Fumonisin B1 (FB1) is a mycotoxin produced in some grains (mainly corn) by Fusarium species. Due to a structural similarity between FB1 and sphinganine, sphingolipids metabolism is inhibited. Such inhibition plays a critical role in cell to cell singling and structure of lipoprotein; therefore FB1 has been suggested to have a relationship with human and animal cancer. This research is planned to study the effect of FB1 on male mice at two doses (20 and 30 µg/ ml) on the expression of TGF-β1 and p16 in liver cells. Three groups of Swiss albino male mice; each group was orally administrated with FB1 toxin as the following: normal saline (control group); 20 and 30 µg/ ml. All groups were sacrificed after two weeks of oral management. Liver samples were collected and prepared for immunohistochemistry technique (IHC) using anti-TGF-β1 and anti-p16 antibodies. The results showed that exposure to FB1 caused significant elevation of TGF-β1 in both doses (76.74 ± 2.387% and 80.62 ± 7.277%, respectively) in comparison with the control group (46.79 ± 2.404%). The level of p16 protein was decreased at 20 µg/ml (76.63 ± 2.349%) and then increased at 30 µg/ml (81.25 ± 6.263%) but the expression was lower than that of control (90.00 ± 0.805%). In conclusion, FB1 has a significant effect on TGF-β1 and p16 protein expression at both doses (20 and 30 µg/ml), and therefore, its role in cancer development is suggested.
This study was designed to investigate the effect of thyroid hormone disturbance on lipids profiles and liver functions. Eighteen mature male rats Rattus norvegicus were divided into three groups. The first and the second groups were injected subcutaneously with thyroxine (T4) and carbimazol (both at 600 µg/kg BW) respectively on alternate days, to produce recurrent periods of hyper and hypothyroidism .The control group which is the third group was injected with physiological saline. The process continued 4 weeks, after that, injection, blood specimens were collected to estimate serum levels of T3 and T4, Total cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TG), High density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), Low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) an
... Show MoreObjective: To determine the ability of uVDBP to discern SRNS from steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) in Iraqi children. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled children with SRNS (n=31) and SSNS (n=32) from the pediatric nephrology clinic of Babylon Hospital for Maternity and Pediatrics over three months. Patients' characteristics in terms of demographics, clinical data, and urinary investigations were collected. Quantitative analysis of uVDBP levels was undertaken via a commercially available ELISA kit. Results: The median uVDBP values were significantly higher (p-value<0.001) in the SRNS group (median=10.26, IQR=5.91 μg/mL) than in the SSNS group (median=0.953, IQR=4.12 μg/mL). A negative correlati
... Show MoreMolasse medium containing different concentrations of (NH4)2 SO4, (NH4)3 PO4, urea, KCI, and P2O5 were compared with the medium used for commercial production of C. utilis in a factory south of Iraq. An efficient medium, which produced 19. 16% dry wt. and 5. 78% protein, was developed. The effect of adding various concentrations of micronutrients (FeSO4, 7T20, MnSO4. 7H20, ZnSO4. 7E20) was also studied. Results showed that FeSo4. 7H20 caused a noticeable increase in both dry wt. and protein content of the yeast.
Swarming is one of the most important virulence factors used by bacteria to invade new sites. This study aimed to test the effects of gentamicin on swarming motility of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, both phenotypically and molecularly. The present results revealed that 11/25 isolates had gentamicin MIC of 1024 µg/ml. However, gentamicin at sub-minimal inhibitory concentration significantly (P< 0.05) reduced the diameter of swarming in all P. aeruginosa isolates. Noticeably the mean and median swarming diameter before treatment with gentamicin 5.557 and 5.816 cm respectively had significantly (P < 0.001) reduced to 0.871 and 0.766 cm respectively. At the molecular level, amrZ (a global regulator of multiple genes) and
... Show MoreIntroduction and Aim: Forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) are the key regulators controlling the activity of Treg cells, which are crucial for maintaining immune tolerance and reducing autoimmune reactions. The objective of this study was to investigate the potential utility of elevated levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 gene expression as a diagnostic indicator in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and Methods: The study used quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) to examine the expression levels of FOXP3 and IL-10 transcripts in whole blood samples from Iraqi patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A group of healthy control subjects were also included in the study. Results: In blood samples taken fr
... Show MoreRecently, young people have shown a desire to keep cats as pets, despite being threatened with health problems including toxoplasmosis. Therefore, the current study was aimed to detect toxoplasmosis infections among of volunteers students as well as spreading health awareness among students and knowledge about the importance of this disease. Prevalence rate and effects of liver functions were tested by measured levels of Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) enzymes while the OnSiteToxo IgG/IgM combo rapid test was used in the diagnosis of the disease. The blood samples were collected from 76 volunteers (35 male and 41 female). The results showed that, the total percentage of infections was 27.6% and all infect
... Show MoreAbstractThe objective of the present study was measured of several oxidative stresses and liver function parameters in workers occupationally exposed to cement dust in Kufa Cement Factory, in order to test the hypothesis that cement dust exposure may perturb these parameters. Assessment of oxidative stress and liver function parameters were performed in 63 workers occupationally, in different departments of Kufa Cement Factory, exposed to cement dust (range of the exposure time was 5-38 years) and 36 matched unexposed controls. The study results illustrated an increasing in the oxidative stress parameters, moreover; liver function parameters showed abnormal results in the exposed workers compared to the unexposed. An increase in theses para
... Show MoreMercuric chloride (HgCl2) pollution and poisoning has been a worldwide health concern for decades, especially after the industrial revolutions. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of resveratrol in reversing the deleterious effects of HgCl2 exposure to resume the normal functions of hepatocyte. To achieve the study, mature Sprague Dawley rats were assigned to five groups. Negative control group (C) kept without any treatment; vehicle-treated group (D) received dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO); resveratrol-treated group (R), received 100 mg/kg of resveratrol; HgCl2-intoxicated group (HD), received i.p. injection of HgCl2 at a dose of 1 mg/kg for 30 consecutive days along to oral gavage of DMSO; and finally H
... Show More