In fish, a complex set of mechanisms deal with environmental stresses including hypoxia. In order to probe the hypothesis that hypoxia-induced stress could be manifested in varieties of pathways, a model species, mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio), were chronically exposed to hypoxic condition (dissolved oxygen level: 1.80±0.6mg/l) for 21 days and subsequently allowed to recover under normoxic condition (dissolved oxygen level: 8.2±0.5mg/l) for 7 days. At the end of these exposure periods, an integrated approach was applied to evaluate several endpoints at different levels of biological organisation. These included determination of (i) oxidative damage to DNA in erythrocytes (using modified comet assay), (ii) lipid peroxidation in liver samples by measuring the malondialdehyde production using the 2-thiobarbituric acid [i.e. thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay] and (iii) histopathological changes in gills. In addition, transcriptional expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF-1α) and genes involved in the repair of oxidative damage to DNA (i.e. ogg1) and base excision repair (i.e. xrcc1) using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in liver samples were also determined. The results suggested significantly enhanced expression of these genes in response to hypoxia compared to concurrent normoxic controls. While the expression of HIF-1α reverted to control values within 7 days exposure to normoxic condition (P < 0.05), the transcriptional expression of the two genes involved in DNA repair process remained significantly high under the recovery period, which complemented the induction of oxidative damage to DNA. Hypoxic groups showed significantly increased values for TBARS level (~2-fold) and histopathological changes in gill tissues compared to both normoxic and recovery groups. Overall, oxidative damage to DNA determined by modified comet assay reflected the observed biological responses in other tissues of the fish. Along with other parameters, this integrated experimental design further strengthens the applications of the comet assay as an important technique to assess stress-induced DNA damage in ecotoxicological studies. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the UK Environmental Mutagen Society.
The species Bostrichus capucinus (L.) (Coleoptera:Bostrichidae) was reported as a new record for Iraq. Diagnostic characters and some information are given .
Nutlets of 22 taxa of Stachys (13 species and seven subspecies and two varieties), representing seven of the currently recognized sections distributed in northern Iraq were examined by light microscope. The basic shape of nutlets in most taxa studied is Obovoid, but Oblong also found in S.megalodanta Hausskn.& Bornm. ex P.H.Davis, S.setirefa C.A.Mey. subsp daenensis (Gandog.) Rech.f.and S. kurdica Boiss.& Hohen. var.kurdica, while the Subgloboid shape found in S. iberica M.Bieb. and S. inflata Benth., more over the Broad triangular shape was found in S. nephrophylla Rech.f. and S.lanigera (Bornm.) Rech.f.., the biggest size of nutlets was found in S.inflata L. and the smallest was in S.melampyroides Hand.-Mzt. Regarding sculpturing pa
... Show MorePregnancy and delivery are physiological conditions that are marked by abrupt alterations to hormones, immunological and molecular characters. The current study aimed to evaluate oxytocin (OT), prolactin (PRL), cortisol and insulin growth factor-2 (IGF-2) levels as physiological biomarkers; programmed cell death protein-1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1),interleukin-6 (IL-6) as immunological biomarkers, and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs53576 and rs2254298) of oxytocin receptor gene OXTR as molecular factors in samples of Iraqi women undergoing caesarean section (CS) and normal delivery (ND). Blood samples were collected from 96 pregnant women at term with ages ranging between 16-43 years. Regarding
... Show MoreABSTRACT Background: Diabetes and periodontitis are complicated prolonged disorders through a recognized two-way association. There is elongated-conventional mark that hyperglycaemia in diabetes is affected on immune-inflammatory response and disturb the action of osteoclast and in balance bone turnover, which might rise the person vulnerability to the progress of prolonged periodontitis. Osteocalcin is one of the greatest plentiful matrix proteins originate in bones and produced absolutely there. Small osteocalcin crumbles are noticed in regions of bone remodeling and are in fact degradation products of the bone matrix, that is released outside cells into the Gingival Crevicular Fluid (GCF) and saliva after destruction of periodontal tissu
... Show MoreAbstract
Antibiotic treatment of S.typhi is difficult as compared to treatment of acute infection. Antibiotic resistance carried against S.typhi by using 6 kinds of antibiotics from different classes, their results showed that all isolates were high resistance to Ampicillin (99%), Gentamicin (98%), Amikacin (79%) and less resistances Trimethoprim (55%) , Imipenem (60%) and Ceftriaxone(66%) .
The present study focused on the molecular detection of Wzx flippase, Wzy polymerase genes in some Salmonella typhi isolates, Samples were collected from typhoid patients by classical lab work. Antibiotics susceptibilit
... Show MoreThe leaves of globe artichoke, Cynara scolymus Family Asteraceae/ compositea have long – used in traditional medicine and now included in British and European Pharmacopeia, the British Harbal Pharmacopeia and complete German Commission E monographs.The plant originally comes from Mediterranean region and North Africa and cultivated around the world. The flowers are used worldwide for nutrition purposes and the leaves for medical purposes including hepatic affections. The plant wildly distributed in Iraq in the watery lines and boundary of the field.The plant contains many phytochemicals such as the bitter phenolic acids whose choleretic and hypocholestremic as these compounds are antioxidant. Other materials to h
... Show MoreLow temperature and high relative humidity in the spring season led to decrease of field emergence ratio and growth in maize. Planting dates and seeds stimulation can be appropriate fix. Field experiment was conducted in the two spring seasons of 2022 and 2023. Randomize complete block design with split-plot arrangement and four replications was used. Planting date treatments (February 15th, March 1st and 15th and April 1st, 15th) were placed in main plots. Seeds stimulation treatments (potassium nitrate 6 mg L-1 + licorice extract 6 g L-1 as well as treatment of soaking with distilled water only) were placed in subplots. Seeds stimulation (potassium nitrate+licorice extract) or planting date of February 15th were superior at traits of fiel
... Show MoreStudy showed structure of pecten oculi in the Kestrel Falco tinnunculus L.was
Pleated type and consisted of 17 folds which were thick. While in the Collared Dove
Streptopelia decaocto F. was Vaned type and consisted of 13 folds and it described
thin. The illustrated histological study of pecten oculi folds in the Kestrel and the
Collared Dove was composed of large number of capillaries, large blood vessels and
pigment cells which were few in Kestrel compare with the Collared Dove. The bridge
in the Kestrel and the Collared Dove pecten oculi was consisted of connective tissue,
many pigment cells, and contains on little capillaries and it linked the membrane to
the internal limiting membrane of the retina in the Kes