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Copyright of Turkish Journal of Neurology / Turk Noroloji Dergisi is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objective: Ultrasound (US) is a medical imaging technique with various therapeutic and diagnostic applications. This study aimed to investigate the effects of diagnostic US waves with a frequency of 3.5 MHz and intensity of 65 mW/cm² on the threshold of neurons' excitability and the apoptosis induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ) in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty-seven-day-old Wistar rats were randomly divided into five groups. The first group was assigned as the control group, the second group was seized by intraperitoneal injection of PTZ, the third, fourth, and fifth groups were given US waves for 5, 10, and 15 minutes, respectively, followed by intraperitoneal PTZ injection. The animals were observed and their behavior, including the seizure duration, the number of seizures, and the seizure cessation time were recorded for 30 minutes. Subsequently, animals' hippocampi were removed in order to measure B-cell lymphoma protein 2 (BCL-2) and BCL-2-associated X (BAX) by using Western blotting techniques. Results: The results showed that US waves in the diagnostic frequency range with a duration of 5, 10, and 15 minutes significantly increased the seizure duration in the target groups. Furthermore, the simultaneous use of US with the desired times with PTZ increased the number of seizures and prolonged the seizure cessation time. PTZ increased the BAX/BCL-2 proteins ratio, and the concomitant use of US and PTZ intensified the impairment. Conclusion: This study showed that exposure to US increased the excitability of neurons and exacerbated the seizure effects of PTZ as well as PTZ-induced apoptosis in the rat hippocampal cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The drug delivery system is valuable in the treatment of the disease. A nanopolymer as a thymol and Thymbra spicata release system was synthesized and its effects on morphine withdrawal syndrome in comparison with clonidine in rats were studied. The nanopolymer was characterized by different methods, namely, IR, HNMR, CNMR, GPC, DLS, and AFM. Thymol in T. spicata extract was assessed. The loading and release rate of thymol and T. spicata extract on the nanopolymer were evaluated by HPLC. The median lethal dose (LD50) of the T. spicata extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer was studied. The frequency of jumping, rearing, and teeth chattering in naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal syndrome was studied. Synthesized nanopolymer was desirable as a carrier for the drug. The loaded amount of extract and thymol on nanopolymer was estimated 55 ± 3.2% and 48 ± 2.6% and the drug released was 71 and 68%, respectively. LD50 of the T. spicata extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer was 975, 580, 1,250, and 650 mg/kg, respectively. This study showed that thymol nanopolymer was more effective than clonidine to reduce the frequency of morphine withdrawal symptoms. Our results suggest that T. spicata extract, thymol, extract nanopolymer, and thymol nanopolymer are mighty in reducing the narcotic withdrawal signs. The mechanism of action and therapeutic potential is maybe similar to clonidine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]