There is some evidence in traditional medicine for the effectiveness of Thymus vulgaris (百里香 bǎi lǐ xiāng) in the treatment of anxiety in humans. The elevated plus-maze (EPM) has broadly been used to investigate anxiolytic and anxiogenic compounds. The present study investigated the effects of extract of T. vulgaris on rat behavior in the EPM. In the present study, the data were obtained from male Wistar rats. Animals were divided into four groups: saline group and T. vulgaris groups (50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 200 mg/kg infusion for 7 days by feeding). During the test period, the total distance covered by animals, the number of open- and closed-arm entries, and the time spent in open and closed arms of the EPM were recorded. T. vulgaris increased open-arm exploration and open-arm entry in the EPM, whereas extract of this plant has no effects on the total distance covered by animals and the number of closed-arm entries. The results of the present experiment indicate that T. vulgaris may have an anxiolytic profile in rat behavior in the EPM test, which is not influenced by the locomotor activity. Further research is required to determine the mechanisms by which T. vulgaris extract exerts an anxiolytic effect in rats.

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Previous studies indicate that metabotropic glutamate receptor type 2/3 (mGluR2/3) has a key role in the rewarding properties of morphine-induced conditioning place preference (CPP). Group II mGluR2/3 agonists are offered as a drug addiction treatment. The nucleus accumbens (NAc), which is one of the important areas involved in the reward circuitry, also expresses these receptors. In this study, we evaluated the effects of mGluR2/3 agonist, LY379268, on the extinction and reinstatement of morphine-induced CPP, following its microinjection into the NAc. Adult male Wistar rats (220-250 g) were implanted bilaterally by two separate cannulae into the NAc. After the acquisition of morphine CPP, different doses of LY379268 (0.3, 1 and 3 µg/0.5 μl saline) were microinjected into the NAc every day during the extinction period and, in a different set of experiments, on the reinstatement test day, 60 min before the infusion of a priming dose of morphine (1 mg/kg; subcutaneous). Thereafter, the animals were tested for place preference by the Ethovision software. The intra-accumbal injection of the mGluR2/3 agonist, LY379268, significantly decreased the extinction latencies and reinstatement of morphine-induced CPP at higher doses. It seems that the NAc might be a functional region for mGluR2/3 to play a regulatory role for decreasing drug-seeking behavior in rats. Furthermore, it can be said that mGluR2/3 agonists have a potential role in the treatment of drug-seeking behaviors.

Background: The inferior alveolar nerve (IAN) block is the most commonly used mandibular injection method for local anesthesia in restorative and surgical procedures. Ultrasound images can provide more accurate information about the location of the inferior alveolar neurovascular bundle. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the ultrasound images of patients to determine the location of the mandibular foramen (MF) relative to the adjacent landmarks. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional analytical study, 50 patients were subjected to intra-oral ultrasonography of the right and left sides of the mandible. An Alpinion ultrasound system (Seoul, South Korea) was used for detecting the MF, as well as its distance from different landmarks. Results: In all patients, the MF was found using color Doppler ultrasonography. The probability of detecting MF in conventional ultrasonography was estimated at 36% and 18% for the right and left sides of the mandible without using the Doppler technique, respectively. The mean MF distance from the anterior border of the ramus was 14.6 ± 2.1 and 16.1 ± 2.1 mm on the right and left sides, respectively. Also, the vertical distance of MF from the occlusal plane was 7.5 ± 1.1 mm on the right side and 8.7 ± 1.2 mm on the left side of the mandible. In all studied patients, the MF was above the occlusal plane. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that ultrasonography is not only a suitable option for intra-oral imaging due to its non-ionizing beams, but is also appropriate for localization of the MF and its related landmarks.