Leishmaniasis is one of the neglected parasitic diseases, which belongs to the family Trypanosomatidae. Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in Iraq and the available drugs are of side effect or resistant by the parasite. In this study, cytotoxicity of methotrexate was investigated on the promastigotes proliferation of the Iraqi strain ofL.tropica.The results showed a significant (p ≥ 0.05) difference in growth of treated groupsat all concentration (1000, 500, 250, 125.5, 62.5, 31.25, 15.6) μM, after 24 and 48 hours of follow up, while after 72 hours, significant difference was observed at concentration(1000, 125, 62.5) μM.The IC50 measured after 24and 48 hours and it was 40.366 and 44.452 μM, respectively.The present study showed the cytotoxic effect of methotrexate on the proliferation of two stages of the cutaneousform of Leishmania.
Rosemary is a well-known aromatic and medicinal plant used to treat various ailments. This study evaluated Rosmarinus officinalis essential oil for its phytochemical and antibacterial properties. The essential oil was analysed by using a gas chromatography-mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) that revealed the common chemicals containing verbenone 36.20% and 1,8-cineol (Eucalyptol) 12.14%. Extracted essential oils were tested for antibacterial activity against vancomycin intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA), a strain of bacteria obtained locally from bacteremia patients. Three isolates were found to be VISA positive using the E-test (strips) and the population analysis profile method (PAP). VISA showed lower resist
... Show MoreThe spectrum of clinical efficacy of Methotrexate (MTX) is broad in that MTX is used in the treatment of certain cancers, severe psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.Various mechanisms by which cancer cells grown in tissue culture become resistant to anticancer drugs. The use of multiple drugs with different mechanisms of entry into cells and different cellular targets allows for effective chemotherapy and high cure rates. In an efforts to develop effective strategies that increase the therapeutic potential of anticancer drugs with less systemic toxicity ,are being directed towards the investigation of dietary supplements and other phytotherapeutic agents for their synergistic efficacy in combination with anticancer drugs. A promi
... Show MoreThe spectrum of clinical efficacy of Methotrexate (MTX) is broad in that MTX is used in the treatment of certain cancers, severe psoriasis and rheumatoid arthritis.Various mechanisms by which cancer cells grown in tissue culture become resistant to anticancer drugs. The use of multiple drugs with different mechanisms of entry into cells and different cellular targets allows for effective chemotherapy and high cure rates. In an efforts to develop effective strategies that increase the therapeutic potential of anticancer drugs with less systemic toxicity ,are being directed towards the investigation of dietary supplements and other phytotherapeutic agents for their synergistic efficacy in combination with anticancer drugs. A pr
... Show MoreMethotrexate (MTX), a folic acid antagonist is widely used for the treatment of a variety of tumors. In the present study, the possible protective effect of aqueous green tea extract (AGTE) in methotrexate-induced haematotoxicity was investigated.Four main groups of white Albino rats were used: control group, (MTX) group, following a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg, i.p.) saline was administered for 5 days. (AGTE) group, was treated with 1.25% concentration of AGTE only for 12 days and the (MTX+AGTE) group, in thism group rats received different concentrations of AGTE (0.625, 1.25 and 2.5%), as their sole source of drinking water, 7days before and 5 days after MTX treatment. MTX induced significant decreases in RBC, Hb, Hct, WBC and pl
... Show MoreBackground: The interest in herbal extracts as antimicrobial agents has increased over the past few years in endodontic therapy. Nasturtium officinale (watercress) is a promising plant with great medicinal values. This study aimed to investigate the antifungal activity of watercress oil in combination with calcium hydroxide against Candida albicans as intracanal medicament. Materials and Methods: Candida albicans was isolated from patients with necrotic root canal or failed root canal treatment. The sensitivity of Candida albicans to different concentrations of watercress oil extract was determined by using the agar well diffusion method in comparison with calcium hydroxide paste. The agar plate method was used to determine the minimum fung
... Show MoreVisceral leishmaniasis (VL), the second-most-serious parasitic illness after malaria, is currently endemic in more than 88 countries. Need for new anti-leishmanial compounds is currently being taken into consideration by researchers due to resistance and lack of effective vaccinations. This research was conducted to find out more about the effect of artemisinin (ART). ART was examined in vitro promastigotes stages and ex vivo amastigotes stages of the Iraqi strain of Leishmania donovani in U937 cell line after 24, 48 and 27 hours using MTT assay. In addition, the level of macrophage nitric oxide (NO) was measured using Griess assay in U937 cell line. The results of promastigotes viability percentage
... Show MoreMethotrexate (MTX) was used for treatment of malignancies and now is widely used in treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. In this research the evaluation of the effects of MTX on some liver enzymes and lipid profile was studied. Twenty four adult female mice divided into three groups (8 mice each). The first two groups were treated with MTX while the third group was used as a control. MTX was intraperitoneally given at 50 µg/ml and 75 µg/ml to the first and second groups respectively for 35 days ,whereas the control group was intraperitoneally injected with normal saline. The results showed a significant (p<0.05) increase in serum levels of glutamic oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) , glutamic pyruric transaminase (GPT), Alkaline pho
... Show MoreBackground: Multi- drug resistant (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus infections have become a major public health concern in both hospital and community settings.Objective: to investigate the antibacterial activity of T. Foenum- groecum essential oil against skin infection with S. aureus and to study probable synergistic activity in combination with Clindamycin.Type of the study: Cross-sectional study.
Methods: Antibacterial activity of T. Foenum- groecum essential oil extract (1.2gm/100 µl) was investigated in multi- drug resistance (MDR) Staphylococcus aureus specimen isolated from patients with skin infection in Baghdad. T. Foenum- groecum use externally for cellulites and skin inflammation due to the presence of diosgenin .fast liq
... Show MoreThe studies on the antiviral compound chalcone in vitro in both tissue and organ culture systems against rubella virus glass that this compound relatively non toxic to the cell culture and organ culture of the concentration of 8 ug/ml or less, chalcone have significantly antiviral activity against rubella virus in tissue culture and organ culture. We find that a concentration of 0.03ug/ml or more inhibit the IOOTCID50 of rubella virus. The therapeutic index (TI) used in this study to evaluate the drug, the (TI) which is the ratio of the dose of drug which is just toxic (Maximum tolerated dose) to the dose which is just effective (Minimum effective dose). If this index is one or less it not possible to use the drug under the conditions outli
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