The basis for the finding that chronic lithium treatment increased bcl-2 protein levels in the mean astrocytes but not in the mixed neuron-astrocyte culture is not completely clear. It is possible that lithium does not affect the interaction between neurons and astrocytes in vitro under non-stressed conditions. Song et al.35 reported earlier that lithium exerted some of its effects

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical only when cells were stressed. Further studies are necessary to evaluate the effect of lithium on bcl-2 in rat primary neuron-astrocyte cultures in the presence and absence of stressors. Elevation of bcl-2 levels in cortical astrocytes by lithium may have important implications with respect to its spectrum of therapeutic actions. Decreased gray matter volume, especially in prefrontal cortex,36 may be at least partly attributed to the decreased number and/or size of astrocytes.16,37 Astrocytes constitute the majority

of glial cells in the CNS;16 reduced glial density Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical has been shown in BD post-mortem cortical brain regions.38 Taken together, structural neuroimaging and post-mortem Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical brain findings implicate astroglial impairment in BD and lend support to the notion that the efficacy of lithium in the treatment of BD may be partly mediated by enhancing astroglial integrity. Such a conclusion is also supported by earlier studies showing that lithium treatment can increase gray matter volume in BD brains, that mood stabilizers appear to prevent glial reduction in BD brain,9,17 and that lithium protected astrocytes from apoptosis by inhibiting glycogen synthase kinase-3β inhibition,39 which elevates bcl-2 levels.40 Thus, it is plausible that the effect of lithium to increase the level of bcl-2 in astrocytes is also important to this glial-targeted effect. Conclusion Chronic lithium Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical treatment increased bcl-2 protein levels in the primary cortical astrocytes but not in the neuronal cultures. These findings highlight astrocytes as a target of chronic lithium action, which

may be relevant Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical to its therapeutic effects in BD. Acknowledgment This article was derived from an experimental study by Mojtaba Keshavarz performed in partial fulfillment of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and was financially supported by the office of the Vice Chancellor Brefeldin_A of Research Affairs, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences (#89-5193). The authors would like to thank Mrs. sellckchem Maryam Rahmani Fard for her assistance in cell culturing. Conflicts of Interest: None declared.
Background: Awareness and recall, though not common, are the major hazards of general anesthesia, especially in Cesarean section (C/S) because of the absence of benzodiazepine and opioids for a significant time during anesthesia. In this study, the Bispectral Index (BIS), end-tidal isoflurane, and hemodynamic parameters were examined to evaluate the depth of the routine general anesthetic technique in C/S. Methods: This study was carried out on 60 parturient patients undergoing elective C/S.