Inhalation of Staphylococcal Enterotoxin B (SEB) is known to induce acute lung injury (ALI) and studies from our laboratory have shown that THC, a psychoactive ingredient found in Cannabis sativa, can attenuate the ALI. In the current study, we investigated the role played by lung microbiota in ALI with or without THC treatment. A dual-dose of SEB was given to C3H/HeJ mice, which were then treated either with vehicle or THC. SEB-administration caused ALI and 100% mortality while all THC-treated mice survived and suppressed the inflammation in the lungs. Furthermore, lung microbiota was collected and 16S rRNA sequencing was performed. The data were analyzed to determine the alpha and beta diversity. The major phylum was Proteobacteria, class Alphaproteobacteria and orders were Caulobacterles and Rhodobacteralesin in the lungs of vehicle-treated SEB group. Moreover, THC treatment led to elevated Firmicutes phylum due to significant increase in the beneficial genus, Lactobacillus. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS), gram negative bacterial endotoxin was found at significantly higher concentration in the BALF of vehicle-treated group in comparison with THC-treated mice. Beneficial metabolome levels were significantly higher in the colonic flush of THC-treated mice when compared to vehicle-treated SEB group, specifically butyric, propionic and acetic acids. Together, our data suggest that THC attenuates SEB-induced mortality and ALI by altering the microbiota in the lungs (Supported by NIH grants P01AT003961, R01AT006888, R01ES019313, R01MH094755, P20GM103641, R01AI129788 to PN and MN and MoHESR fellowship for AKM).
Natural honey is well known for its therapeutic value and has been used in traditional medicine of different cultures throughout the world. The aim of this study was to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of Malaysian Gelam honey in inflammation-induced rats. Paw edema was induced by a subplantar injection of 1% carrageenan into the rat right hind paw. Rats were treated with the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) Indomethacin (10 mg/kg, p.o.) or Gelam honey at different doses (1 or 2 g/kg, p.o.). The increase in footpad thickness was considered to be edema, which was measured using a dial caliper. Plasma and paw tissue were collected to analyze the production of inflammatory mediators, such as NO, PGE2
... Show MoreA 20 year-old male was admitted with a history of recurrent palpitations from 5 years. Baseline ECG revealed premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) with delta waves. Stress ECG showed short non-sustained Ventricular tachycardia (VT). Echocardiography showed moderate dilation of the left ventricle with mild reduced systolic function and Ejection fraction was estimated to be 42%. Right ventricle was mildly dilated and hypokinetic. Both atria were mildly dilated. The patient referred to CVC for EP study with possible ablation. The ablation of the focus led to complete suppression of the ectopy. Post-procedure ECG and echocardiography showed normalized rhythm and systolic function.
Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocrystalline thin films have been prepared by chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique on commercial glass substrates at 70ºC temperature. Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) as a source of cadmium (Cd), thiourea (CS(NH2)2) as a source of sulfur and ammonia solution (NH4OH) were added to maintain the pH value of the solution at 10. The characterization of thin films was carried out through the structural and optical properties by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and UV-VIS spectroscopy. A UV-VIS optical spectroscopy study was carried out to determine the band gap of the nanocrystalline CdS thin film and it showed a blue shift with respect to the bulk value (from 3.9 - 2.4eV). In present w
... Show MoreAbstract Background: The daily usage of maxillofacial prostheses causes them to mechanically deteriorate with time. This study was aimed to evaluate the reinforcement of VST50F maxillofacial silicone by using yttrium oxide (Y2O3) nanoparticles (NPs) to resist aging and mechanical deterioration. Materials and Method: Y2O3 NPs (30–45nm) were loaded into VST50F maxillofacial silicone in two weight percentages (1 and 1.5 wt%), which were predetermined in a pilot study as the best rates for improving tear strength with minimum increase in hardness values. A total of 120 specimens were prepared and divided into the control and experimental groups (with 1 and 1.5 wt% Y2O3 addition). Each group included 40 specimens, 10 specimens for each paramet
... Show MoreThis article presents the results of numerical simulations performed using ABAQUS/CAE version 2019. The study aims to evaluate the structural integrity of reinforced concrete (RC) T-beams strengthened with externally bonded carbon fiber reinforcements polymer composite materials (EB) (CFRP), especially their response to bending and shear forces. The numerical model was validated by comparing the numerical and experimental results of eight RC T-beams. The numerical analysis was then extended to include various factors, including the impact of the tilt angle of the U-CFRP shell on the shear strength. The goal of this numerical extension is to implement a numerical model capable of simulating the nonlinear behavior of these beams accur
... Show MoreDoxorubicin (DOX) is a potent antineoplastic drug used to treat many types of human tumor. The long-term adverse effect is cardiomyopathy. Chromium is an essential trace element mostly used to regulate glucose levels and enhance the response to insulin, especially in diabetes. Current study aimed to evaluate the cardioprotective effect of chromium picolinate against doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity in 28 male rats divided into four groups. Group I (Control group): received distilled water orally for 8 days. Group II (Doxorubicin group): received distilled water orally for 7 days, followed by a single doxorubicin dose (25 mg/kg) intraperitoneally. Group III (Chromium 2 mg): received chromium picolinate at a dose
... Show MoreDiabetic kidney disease (DKD) is caused by a variety of processes. As a result, one biomarker is insufficient to represent the complete process. This study Evaluate the diagnostic value of serum kidney injury molecule-1(KIM-1) and cystatin C (CysC) as early biochemical markers of DKD and predictive their sensitivities and specificities as biomarkers of nephropathy in Iraqi type 2 diabetic (T2DM) patients. This cross-sectional study include 161 T2DM patients from Diabetes and Endocrinology Center at Merjan medical city in Babylon. Patients divided according to urinary albumin creatinine ratio(ACR) (Group1:ACR≤30mg/g,Group2:ACR>30mg/g). Random spot urine and fasting blood samples were taken from each patient and urinary ACR, bloo
... Show MoreAIM: To determine the value of the combination of thin-section 3 mm coronal and standard axial DWI and their impact in facilitating the diagnosis of acute brainstem infarction. METHODS: A cross-sectional study conducted from the 1st of April 2017 to the end of February 2018 on 100 consecutive patients (66% were male, and 34% were female) with isolated acute ischemic infarction in the brainstem. The abnormal MRI findings concerning the ischemic lesions were interpreted on standard axial 5 mm and thin-section coronal 3mm DWI. RESULTS: The mean age of the studied group was 69.2 ± 4.3 for male and 72.3 ± 2.5 years. The standard axial DWI can diagnose 20%, 6.7% and 6.7% of the infarctions in midbrain, pons an
... Show MoreCD40 is a type 1 transmembrane protein composed of 277 amino acids, and it belongs to the tumor necrosis factor receptor (TNFR) superfamily. It is expressed in a variety of cell types, including normal B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and endothelial cells, as a costimulatory molecule. This study aims to summarize the CD40 polymorphism effect and its susceptibility to immune-related disorders. The CD40 gene polymorphisms showed a significant association with different immune-related disorders and act as a risk factor for increased susceptibility to these diseases.