Background: Levetiracetam is a member of the new antiepileptic drugs and has a broad spectrum effect, used as an adjunctive therapy in addition to monotherapy in the treatment of partial onset-seizures. The effect of levetiracetam on the development of embryo nervous system after maternal exposure during pregnancy has not been identified. Objective: to evaluate the effect of antiepileptic drug, levetiracetam (LEV) within its therapeutic dose 350mg/Kg body weight on albino female rat to clarify its effect on the developing cerebral cortex histologically. Material And Methods: Ten pregnant female rats were separated into two groups, control group and experimental group. They were obtained from the animal house of the high institute of infertility diagnosis and assisted reproductive technologies/Al-Nahrain university. They were maintained in environmentally controlled room at a temperature of 21–28±4Cº, 40–60% humidity, 12 hours light-dark cycle, in a noise free environment. Oral administration of 350mg/Kg of LEV to the experiment group while physiologic saline was given to control group. Results: microscopic assessment of the cerebral cortex defects in the cerebrum of the treated group when compared with the control group. There was disorganization of the cortical layers where boundaries were dimmed, the depth of the six layers were overlapping, decreased proportion of the stellate cells in the external granular layer therefore, reducing layer outline, vascular congestion and hemorrhage. Furthermore, observation shows cellular degeneration, necrosis, and nucleus karyorrhexis. Conclusion: this study demonstrate that they must take care from giving Levetiracetam to pregnant female because it induces histological changes in the brain of the newborn rat.
Background: Quality of life in brain tumor patients is an emerging issue and has prompted neurosurgeons to recon¬sider the need for cognitive assessment in the course of treatment. To date there has been a lack of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment performed preoperatively and in the acute postoperative period in our hospitals.Objectives: to establish the effects of tumors and their surgical treatment, from a neuropsychological perspective, on cognitive functioning in patients with cerebral Gliomas. Methods: This is a prospective study conducted in the Neurosurgical Hospital in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period from January 1999 to January 2001. Any patient admitted during the period of the study with clinical history, signs, sy
... Show MoreAneurysms of the cortical branches of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) are rare. They usually are secondary to traumatic or infectious etiologies and are rarely idiopathic. The specific characteristics of idiopathic aneurysms in such location are not well defined in the literature. The authors report a rare case of a ruptured giant idiopathic cortical MCA aneurysm with review of the available literature on this clinical entity.
A 24-year-old female presented with headache, disturbed level of consciousness, and right-sided weakness. Imaging studies showed a left frontoparietal intracer
Trace elements concentrations are frequently reported to be a good indicator for diagnosis and prognosis of some disease. The levels of copper, zinc, manganese, and magnesium were measured in serum of two group. Group one contains (52) newborn jaundice patients while the second group contains (20) healthy newborn used as controls.
In this study the concentration of Cu, Zn, Mg, and Mn were measured using atomic absorption spectrophotometer (AAS). It has been found that zinc level is significantly lower in newborn jaundice patients compared with normal subjects at (p<0.05) , also the level of Cu, Mg, and Mn were significantly
... Show MoreBackground: Neonatal period is a very vulnerable period of life due to many problems, In spite of advances in perinatal and neonatal care still, the mortality rate of neonate high especially in developing country The World Health Organization estimates that globally four million neonatal deaths per year, Developing countries account for around 99% of the neonatal mortality in the world, In Iraq. Neonatal mortality rate about 19 per 1000 live births which represent 56% of child death below 5 years age in 2012. The hospital in the study represents the larger pediatric hospital in Iraq. It contains 400 children's beds and 24 neonatal incubators.
Aims of the study: are to determine the institutional
... Show MoreBackground: Lamotrigine is a second generation Anti-epileptic drug; it is widely used for the treatment of epilepsy and bipolar disorder. Sufficient data is not available concerning its teratogenicity. Aim of the study: The study has been carried out to evaluate the effect of lamotrigine on Rat kidney development. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 10 pregnant Albino Rats (Rattus rattus) divided equally into two groups, control and experiment groups. Experiment group received lamotrigne 10mg/kg/day orally using naso-gastric tube from the first day of gestation until the first week after birth, while the control group received distilled water. Newborn kidneys were collected at day 7 postnatal and fixated in bouin’s solution,
... Show MoreBackground: Transient tachypnea (TTN) is a common disorder of the newborn. It is characterized by the
early onset of tachypnea sometimes with retractions or expiratory grunting and occasionally cyanosis that is
relieved by minimal oxygen supplementation (<40%).
Objectives: To identify the risk factors and describe the clinical characteristics, treatment and outcome of
infants with TTN.
Patients and methods: This study was carried out on 100 newborn babies with birth weight of 2500 to 4000 &nbs
Asthma is a chronic in?ammatory respiratory disease associated with the changes of asthmatic airway structural that result from interact remodeling and in?ammatory processes lead to obstruction of airway. Guggulsterone (GS) is a bioactive compound and plant steroid present in guggul gum of Commiphora wightii, which has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities. This study designed to investigate of anti-inflammatory activity of gugglsterone in improvement of asthma. Forty eight healthy albino male rats divided to six groups, Group I: Control group (distal water), Group II: Positive control group (distal water) with sensitization, Group III: Guggulsterone (25 mg/kg/day) with sens
... Show MoreThis study was aimed to investigate the effects of Cuminum cyminum seed aqueous extract on the function and histological structure of rat kidney treated with dibutyl phthalate (DBP). Eighteen albino rats weighing 190-240g and aged 10-12 weeks were used for this study which went on for 28 days. The rats were divided into three groups (each with six animals): 1st group: control rats were given food and tap water, 2nd group was given DBP (420mg/Kg. B.W.) with tap water and diet, 3rd group were fed cumin plant orally at a daily dose of (200 mg/kg B.W.) and DBP (420mg/kg. B.W.) was given with drinking water and fed with diet daily. Kidney and liver function parameters were measured and hi
... Show MoreBackground: Exposure to microwaves radiation from microwave oven may be harmful for users especially for the one who have highest contact with microwave oven. Because the body is electrochemical in nature, any force that disrupts or changes human electrochemical events will affect the physiology of the body by destabilization and interruption of many chemical body substance including growth factors.The insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) are a family of mitogenic proteins that control growth, differentiation, and the maintenance of differentiated function in numerous tissues. It fulfils an important role in growth and development of teeth, mandible, maxillae, and tongue. Platelet derived growth factors (PDGF) are proteins that regulate cell
... Show More