Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) causes up to 40% mortality in humans and is difficult to treat. ARDS is also one of the major triggers of mortality associated with coronavirus-induced disease (COVID-19). We used a mouse model of ARDS induced by Staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), which triggers 100% mortality, to investigate the mechanisms through which Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) attenuates ARDS. SEB was used to trigger ARDS in C3H mice. These mice were treated with THC and analyzed for survival, ARDS, cytokine storm, and metabolome. Additionally, cells isolated from the lungs were used to perform single-cell RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis. A database analysis of human COVID-19 patients was also performed to compare the signaling pathways with SEB-mediated ARDS. The treatment of SEB-mediated ARDS mice with THC led to a 100% survival, decreased lung inflammation, and the suppression of cytokine storm. This was associated with immune cell apoptosis involving the mitochondrial pathway, as suggested by single-cell RNA sequencing. A transcriptomic analysis of immune cells from the lungs revealed an increase in mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes following THC treatment. In addition, metabolomic analysis revealed elevated serum concentrations of amino acids, lysine, n-acetyl methionine, carnitine, and propionyl L-carnitine in THC-treated mice. THC caused the downregulation of miR-185, which correlated with an increase in the pro-apoptotic gene targets. Interestingly, the gene expression datasets from the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of human COVID-19 patients showed some similarities between cytokine and apoptotic genes with SEB-induced ARDS. Collectively, this study suggests that the activation of cannabinoid receptors may serve as a therapeutic modality to treat ARDS associated with COVID-19.
Selenium is naturally present in the human body, animals, and plants, and is one of the important elements in their growth and maintenance. Recently, the nanoform of selenium has attracted attention due to its low toxicity and a high degree of adsorption compared to its organic and inorganic forms. The current study aimed to examine the effect of Cress leaves (Lepidium sativum L.) extract in combination with selenium nanoparticles in alleviating polycystic ovary syndrome in letrozole-induced PCOS in adult female rats. Nonthermal or cold plasma was used in the synthesis of selenium nanoparticles. Subsequently, the produced nanoparticles were identified, the 30 rats were divided into 6 equal groups, the first group was healthy (negative contr
... Show MoreIn light of the developments and intense competition that the world has witnessed, the need to search for a sustainable and continuous competitive advantage for economic units has emerged, as the economic units must not lose sight of their interest in the activities they perform to achieve that advantage, and it can be said that the goal of the research is to identify the theoretical dimensions of the green value chain represented by: (Green research and development, green design, green manufacturing, green marketing, green services) and the dimensions of the sustainable competitive advantage represented by (quality, creativity, innovation, cost, response to the customer), as well as identifyi
... Show MoreCutaneous leishmaniasis is a disease caused by Leishmania tropica parasite. Current treatments for this parasite are undesirable because of their toxicity, resistance, and high cost. Macrophages are key players against pathogens. Nitric oxide (NO), a molecule produce by immune cells, controls intracellular killing of pathogens during infection. Silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) demonstrated broad-spectrum activity against various types of infectious diseases. It has the ability to stimulate oxygen species production. This study aims to analyze the macrophages activation through NO production and estimate the cytotoxicity based on the lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release upon exposure to L. tropica and
... Show MoreThis study was conducted for evaluating the cytotoxic effect of heat stable enterotoxin a (STa) produced by enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli on the proliferation of primary cancer cell cultures, obtained from tumor samples that were collected from (13) cancer patients and as follows: (five colon cancer patients, two bladder cancer patients, two breast cancer patients, two stomach cancer patients and two lung cancer patients), and on normal cell line (rat embryonic fibroblast / REF) (in vitro) with the use of different concentrations starting from (1) mg/ml and ending with (0.0002) mg/ml by making two fold serial dilutions by using the 96- well microtiter plate, and in comparison with negative (PBS) and positive (MMC, at concentration
... Show MoreBackground: Acute radiodermatitis is a common side effect during and after radiotherapy course in breast cancer patients treated by radiotherapy. This study assess the frequency of acute radiodermatitis and record the predictive factors for acute radiodermatitis. Patients and Methods: A descriptive case series study conducted at Baghdad, Iraq from August 2020 to September 2021. 70 female scheduled for radiotherapy sessions enrolled in this study. sociodemographic data were recorded and Skin examination before radiotherapy and weekly till the end of the radiotherapy sessions was done to report the frequency, risk factors, clinical picture and grades of acute radiodermatitis based on The National Cancer Institute’s Common Terminology Crite
... Show MoreAcute decompensated heart failure (ADHF) is a leading cause of hospital admission and many factors are known to precipitate decompensation. We aimed to assess the decompensating factors of heart failure and the management of patients admitted to the emergency department (ED). A total of 107 patients were examined, all diagnosed with ADHF in the ED of the Baghdad Teaching Hospital, from June 2017 to December 2017, and presenting with decom¬pensation (pulmonary oedema, peripheral oedema, and fatigue). The mean patient age was 62.5 ± 9.8 years (range: 43–85 years); the majority of them were in their 7th decade (37.4%), and men were slightly more than women. Hy¬pertension was the most commonly associated comorbidity (68.2%), follow
... Show MoreThe polycystic ovary syndrome is an endocrine condition. One of the leading causes of female infertility and the most common disorder among women. The work was being carried out on 100 Iraqi women (50 cases confirmed with PCOS and 50 controls). Between October 2019 and March 2020, blood samples were collected from the Advanced Institute of Infertility Diagnosis and Assisted Reproductive Technology at AL-Nahrain University and a private laboratory. ELISA was used to evaluate the biochemical parameters of preptin, FSH, insulin, LH, and CCL 18 in serum samples from the AFIAS-6 (AFIAS Automated Immunoassay System). The findings of the analysis indicate that, as opposed to the control group, values of prolactin (ng/ml), LH (mIU/ml), Preptin (
... Show MoreE.M. Forster (1879-1970) is one of the important novelists who dealt with the personal and social lives of the people in England during the early beginning of the twentieth century. During his literary career, he developed gradually his views about man and his position in society.
In his first novel, Where Angels Fear to Tread (1902), the focus is laid on local and personal issues in the lives of the characters. It is limited to the relations between neighbours in small communities. Though the setting is shifted to Italy, Forster does not make full use of this shift to present cultural or racial conflicts; rather he limits his plot to the private tr
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