF changes and oxidative/antioxidative process in rat’s hippocampus which exposed to Lead acetate.

Materials and Methods: In this experimental study, 40 male Wistar rats were randomly assigned to four groups of ten: Base, Sham(control), lead and Curcumin+Lead. lead and Curcumin+Lead groups received 20 mg/kg lead acetate and Curcumin+Lead group also received 30 mg/kg Curcumin, peritoneally for 8 weeks (3 days in weeks). MDA (oxidative stress biomarker) and TAC (total antioxidative capacity) levels were measured by TBARS and FRAP methods, respectively, and hippocampus BDNF level was measured by ELISA method in rat hippocampus region. Data was analyzed by one-way ANOVA test and Tukey at P<0.05 level.

Results: Injection of lead acetate significantly increased MDA, non-significantly decreased hippocampus BDNF and significantly decreased TAC levels in the Lead group compared with control groups. On the other hand, curcumin administration led to non significantly decreased MDA, nonsignificantly increased BDNF and significantly increased TAC levels compared with other groups (P<0.05).

Conclusion: This study showed that Curcumin adminstration in long term lead acetate-treated male Wistar Rats did not increased BDNF of hippocampus, but it prevent the reduction of BNDF due to lead-intoxification.

---

L-glutamate is the major excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS). It contribute in various physiological conditions such as brain development, synaptic plasticity, memory and learning. However, increasing of the extracellular glutamate concentration and overactivation of glutamate receptors in particular ionotropic subtypes leads to excitotoxicity which is the fundamental pathological pathway of neuronal injury. Due to lack of extracellular enzymatic destruction, the removal of released glutamate is achieved through the excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) which are distributed in glia that tightly surround the synaptic clefts, as well as in neurons. EAATs which known as Na+-dependent high-affinity glutamate transporters are the main responsible for maintaining extracellular glutamate concentration below excitotoxic levels. Moreover another membrane transporters regulating the flux of glutamate in different areas of the CNS. This system is cystine-glutamate exchanger (XCG-) that is Na+-independent system. Dysfunction of EAATs has been implicated in both acute insults e.g. stroke, trauma and chronic neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders e.g. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, epilepsy, schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, the purpose of this review article is to explain the pathway of glutamate biosynthesis, its release into CNS, discribing and elaborating Glutamate transporters, activites and their role in excitoxcity in CNS.

---

Several medicines are used in the nervous system disorders. Since there are several adverse effects of neurological medicines are reported, traditional and complementary medicine itself as new alternative regiment, which require further knowledge about the herbal medicine which the core center of complementary medicine. Lavandula angustifolia with the formal name of Lavandula Officinalis has many effects including widespread effect on central and peripheral nervous system, including anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptosis, antioxidant, antimutant, and neuroprotective effects. It shows analgesic effects and can alleviate pain, tolerance and dependency similar to morphine. Lavandula angustifolia has anti - inflammatory effect. Also this plant affects on cellular mechanisms like oxidative reactions (decrease of oxidative stress), apoptosis (anti - apoptosis), and nitric oxide production decrease of no production), anti - mutation and anti - cancer by this plant is reportd. It seems that effects of Lavandula are mediated through Calcium-Calmodulin and its kinase dependent.

---

Background and Objective: Aging reduces cardiac autonomic function parameters such as heart rate response to exercise and heart rate recovery after physical activity. This study aimed to determine the parasympathetic nerves reactivation after upper body exercise among young and middle-aged men.
Methods: In this quasi-experimental study 24 active men based on their age were divided into two groups including 30-35 (young) and 55-60 years old men (middle-aged). Participants performed upper body exercise on a Monark arm ergometer. During the test, heart rate was recorded continuously by electrocardiogram. Also, participants' heart rate was recorded for 10 minutes after completion of the test. In order to measure the time domain parameters of heart rate variability (PNN50 and RMSSD), one-minute successive RR waves intervals collected in 5 minutes and 10 minutes after the completion of the test and then were transmitted to the heart rate variability software for analysis. Also, heart rate recovery was measured in one minute and two minutes after the test by the difference between the maximum heart rate during the test with heart rate in one and two minutes after the completion of the test.
Results: There was a significant difference between PNN50 in minutes 5 and 10 after the test in young men (P<0.05). Young men also had higher values of RMSSD in minutes 5 and 10 compared to middle-aged men. The heart rate recovery in the 2 minutes after test was significantly higher than 1 minute after test in both groups (P<0.05). Heart rate recovery was higher in young people than in middle-aged people at 5 and 10 minutes after high-intensity exercise due to faster withdrawal of sympathetic nerves.
Conclusion: Changes in the autonomic nervous system is dependent on the type, duration of activity, and the age of the participants.
 

---

Background and Objective: Because of tissue variety, signs, symptoms, and higher mortality and morbidity, central nervous system (CNS) tumors are of special importance in diagnosis and treatment. Knowledge of the epidemiology of these tumors helps with health system planning. This study aimed to obtain more data on the epidemiologic specifications of these neoplasms.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study focuses on 141 patients (58 Male and 83 female) with CNS tumors who visited the 5th Azar Hospital, Gorgan, Iran, during 2013-17. All the data were obtained from hospital medical records in the Neurosurgery and Oncology Department. All demographic data were recorded, such as age, sex, tumor type, signs, symptoms, and risk factors. In cases with incomplete data, the files were completed with interviews and phone calls.
Results: The tumors in 94 (66.6%) patients were benign, and 47 (33.3%) patients had malignant and metastatic tumors. The most common signs were headache (n=43, 30.5%) and convulsion (n=24, 17%). No relationship was found between CNS tumors, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia.
Conclusion: Regarding the high mortality of CNS tumors, early adequate attention to signs and symptoms helps earlier diagnosis. However, more studies on larger samples are needed to find more risk factors.

---

Background and Objective: In recent years, studies have been conducted to determine the prevalence rate of congenital abnormalities in different regions of Iran, most of which were conducted on live births. This study was conducted to determine fetal abnormalities in pregnancies leading to legal abortion in Golestan province.
Methods: This descriptive-analytical study was conducted on 199 pregnant women with a gestational age of less than 20 weeks with abortion licenses from the Forensic Medicine Center of Golestan province over 9 months during 2018-19. Demographic characteristics, including parents’ age, ethnicity, and family relationship, and the type of fetal abnormalities were recorded.
Results: Given 29,460 births in Golestan province over a 9-month period, the prevalence of fetal abnormalities was determined to be 6.75 per thousand births. The incidence rates of fetal abnormalities were determined to be 6.78, 6.68, 7.69, and 5.65 per thousand births in native Fars (80 cases), Turkmen (65 cases), Sistani (34 cases), and other (20 cases) ethnic groups, respectively. Since the gender of 80 fetuses was unknown, the incidence rates of abnormality were determined to be 4.36 and 3.72 per thousand births in female (63 cases) and male (56 cases) fetuses, respectively. The most common fetal abnormalities included central nervous system (n=49, 24.62%), chromosomal abnormalities (n=47, 23.61%), and cardiovascular impairments (n=26, 13.06%). The incidence of fetal abnormalities was not found to have a statistically significant relationship with parents' age, ethnicity, and family relationship.
Conclusion: The most prevalent fetal abnormality was related to central nervous system disorders. The incidence of fetal abnormalities had no relationship with the parents’ age, ethnicity, and family relationship.