Leishmaniosis is a parasitic infection spreads to humans by sand flies. Over 20 different species of Leishmania are responsible for the disease, which infect over 14 million people around the world. Chemotherapy is one of the most effective treatments for leishmaniosis, however it is restricted by the high cost and/or toxicity. In this study, the possible effect of artemisinin (ART) was detected on intracellular amastigotes of Iraqi strain of Leishmania donovani in ex vivo condition in U937 macrophage cell line. Gene expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) in U937 macrophage was investigated, before and after treatment with artemisinin. Kinetic result by real-time PCR demonstrated that the iNOS expression folding reached the maximum at concentration of 500 μM after 24 hours, at 750 μM after 48 hours and at 1000 μM after 72 hours, which was 56, 11, and 6, respectively. The copy number of iNOS gene expression was also significantly higher in treated infected U937 cells compared to both non-treated-infected cells and intact macrophages, under different concentration of ART along the three times of follow-up. Moreover, stained macrophages with fluorescent DAPI proved that the percentage of intracellular infective amastigotes was decreased to the minimum in treated U937 cells, in comparison to non-treated cells. The minimal amastigote-invasion percentage was recorded at 1000 μM, which was 26%, 27%, 21% compared to 61%, 87%, 75% in untreated cells after 24, 48, 72 hours respectively. These findings demonstrated ART positive efficacy against iNOS expression and this compound can be further studied as novel therapeutic rather than toxic available chemotherapies.
Enterobius vermicularis infection is considered as one of the important causes of anaemia and malnutrition among children. This topic has recently received an increased amount of attention. The objective of this study is to evaluate the demographical, anthropometrical, nutritional, and haematological status of E. vermicularis infection among children. This study was conducted in Al Diwaniyah province, south of Iraq, for the period of October 2020 to the end of January 2021. The study included 122 children from both genders (males, n= 61, and females, n=61) and their ages ranged between 1 and 14 years. Nutritional status, body mass index (BMI), BMI percentile, and weight- for- age Z score were evaluated for some particip
... Show MoreIn this study, Cobalt Oxide nanostructure was successfully prepared using the chemical spray pyrolysis technique. The cobalt oxide phase was analysed by X-ray Diffraction (XRD) and proved the preparation of two cobalt oxide phases which are Co3O4 and CoO phases. The surface morphology was characterized by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) images showing the topography of the sample with grain size smaller than 100 nm. The optical behavior of the prepared material was studied by UV-Vis spectrophotometer. The band gap varied as 1.9 eV and 2.6 eV for Co3O4 prepared from cobalt sulphate precursor, 2.03 eV and 4.04 eV for Co3O4 prepared from cobalt nitrate precursor, 2.04 eV and 4.01 eV for CoO prepared from cobalt chloride precursor where th
... Show MoreIn Present study, 25 clinical isolates of Proteus spp. of clinical samples, urine, wounds and burns collected from different hospitals in Baghdad city, all isolates were identified as Proteus mirabilis using different bacteriological media, biochemical assays and Vitek-2 system. It was found that 15 (60%) isolates were identifying as P. mirabilis. The susceptibility of P. mirabilis isolates to cefotaxime was 66.6 %, while to ceftazidime was 20%. Extended spectrum β-lactamses producing Proteus was 30.7 %. DNA of 5 isolates of P. mirabilis was extracted and detection for blaVEB-1 gene by using multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results showed that the presence of this gene in all tested isolates, as an important indicator for increas
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