Inhalation of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) is known to induce acute lung injury (ALI) and studies from our laboratory have shown that THC, a psychoactive ingredient found in Cannabis sativa, can attenuate the ALI. In the current study, we investigated the role played by lung microbiota in ALI with or without THC treatment. A dual-dose of SEB was given to C3H/HeJ mice, which were then treated either with vehicle or THC. SEB-administration caused ALI and 100% mortality while all THC-treated mice survived and suppressed the inflammation in the lungs. Furthermore, lung microbiota was collected and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. The data were analyzed to determine the alpha and beta diversity. The major phylum was Proteobacteria, class Alphaproteobacteria and orders were Caulobacterles and Rhodobacteralesin in the lungs of vehicle-treated SEB group. Moreover, THC treatment led to elevated Firmicutes phylum due to significant increase in the beneficial genus, Lactobacillus. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), gram negative bacterial endotoxin was found at significantly higher concentration in the BALF of vehicle-treated group in comparison with THC-treated mice. Beneficial metabolome levels were significantly higher in the colonic flush of THC-treated mice when compared to vehicle-treated SEB group, specifically butyric, propionic and acetic acids. Together, our data suggest that THC attenuates SEB-induced mortality and ALI by altering the microbiota in the lungs (Supported by NIH grants P01AT003961, R01AT006888, R01ES019313, R01MH094755, P20GM103641, R01AI129788 to PN and MN and MoHESR fellowship for AKM).
Visceral leishmaniasis(VL) or kala-azar is one of the world most neglected tropical diseases in mortality and fourth in morbidity, rK39 dipstick was used to diagnose the suspected infected patients as easiest and rapid technique for VL diagnostic, the disease out-coming required to the differentiation of cell mediated immunity either T-helper 1(Th-1) or (Th-2). One of main pointers that may be considered as one of immune evasion strategy in the host-parasite interplay is HLA-G level alteration. HLA-G Known as a special proteins (non-classical HLA class I) molecules which can suppress the immune system by T-cell functions impaired in the aid with target receptors as LILRB4. The development of the cell mediated immunity initiated with Interle
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic cigarette smoking is one of the major risk factors for coronary artery disease. However, it has additional cardiac adverse effects independent of coronary atherosclerosis. Patient and Methods: After informed consent and perm- ission from the review board of the hospital, 80 healthy subjects who were classified as smokers or non-smokers were included in the study. They were examined by standard echocardiography protocol which was followed by two-dimensional speckle tracking to assess the functions of the right ventricle. Results: The tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) was significantly reduced in smokers as compared to non-smokers (P < 0.05). The tricuspid flow peak late diastolic velocity (A wave) was sig
... Show MoreBackground: Environmental tobacco smoking is produced by active smokers burning the tip of a cigarette and breathed by nonsmokers and measured by cotinine level. It has the potential to raise the risk of periodontal disease. One of the most frequent chronic diseases in adults is periodontal disease. The lower maternal-fetal attachment has been found to predict smoking status in previous studies, but no research has examined whether maternal-fetal attachment predicts environmental tobacco smoking. This study assessed the effects of maternal environmental tobacco smoke exposure on periodontal health and mother-infant bonding concerning salivary cotinine levels. Materials and methods: This is a comparative cross-sectional study comparing en
... Show MoreBackground: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-Cov-2) is still a severe threaft for human health currently, and the researches about it is a focus topic worldwide.
Aim of the study: In this study, we will collect some laboratory results of the patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to assess the function of liver, heart, kidney and even pancreas.
Subjects and Methods: Laboratory results of the patients with COVID-19 are collected. The biochemical indices are classified and used to assess the according function of liver, heart, kidney; meantime, and blood glucose is also observed and taken as an index to roughly evaluate pancreas.
Results: There were some in
... Show MoreThin films of pure polycarbonate (PC) with anthracene doping PC films for different doping ratios (10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and 60 ml) were prepared by using a casting method. The influence of anthracene doping ratio on photo-fries rearrangement of polycarbonate was systematic investigated. Furthermore, pure PC and anthracene doping PC films were irradiated via UV light at a wavelength (254 nm) for different periods (5, 240, 288, and 360 hrs). The photo-fries rearrangement occurring in pure PC and anthracene doping PC films were monitored using UV and FTIR spectroscopies. The photo-fries rearrangement leads to scission the carbonate linkage and formation phenylsalicylate and dihydroxybenzophenes. The result of the UV spectrum confirms disappea
... Show MoreBackground: This study aims to investigate the effect of fixed orthodontic appliances and/or antihypertensive drugs on the weight of experimental rats. Materials and Methods: Thir-ty-six male Wistar albino rats were subjected to a split-mouth design study, in which an orthodontic appliance was inserted in one side to move the first molar mesially for 2 weeks while the other side acted as a control to tooth movement. The rats were allocated into three groups: group A (n = 12), without any pharmacological treatment; group B (n = 12), subcu-taneous injection of bisoprolol fumarate (5 mg/kg) daily; and group C (n = 12), subcutaneous injection of valsartan (10 mg/kg) daily. A fixed orthodontic appliance with a closing coil spring delivering 5
... Show MoreBeta-irradiation effects on the microstructure of LDPE samples have been investigated
using Positron Annihilation Lifetime Technique (PALT). These effects on the orthopositronium
(o-Ps) Lifetime t3, the free positron annihilation lifetime 2 t , the free-volume
hole size (Vh) and the free volume fraction (fh) were measured as functions of Beta
irradiation - dose up to a total dose of 30.28 kGy.
The results show that the values of t3, Vh and fh increase gradually with increasing Beta
dose up to a total dose of 1.289 kGy, and reach a maximum increment of 17.4%, 32.8% and
5.86%, respectively, while t2 reachs maximum increment of 211.9% at a total dose of 1.59
kGy. Above these doses, the values show nonlinear changes u
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of omega-3 poly unsaturated fatty-acids co-administered with the therapeutic dose of lornoxicam on liver of healthy rats. Twenty-eight adults male rats weighing 180-200g were used in this study and the animals were randomly divided into four groups of seven rats each. Group I: negative control/rats intraperitoneally injected with normal saline in a dose 5ml/kg/day; Group II: rats intraperitoneally injected with lornoxicam at dose 0.7 mg/kg/day; Group III: rats orally-administered omega-3 only at a dose 185mg/kg/day; Group IV: rats co-administered omega-3 (185mg/kg/day) orally and in
... Show MoreRutting is one of the major distresses in pavement. The objective of this paper is to develop an improved asphalt binder grading system for Iraq based on the principal of Superpave system, and increasing performance grade of product asphalt binder in Iraq using polymers without raising the viscosity of the binder. Two types of polymers are used, Plastomers, Functionalized Polyethylene (PE) which is developed by asphalt research group in Wisconsin University in the USA, and Elastomers, Styrene Butadiene Styrene (SBS) with and without cross linker. Mastercurve are drown for these modified binders, Rolling thin film aged, to show effects on rheological properties at high temperature for complex modulus (G*) and phas
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