Introduction and Aim: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a nosocomial infection with an ability to develop high levels of antibiotic resistance. The efflux pump system is one of the mechanisms that is linked to multidrug resistance in P. aeruginosa. In this study, we employed siRNA loaded on gold nanoparticles against the MexA efflux pump gene to decrease the MexA gene expression in P. aeruginosa and estimated antibiotic resistance after gene silencing. Materials and Methods: This study examined four strains of P. aeruginosa isolated from patients in various hospitals in Baghdad. Bacteria isolated were identified by biochemical tests and Vitek compact 2 system. Single-stranded siRNA (33bp) designed in this study was loaded onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPls). Detection of the MexA gene was carried out by conventional PCR technique. The expression of MexA gene was examined by qRT-PCR in order to determine if the siRNA have impacted on MexA gene expression and on the antibiotic resistance in aeruginosa Results: This study showed that the mRNA expression level of the MexA gene exhibited a decrease in fold change CT -2 in P. aeruginosa (isolates numbers 67, 66,49, and PDR(5p)) when examined in vitro. The specific fold change values observed were (0.202, 0.040, 0.063, and 0.163) respectively. The resistance percentages of antibiotics tested was observed to increase after MexA gene silencing. Conclusion: Targeting the MexA gene with synthetic siRNA may be a unique approach to diminish P. aeruginosa resistance to antibiotics. However, many unexpected consequences may occur when utilizing any genetic manipulation in bacteria.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa has been identified as the main causative agent responsible for severe infections in burn patients worldwide. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of the exoU/exoS genotype in P. aeruginosa isolates collected from burn wound infections in Iraq. From January to April 2023, a total of eighty isolates of P. aeruginosawere obtained from patients with burn wound infections in two Iraqi hospitals (Teaching Baghdad Hospital and AL-Yarmok Hospital).The isolates were first identified using biochemical tests and then verified using molecular techniques, specifically by targeting the 16S rRNA gene with specific primers. The exoU/exoS genotype was detected using conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) by specifical
... Show MoreThe members of the family of Eentrobacteriaceae harbour a gene cluster called polyketide synthase (pks) island. This cluster is responsible for the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin that might have an important role in the induction of double-strand DNA breaks, leading to promote human colorectal cancer (CRC). Eleven out of the eighty eight isolates (12.5%) were pks+, distributed as 7 (8%) isolates of E. coli, 2 (2.25%) of K. pneumoniae and 2 (2.25%) of E. aerogenes. The cytotoxic effects of selected pks+ isolates (E. coli and E. aerogenes) on HeLa cells were represented by decreasing cell numbers and enlarged cell nuclei in comparison to the untreated cells. Cytological changes were observed when the infected HeLa cells culture
... Show MoreThe members of the family of Eentrobacteriaceae harbour a gene cluster called polyketide synthase (pks) island. This cluster is responsible for the synthesis of the genotoxin colibactin that might have an important role in the induction of double-strand DNA breaks, leading to promote human colorectal cancer (CRC). Eleven out of the eighty eight isolates (12.5%) were pks+, distributed as 7 (8%) isolates of E. coli, 2 (2.25%) of K. pneumoniae and 2 (2.25%) of E. aerogenes. The cytotoxic effects of selected pks+ isolates (E. coli and E. aerogenes) on HeLa cells were represented by decreasing cell numbers and enlarged cell nuclei in comparison to the untreated cells. Cyt
... Show MoreBackground: Chronic myelogenous leukemia is a malignant hematological disease of hematopoietic stem cells. It is difficult to adapt treatment to each patient's risk level because there are currently few clinical tests and no molecular diagnostics that may predict a patient's clock for the advancement of CML at the time of chronic phase diagnosis. Biomarkers that can differentiate people based on the outcome at diagnosis are needed for blast crisis prevention and response improvement. Objective: This study is an effort to exploit the SLC25A3 gene as a potential biomarker for CML. Methods: RT-qPCR was applied to assess the expression levels of the SLC25A3 gene. Results: In comparison to the mean ΔCt of the control group, which was found to b
... Show MoremiRNAs regulate protein abundance and control diverse aspects of cellular processes and biological functions in metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes. Lethal-7(Let-7) miRNAs specifically target genes associated with diabetes and have a role in the regulation of peripheral glucose metabolism. The present study aimed to describe the gene expressions of the let-7a gene with the development of diabetes in Iraq and the difference in the expression of this gene in patients with diabetes and healthy individuals. The association between age and gender with the development of diabetes was studied in this study and the results were compared with those of healthy individuals in the group of control. Based on the obtained results, there was
... Show MoreThe increasing use of antiseptic compounds creates selective pressure cause emergence of antiseptic resistance among Staphylococcus aureus .Resistance mechanism of antiseptic is driven mainly by multi drug resistant (MDR) efflux protein.Sixty five isolates of S.aureuswere collected from different clinical sources and subjected to 11 antibiotics most of them are recognized by efflux systems as extruded substrates. Range of efflux activity was estimated using cartwheel method. Simultaneous discrimination of antiseptic coding genes (qacA/B, smr and norA)as well as nuc and mecA genes among multidrug resistantS.aureus(MRSA) isolates was preformed using multiplex PCR assay
... Show MoreFast-dissolving films are one of the interested delivery systems for oral solid dosage forms to overcome swallowing difficulty for geriatric and pediatric patients. Zafirlukast (ZLK) is one of the most commonly used oral medication for treatment of asthmatic patients particularly mild to moderate cases. Oral fast dissolving films of ZLK were prepared using two different filming forming polymers, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (SCMC). Different concentrations of the 2 polymers were used to prepare 10 formulas. Other excipients were also added at various ratios to produce 10 different formulations. These were maltodextrin, crosspivodone, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), and banana powder. In vitro c
... Show MoreHepatitis B virus (HBV) remains one of the most pervasive viral threats worldwide, posing a significant risk to millions. Due to the absence of proofreading activity during reverse transcription, HBV exhibits a high genetic variability. To date, ten distinct HBV genotypes have been identified globally, associated with varying disease outcomes, including progression to cirrhosis and carcinoma, as well as responses to antivirals. Consequently, genotypic analysis and molecular characterization of HBV are critical for optimizing therapeutic strategies. This study aimed to investigate the distribution of HBV genotypes among Iraqi patients and to characterize their molecular profiles. Therefore, a modified protocol was used to improve seq
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