Chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain is one of the major problems for cancer patients. Although paclitaxel and cisplatin are widely used in women, most laboratory studies of chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain have been conducted on male animals. The current study examined the gender differences in chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain in mice. Neuropathic pain was induced by intraperitoneal injection of paclitaxel (2 mg/kg) for five consecutive days and cisplatin (1 mg/kg) for seven consecutive days. Cold allodynia was evaluated by measuring the paw withdrawal frequency and duration of paw licking in mice; however, mechanical allodynia was assessed by von Frey filaments. Neuropathic pain began to manifest after a few days (P < 0.001). Cold allodynia was more robust in female mice (P < 0.001) treated with paclitaxel, while no differences were observed between the two genders in the manifestation of paclitaxel-induced mechanical allodynia. Interestingly, no gender differences were observed in cisplatin-induced cold and mechanical allodynia tests. In conclusion, gender differences play a major role in neuropathic pain induced by paclitaxel. The differences between male and female animals should be considered in future studies and the findings should be generalized to humans with caution.

Aims: Stachys lavandulifoliaVahl is a frequently used plant to treat different diseases, but its probable toxic effects have not been reported yet. This study aimed to study the toxicity of the extract on rats' liver. Methods: In this experimental study, 100 rats were designated into 10 groups and injected normal saline or Stachys lavandulifolia Vahl extract at 50, 100, 150, and 200 mg/kg, intraperitoneally for 28 days. Four case groups and one control group were examined for ALT, AST and ALP after one month and the other groups were evaluated after two months. Results: In the fi rst month, the increase of ALP at all doses and the increase of AST at 200 mg/kg was significant, compared to the control group (p<0.05). In the second month, AST increased at the dosage of 150mg/ kg, and ALP decreased at the dosage of 100 mg/kg, compared to the control group (p<0.05). Histopathological assessment showed a signifi cant dose dependent increase both in necrotic-infl ammatory reactions and fi brotic lesions, in the fi rst and second months, compared to the control group (p<0.001). Conclusions: The Stachys lavandulifolia extract injected intraperitoneally has hepatotoxic effect, which is not eliminated by the drug withdrawal. Therefore, it is necessary to be consumed with caution (Tab. 4, Fig. 1

Dietary supplementation with bilberry fruits may protect against impaired glucose and lipid metabolism in DM.

The present findings suggest a protective role of jujube supplementation, in particular in the powdered form, against diabetes-induced biochemical and histopathological abnormalities.

Background: Prevalence of migraine, as a chronic neurovascular disorder, was approximately 10.3 and 23.1% among men and women, respectively, mostly in people younger than 40 years old. Migraine is prevalent in different geographic areas worldwide. The present study was designed to compare the impact of intranasal lidocaine 4% and peppermint essential oil drop 1.5% on migraine attacks. Methods: In this double-blind, parallel, randomized controlled trial, 120 adult patients with a diagnosis of migraine based on the International Headache Society criteria were treated with intranasal lidocaine drop 4% or peppermint essential oil drop 1.5% or placebo. Patients expressed their symptoms 5 and 15 min after dripping, and if they still had a headache after 15 min, they were given the second dose. Patients with a second dose of medication, 15 min later recorded their headache rate. All patients recorded their symptoms after 30 min. Symptoms of the patients were followed by a researcher through the phone and in-person after 2 months. Then, the questionnaires were filled. Results: In the present study, there was a significant difference among groups in headache intensity after treatment ( P < 0.001). In 40% of the patients in the peppermint oil and lidocaine groups, the intensity of headache decreased. In the placebo group, fewer patients responded highly to the treatment, whereas 41.5% of patients in the lidocaine group and 42.1% of patients in the peppermint oil group responded to the treatment considerably. Conclusions: Concerning the findings of the present study, nasal application of peppermint oil caused considerable reduction in the intensity and frequency of headache and relieved majority of patients' pain similar to lidocaine. On the basis of findings of this study, it can be concluded that nasal menthol, such as lidocaine, can be used to relieve migraine headaches.