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 manage

The objective of this study is to estimate the effect of the hydro-ethanolic catechin extract toward blood glucose, lipid profile and liver functions in alloxan diabetic mice. 50 healthy mice (25-30 g) were divided into five groups of ten animals for each. Group A received normal saline as normal control group. To induce diabetes, alloxan (150 mg/kg), intraperitoneal (i.p.) single dose was injected to groups B, C, D and E. Group B represents diabetic control group. Groups C, D and E received ethanolic catechin extract (30 mg/kg and 40 mg/kg) for different periods of 1, 2 and 3 weeks as treated groups. Blood glucose, serum lipids [Total Cholesterol (TC), Triglycerides (TGs) and High Density Lipoproteins (HDL)], asparagine transaminase (AST),

Background: The repair of bone defects remains a major clinical orthopaedic challenge. Bone is a highly vascularised tissue reliant on the close spatial and temporal connection between blood vessels and bone cells to maintain skeletal integrity. Angiogenesis thus plays a pivotal role in skeletal development and bone fracture repair. The role of angiogenic and osteogenic factors in the adaptive response and interaction of osteoblasts and endothelial cells during the multi step process of bone development and repair will be highlighted in this study. This study aimed to identify the role of local exogenous vascular endothelial growth factor in bone healing and to analyze the expression of VEGF by immunohistochemistry in created bone defect af

Background:In this study,TiO2 layer was thermally grown as a diffusion barrier on CP Ti substrate prior to electrophoretic deposition of HA coatings, to improve the coating’s compatibility also macro and micro pores in nano Hydroxyapatite dual coatings were created and their effect on the bond strength between the bone and implant was evaluated. Materials and methods: Electrophoretic Deposition technique (EPD) was used to obtain coatings for each one of four types of Hydroxyapatite(HA)on CP Ti screws (micro HA, nano HA, dual nano HA with micro pores, dual nano HA with macro pores) where carbon particles used as fugitive material to be removed by thermal treatment to create porosity.For examination of the changes occurred on the subs

The present work includes investigation of some features of shell morphology; shell size, shell thickness, shell colour of the land snail Monacha cantiana, in addition to the correlation between height and diameter of shell and between shell aperture diameter and shell diameter at four sites within Baghdad Province, Iraq. Also, measurements of three environmental variables were made; soil temperature, soil moisture and soil calcium content in adition to population density. Shell Aperture Index (Ia) and Shell Index (SI) for individuals from size class ranged between (9-12)mm were measured. The results showed that the deference in shell size by using (Ia) within population related to temperature, moisture and population density but, the valu

This study aimed to conduct a comparative analysis of seven calliphorid species of third- instar larvae that were collected from central Iraq. The purpose was to morphologically characterize these species and develop an identification key to differentiate them from closely related species. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) graphical images and high-resolution traditional optical microscopes were used to analyze the morphological characteristics of the species Calliphora vomitoria (Linnaeus, 1758), C. vicina Robineau-Desvoidy, 1830, Chrysomya albiceps (Widemann, 1819), Ch. rufifacies (Macquart, 1844), Ch. megacephala (Fabricius, 1794), Lucilia cuprina (Wiedemann, 1830), and L. sericata (Meigen, 1826). An identification key was const

The aim: to evaluate combined microscopy techniques for determining the morphological and optical properties of methadone hydrochloride (MDN) crystals. Materials and methods: MDN crystal formation was optimized using a closed container method and crystals were characterized using polarized light microscope (PLM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and confocal microscopy (CM). SEM and CM were used to determine MDN crystal thickness and study its relationship with crystal retardation colours using the Michel-Levy Birefringence approach. Results: Dimensions (mean±SD) of diamond shaped MDN crystals were confirmed using SEM and CM. Crystals were 46.4±15.2 Vs 32.0±8.3 µm long, 28.03±8.2 Vs 20.85±5.5 µm wide, and 6.62±

Standardized uptake values, often known as SUVs, are frequently utilized in the process of measuring 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in malignancies . In this work, we investigated the relationships between a wide range of parameters and the standardized uptake values (SUV) found in the liver.  Examinations with 18F-FDG PET/CT were performed on a total of 59 patients who were suffering from liver cancer. We determined the SUV in the liver of patients who had a normal BMI (between 18.5 and 24.9) and a high BMI (above 30) obese. After adjusting each SUV based on the results of the body mass index (BMI) and body surface area (BSA) calculations, which were determined for each patient based on their height and weight. Under a variety of dif