AIM: To determine ocular motor nerve palsy in patients with head trauma.METHODS: There were three hundred admitted cases of head trauma in neurosurgery department of Shahid Rahnemon Hospital from March 2006 to September 2006. Data were collected with ophthalmic examinations, filled in questionnaires and analyzed by SPSS software statistically including Chi-square test and Fisher's exact test.RESULTS: A total of 300 patients were reviewed, 242 (81.1%) men and 58 (18.9%) women. Their age ranged from 1 to 87 years (mean of 46 years). Accident and fall were the most common causes of head trauma, occurring in 247 (82.3%) patients and most of patients had Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) 13-15(82.3%). The most cerebral lesion was subdural and subarachnoid hematoma. Isolated trochlear and abducens nerve palsy (28.6%), isolated oculomotor nerve and combined nerve palsies (combination of 3rd and 4th cranial nerves, 14.3%) were the most affected nerves.CONCLUSION: Although the cranial nerve palsy is rare with minor head trauma, according to their observation in emergency room, neuroophtalmic examination is advised.

· AIM: To investigate the conditions of traumatic visual loss of inpatients in Yazd, Iran from 2005 to 2006, and to explore the possible causes and preventive methods. · METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data on all patients with eye injuries (70 cases) hospitalized at Shahid Sadoughi Hospital between August 2005 and August 2006, including age, gender, causes, type of injury, time of initial treatment, visual acuity during admission and discharge, surgical procedures, and final outcome. Furthermore, standardized international classifi-cation of ocular trauma (Birmingham Eye Trauma Terminology) was used for eye injury categorization. · RESULTS: A total of 70 inpatients with ocular injuries were selected by simple approach. The male/female ratio was 2.8 to 1. The most frequent causes of eye injury were metallic objects (34.3%) especially in age group of ≤ 10 and ≥ 30 years old, accidents (22. 8%) and assaults (17.2%). Waiting time to initial treatment was 6-24 hours in most cases (51.4%). Trauma was blunt in 38.6% and penetrating in 61.4%. The most and the least final visual acuity in blunt and penetrating trauma was LP (51.8%, 41.8%) and HM (7.5%, 4. 7%) respectively. Surgery outcome was globe saving with acceptable visual acuity in72.9% and enucleation in 24.2%. · CONCLUSION: With regard to the high incidence of ocular trauma and consequent severe visual loss, parents' attention, eye safety protection and early treatment should be considered as final preserving globe in most accidents.

In this study, we carried out extensive in vitro studies on various concentrations of tioxolone along with benzoxonium chloride and their niosomal forms against Leishmania tropica. Niosomes were prepared by the hydration method and were evaluated for morphology, size, release study, and encapsulation efficiency. This study measured leishmanicidal activity against promastigote and amastigote, apoptosis and gene expression levels of free solution and niosomal-encapsulated tioxolone along with benzoxonium chloride. Span/Tween 60 niosome had good physical stability and high encapsulation efficiency (more than 97%). The release profile of the entrapped compound showed that a gradual release rate. The combination of niosomal forms on promastigote and amastigote were more effective than glucantime. Also, the niosomal form of this compound was significantly less toxic than glucantime (P≤0.05). The flowcytometric analysis on niosomal form of drugs showed that higher number of early apoptotic event as the principal mode of action (89.13% in 200 μg/ml). Also, the niosomal compound increased the expression level of IL-12 and metacaspase genes and decreased the expression level of the IL-10 gene, which further confirming the immunomodulatory role as the mechanism of action. We observed the synergistic effects of these 2 drugs that induced the apoptotic pathways and also up regulation of an immunomodulatory role against as the main mode of action. Also, niosomal form of this combination was safe and demonstrated strong anti-leishmaniasis effects highlights further therapeutic approaches against anthroponotic cutaneous leishmaniasis in future planning.
Apoptosis ; Gene Expression ; In Vitro Techniques ; Interleukin-10 ; Interleukin-12 ; Leishmania tropica ; Leishmania ; Leishmaniasis, Cutaneous ; Liposomes ; Methods ; Up-Regulation

Objective: To explore the antileishmanial effect of tioxolone and its niosomal form against Leishmania tropica. Methods: Tioxolone niosomes were prepared by the hydration method and were evaluated for morphology, size, release study, and encapsulation efficiency. The cytotoxicity of tioxolone and its niosomal form was measured by MTT assay, leishmanicidal activity against promastigote and amastigote by MTT assay, apoptosis by flow cytometry, IL-12, IL-10 and metacaspase gene expression levels by q-PCR. Results: Span/Tween 40 and Span/Tween 60 niosomes had good physical stability as depicted in their size distribution curves and high encapsulation efficiency (>99%). The release profile of the entrapped compounds showed Fickian's model of tioxolone delivery based on diffusion through lipid bilayers. With the IC