Introduction:Visceral leishmaniasis (VL), also known as kala-azar, is a diffuse protozoan infection caused by Leishmania donovani complex. VL is principally caused by L. donovani and L. infantum (synonym L. chagasi in South America). The parasite targets the reticulo-endothelial system, with penetration of the spleen, liver, bone marrow and lymph nodes lead to organomegaly and pancytopenia. Organic pentavalent antimonials have been the first-line drugs for the therapy of leishmaniasis for the latest six decades, and clinical resistance to these drugs has emerged as a primary obstacle to successful treatment and control. Miltefosine has been shown to be higher or equivalent to presently approved essential medicines for at least one of visceral, cutaneous or mucosal leishmaniasis. Aim: The aim of this study is to clarify the effect of miltefosine on the number of amastigotes in the VL infected macrophage in vitro, in comparison to the effect of pentostam on the number of amastigote in the VL infected macrophage. Materials & Method:Cells were plated in 96-well tissue culture plate, after incubation, adherent macrophages were infected with Leishmania donovani promastigotes. Infected macrophages were treated with the same concentration of pentostam and miltefosine (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 μM). Treated macrophages incubated for 24, 48, 72 hours, and then stained with Gimsa stain. The results of L. donovani infected macrophages show that there were a significant differences between the percentage of infection macrophages in all used concentrations of both drugs. Results:The results show that after 24, 48, 72 hour of treating L. donovani infected macrophages with Sb or HePC, the number of infected macrophages and number of amastigote per macrophage started to decline clearly in the case of HePC, especially at high concentrations of it, in comparison to the number of infected macrophages in the case of Sb. Conclusion: This suggested that miltefosine could be a good therapeutic option for treating all forms of leishmaniasis, including visceral leishmaniasis.
The main objective of this study is to determine whether the use of He-Ne Laser (632.8 nm wavelength and power 0.5 mW) is an eligible and effective tool to kill or reduce the cell viability of Candida albicans isolated from complete upper dentures. Twenty one swabs were taken from the complete upper dentures. Only six swabs showed positive cultures for C. albicans. The isolate was divided into two groups, group I was not irradiated (control), and group II was irradiated by He-Ne Laser for different periods (10, 15, 20, and 30) min. After irradiation, the results showed a significant reduction in the viable cell count and colonies diameters especially at exposure periods 10 and 15 min. Although the low power He-Ne Laser was not eradicating t
... Show MoreThis study was designed to compare the effect of two types of viral hepatitis A and E (HAV
and HEV) on liver functions in Iraqi individuals by the measurement of biochemical changes
associated with hepatitis.
The study performed on 58 HEV and 66 HAV infected patients compared with 28 healthy
subjects. The measured biochemical tests include total serum bilirubin, serum transminases (ALT
and AST) alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT).
The study showed that adolescent and young adults (17-29) years, were mostly affected by
HEV while children (5-12) years were frequently affected by HAV. The severity of liver damage in
HEV patients was higher than HAV patients as a result of high serum transa
Background: Complete removal of filling material from the root canal is an essential requirement for endodontic retreatment. The purpose of the present study is to evaluate and compare the dissolving capabilities of various solvents (Xylene, Eugenate Desobturator, Eucalyptol, EDTA and Distilled water (as a control)) on four different types of sealer (Endofill, Apexit Plus, AH Plus and EndoSequence bioceramic sealer). Materials and method: Eighty samples of each sealer were prepared according to the manufacturers' instructions and then divided into ten groups (of 8 samples) for immersion in the respective solvents for 2 and 5 min immersion periods. Each sealer specimen was weighed to obtain its initial mass. The specimens were immersed in
... Show MoreBackground: The use of electronic apex locators for working length determination eliminates many of the problems associated with the radiographic measurements (interference of anatomical structures, errors in projection such as elongation or shortening, and lack of three-dimensional representation). Its most important advantage over radiography is that it measures the length of the root canal to the apical constriction, not to the radiographic apex. The aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of a new fifth generation apex locator (Joypex 5) in recording the apical constriction and comparing it with a third generation apex locator (Root ZX) in vitro. Materials and method: Twenty four single-rooted sound human premolars, extracted for t
... Show MoreMany trials were made to prepare Tinidazole 2% as bioadhesive vaginal gels using different gel bases including hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (3 and 4% w/w), methylcellulose (3 and 4%w/w) and carboxymethylcellulose (2 and 3% w/w) .Swelling index of the polymers,pH , viscosity , bioadhesive force , and in-vitro drug release to the simulating vaginal fluid (S.V.F.) were investigated for all the prepared bioadhesive gels . The mechanism of drug release from the gel bases was also investigated.
The results revealed that C MC 3% gave the highest viscosity and bioadhesive strength with the lowest release rate while lowest viscosity and bioadhesive force
... Show MoreThe most common nosocomial fungal infection in hospitals is urinary tract candidiasis. Candida albicans is the most prevalent cause of nosocomial fungal urinary tract infections, however Candida species distribution is changing rapidly. At the same time, the rise in urinary tract candidiasis has resulted in the emergence of antifungal-resistant Candida species. This study aimed to diagnose Candida Spp. In women with UTI and reveal the nucleotides sequences of CA-INT-L Gene to look for mutation within the gene. This study included 100 women patients suffering from urinary tract infections and vaginal swabs samples from those individuals were taken to identify the presence of Candida. They were between the ages of 22 and 67. Candida i
... Show MoreOxidative stress is oxidative damage caused by free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS). These ROS can cause oxidative damage to cellular components, including membrane lipids, receptors, enzymes, proteins, and nucleic acids. It would eventually lead to cell apoptosis and the appearance of certain pathological conditions. This work investigates the antioxidant potentials of chamomile extract in vitro by evaluating the extract activity to scavenge 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), also in vivo by investigating its effects on oxidative stress-induced rats by assessing the total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant capacity in the radiation exposed rats with and without the treatment with chamomile extract. The results
... Show MoreAim: To find any association between specific ABO blood groups and FUT2 secretory status and COVID-19 in a sample of Iraqi dentists. Materials and Methods: For each participant, a questionnaire including demography, COVID-19 status, blood grouping, and RH factor, with chemo-sensitive symptoms was recorded. The saliva samples were collected and DNA was extracted from leukocytes. Sequencing of molecular detection of the FUT2 gene by real-time PCR and the data was done, whilst drawing the phylogenetic tree. Results: Out of 133, most of the dentists were female 61%, most were just under 35 years of age. The most participants in this study were predominantly with blood group O (40%), followed by B, A, and AB, with (90%) of them were RH+.
... Show MoreThe alterations in glyoxylate reductase and hydroxy-pyruvate reductase concentrations in the sera and the genetic alterations associated with calcium oxalate kidney stones in Iraqi patients were not studied previously so this study aimed to focus on these points. This study included 80 subjects; they were 50 patients with calcium oxalate stones compared to 30 apparently healthy controls. Biochemical investigations for kidney functions (creatinine, urea, and uric acid), were performed on the sera of both groups. Also, complete blood count, random blood sugar, and blood group tests. Furthermore, urine had been collected for General Urine Examination to visualize oxalate crystals in the urine of the patient. Also, the GRHPR
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