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.
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Education is the most powerful and important weapon in fighting poverty and unemployment because it provides students with new skills that appropriate the new market requirements and fair distribution of natural resources. It also transfers knowledge, skills, and ethics over generations. Education aims to create effective leaders who go under training and rehabilitation process, create a new human and instill faith, generate the creativity and innovation, and keep abreast with scientific process, updating curriculum, and finally, applying the technical education
Background: In advanced diabetes mellitus, serum levels of the most hormones are altered due to several interplaying mechanisms. Objective: To assess the relation of serum leptin and lipid profile in type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Patients and Method: Serum leptin levels and its relation to lipid profile were estimated in 62 patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy attending the National Diabetes Center in Al- Mustansiriya University, and (26) healthy individuals considered as control group. The diabetic patients were classified into three groups, (24) pathients with normoalbuminuria (21) patients with microalbuminuria and (17) patients with macroalbuminuria. Fasting plasma glucose, serum creatinine, Hb A1c %, lipid profile (Total c
... Show MoreBackground: Treatment modalities of acromegaly and disease control impact differently on glucose homeostasis and lipid changes, and consequently on cardiometabolic risk. Aim: To investigate the possible association of lipid profile changes with the glycemic control status in acromegaly patients treated with octreotide LAR. Methods: This cross-sectional study included 52 Iraqi patients with acromegaly treated with octreotide LAR and not using statins. Demographic, anthropometric, and clinical data were collected, as well as the duration of Octreotide LAR administration. The glycemic state was assessed and classified as DM, prediabetes, or normal. Plasma levels of triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and non-HDL were evalu
... Show MoreThe leaves and stems of the local Purslane plant ( Portulaca oleracea oleracea L. ) were used to preapare the extract of two types ( wet and dried extractions) the extracts were prepared by weighting of 60grams of the wet and the dried plant individually, then boiled in 500ml of distal water. Finally the volume was completed to1 liter, then we used these extracts to prepare of 8 types of the culture media contained basic, selective and enrichment media for growing a group of pathogenic bacteria. 8 types of bacteria were used for this purpose: Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas flouresence, Staphylococcus aureus , Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus subtilis , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Proteus mirabilis and Proteus vulgaris. The stastica
... Show MoreTo reduce the effects of discharging heated water disposed into a river flow by a single thermal source, two parameters were changed to get the minimum effect using optimization. The first parameter is to distribute the total flow of the heated water between two disposal points (double source) instead of one and the second is to change the distance between these two points. In order to achieve the solution, a two dimensional numerical model was developed to simulate and predict the changes in temperature distribution in the river due to disposal of the heated water using these two points of disposal.
MATLAB-7 software was used to build a program that could solve the governing partial equations of thermal pollution in rivers by using t
Abortion is a condition that occurs due to one of the pathological injuries, often one of the members of the TORCH is the real cause. The current study aimed to investigate the impact of toxoplasmosis, HSV-2 infections with abortion, and also, the identification of immunogenetics marker (interleukin-10) that may be associated with abortion. Anti-Toxoplasma IgG, IgM, Herpes simplex virus-2 IgM, human soluble leukocyte antigen class I–G and interleukin10 were estimated by ELISA technique, while the expression of IL-10 gene was investigated by using the real-time PCR. The results showed that among aborted women the rate of anti-Toxoplasma and HSV-2 IgM antibodies occurred within the age groups (21–30) years and (31–40) years 32(100.0%) a
... Show MoreThe problem of research is the need to find out the obstacles and difficulties facing women in accessing leadership positions at the University of Baghdad from their point of view. The importance of research comes from the importance of women in the university and their vital role in the development of society. The research objectives summarized the most important obstacles facing women Access to the leadership positions in the university and the relative weight of these obstacles as well as trying to identify differences in their view of these obstacles according to the variables of specialization (scientific, human) and the scientific title (Professor, Assistant Professor, Teacher, Assistant Lecturer). They were (144) university female
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