In fish, a complex set of mechanisms deal with environmental stresses including hypoxia. In order to probe the hypothesis that hypoxia-induced stress could be manifested in varieties of pathways, a model species, mirror carp (Cyprinus carpio), were chronically exposed to hypoxic condition (dissolved oxygen level: 1.80±0.6mg/l) for 21 days and subsequently allowed to recover under normoxic condition (dissolved oxygen level: 8.2±0.5mg/l) for 7 days. At the end of these exposure periods, an integrated approach was applied to evaluate several endpoints at different levels of biological organisation. These included determination of (i) oxidative damage to DNA in erythrocytes (using modified comet assay), (ii) lipid peroxidation in liver samples by measuring the malondialdehyde production using the 2-thiobarbituric acid [i.e. thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay] and (iii) histopathological changes in gills. In addition, transcriptional expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1 α (HIF-1α) and genes involved in the repair of oxidative damage to DNA (i.e. ogg1) and base excision repair (i.e. xrcc1) using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in liver samples were also determined. The results suggested significantly enhanced expression of these genes in response to hypoxia compared to concurrent normoxic controls. While the expression of HIF-1α reverted to control values within 7 days exposure to normoxic condition (P < 0.05), the transcriptional expression of the two genes involved in DNA repair process remained significantly high under the recovery period, which complemented the induction of oxidative damage to DNA. Hypoxic groups showed significantly increased values for TBARS level (~2-fold) and histopathological changes in gill tissues compared to both normoxic and recovery groups. Overall, oxidative damage to DNA determined by modified comet assay reflected the observed biological responses in other tissues of the fish. Along with other parameters, this integrated experimental design further strengthens the applications of the comet assay as an important technique to assess stress-induced DNA damage in ecotoxicological studies. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the UK Environmental Mutagen Society.
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative disorders characterized by formation of Philadelphia chromosome. After disease development, several events may associate with the reduction of anti-tumor immunity. The present study was designed to investigate the immunological profile of innate and adaptive immune response in Iraqi patients with CML. Patients were grouped into untreated (UT), treated (T) with chemotherapy, while another apparently healthy individuals were recruited to represent the control (C) group. Methods: ELISA technique was used to estimate serum levels of GM-CSF, IL-1a, IL-8, IL2, INF-?, IL-4, and IL-10 while SRID was used to estimate serum levels of C4, IgM, IgA, and IgG. Results: Regarding to innate immune resp
... Show MoreBackground: This in vitro study compares a self-etch primer (SEP) to an etch-and-rinse (EaR) for bonding sapphire brackets by evaluation of the enamel etch-pattern, shear bond strength, amount of remnant adhesive and enamel surface damage following thermal and fatigue cyclic loading. Material and Methods: Ceramic (sapphire) brackets were bonded to 80 extracted human premolars using two enamel etching protocols: conventional EaR using 37% phosphoric acid (PA) gel (control), and a SEP (Transbond Plus). Each group was subdivided into two subgroups (n=20 teeth) according to the time of bracket debonding: after 24 h water storage or following 5000 thermo-cycles plus 5000 cycles fatigue loading, to determine the shear bond strength (SBS), adhesiv
... Show MoreThe activation of inflammatory cells, the release of their mediators, and the excessive production of free radicals may affect circulating lipids, but no evidence supports a role for peroxidation in the pathogenesis of Brucellosis disease. The aim of this work is to study the effect of Brucellosis on lipid profile concentration and oxidant-antioxidant status. We studied 20 Brucellosis patients (18 Females and 2 males) and 15 healthy controls (age average from 16 to 60 years old). Significant differences were noted between the serum lipids of Brucellosis patients and control group. Mean total cholesterol and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-cholesterol) concentrations were higher in patients than in control group (mean ± SE 197
... Show MoreIt is through a review of conversion of vegetable oils into glycidyl ethers focusing on their roles in achieving sustainability and improved epoxy resin performance. It involves functionalization of triglycerides in the form of epoxidation followed by glycidylation and yields bio-based monomers having improved mechanical as well as thermal properties. The review covers the underlying chemistry, production drivers, industrial applications, and future issues, supported by quantitative data and comparative studies. In addition, it integrates recent data on catalyst choice, feedstock flexibility, and environmental performance factors of bio-based resins, indicating their suitability for replacing traditional petroleum-based components.<
... Show MoreThe Capparis spinosa L. is a species has a great interest in the field of traditional medicine for its pharmacological properties with many bioactive compounds. Our study is aiming at the recovery of this species through a phytochemical analysis and an evaluation of antibacterial and antioxidant activities of leaves of Capparis spinosa L. collected from natural habitats within the region of Al-Jadriya, Baghdad, Iraq. Phytochemical investigation demonstrated the presence of flavonoids, phenols, alkaloids, tannins, and glycosides in the methanolic extract of leaves. The quantitative analysis of total phenolic contents is being performed by Folin-Ciocalteau method and expressed in terms of gallic acid equivalents. C. spinosa exhibited progress
... Show MoreThe current study included a detail morphological study of all parts of the two species of the genus Tropaeolum L. (Tropaeolumceae) cultivated in different gardens, the roots, stems, leaves, flowers and fruit were studied in detail, also the pollen grains were studied, and there are photographs for all that parts were putted. A specimens of that taxa were studied in some Iraqi herbaria. The study found that there are many characters were used in differentiation of two species under study.
The anatomical features of Agave americana L. leaf have been described, transverse sections of the leaf have been examined, the epidermis is single-layered on both surfaces, the stomata are sunken and mesophyll is (2-3) layers of parenchyma cells, vascular bundles are collateral type. The pollen of A. americana was studied. The observation was made with L.M. (Light microscope) and S.E.M. (Scanning electron microscope) to determine the significance of pollen features as taxonomic characters. The pollen was monades, homopolar, monosulcate, and with large size, subprolate in shape from P/E ratio (Polar axis/ Equatorial diameter) and furrow length and width, exine thickness and ornamentation.
Nanoencapsulation, employing safe materials, holds substantial promise for enhancing bioactive compounds’ delivery, stability, and bioactivity. In this study, we present an innovative and safe methodology for augmenting the incorporation of the anticancer agent, curcumin, thereby inducing apoptosis by downregulating miR20a and miR21 expression. Our established methodology introduces three pivotal elements that, to our knowledge, have not undergone formal validation: (1) Novel formulation: We introduce a unique formula for curcumin incorporation. (2) Biocompatibility and biodegradability: our formulation exclusively consists of biocompatible and biodegradable constituents, ensuring t