Background: Male infertility is a global concern and it tends to increase due to miscellaneous factors, such as environmental toxins and genetic and lifestyle choices. The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) has recently attracted attention due to its involvement in male infertility mechanisms and impact on sperm production and function. AHR, a versatile receptor expressed in various tissues, including the testes, regulates the genes involved in spermatogenesis. AHR activation is associated with cell cycle regulation and chromatin condensation during spermatogenesis. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the influence of AHR activation on blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity, focusing on the role of tight junction protein-1 (TJP1) and exploring the effects of AHR modulation on spermatogenesis outcomes in adult male rats. Methods: Forty adult male rats were divided into four groups according to their treatment regimens. Briefly, the control group was kept without any treatment, the resveratrol (RES) group received an intraperitoneal (IP) injection of 100 mg/kg every 72 h and the AHR antagonist (AHR‾) group received an IP injection of CH223191 at a dose of 10 mg/kg every 72 h. Finally, the dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) group received DMSO which was used as a solvent for preparing RES and CH223191. The study lasted for 60 d to cover the entire spermatogenesis cycle. At the study’s endpoint, sperm chromatin maturity and condensation were evaluated in addition to Tjp1 gene expression in testicular tissue, supported by BTB integrity assessment. Results: The abnormal sperm chromatin maturity (ASCM) and condensation were significantly (P<0.05) higher in AHR‾ compared to all other groups. Tjp1 gene expression was significantly upregulated in the RES group compared to the control and AHR‾ group, which tightened the BTB and maintained the testicular homeostasis for normal spermatogenesis. Conclusion: RES treatment positively influenced sperm chromatin maturity, Tjp1 expression and BTB integrity, suggesting its potential as a protective agent against male reproductive health. Conversely, AHR antagonism leads to compromised sperm chromatin integrity and BTB function, highlighting the critical role of AHR in spermatogenesis and BTB maintenance. These results underscore the importance of AHR modulation in male fertility and provide insights into potential therapeutic interventions.
Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR)-based plastic optical fiber sensor for estimating the concentration and refractive index of sugar in human blood serum. The sensor is fabricated by a small part (10mm) of optical fiber in the middle is embedded in a resin block and then the polishing process is done, after that it is deposited with about (40nm) thickness of gold metal. The blood serum is placed on gold coated core of an Optical grade plastic optical fiber of 980 µm core diameter.
Human herpes virus-8 (HHV-8) infection has increased recently in Arabic countries. HHV-8 in healthy persons does not necessarily cause life-threatening infection, and however, it causes a more severe infection among immunocompromised patients. The distribution of HHV-8 genotypes varies according to ethnicity and depends on the geographic region prior rapid development of global travel. A cross sectional prospective study included a hundred healthy blood donor samples with a mean age of (36.60±10.381), 81% were positive for molecular detection of HHV-8 DNA. PCR results for HHV-8 were strongly related with risk factors such as the number of sexual relations, previous surgeries, blood transfusion, dental operation, and the number of b
... Show MoreBackground: Periodontal diseases are inflammatory disorders caused by the accumulation of oral biofilm and the host response to this accumulation which characterized by exaggerated leukocytes and neutrophils attraction to the sites of inflammation by chemoattractants which are a very important part of the pathogenesis of periodontal diseases. This study aimed to determine and compare the clinical periodontal parameters and the leukocyte cell types in the peripheral blood between patients with gingivitis and periodontitis with different severities compared to healthy controls. Materials and methods: This study included 150 male subjects aged between 35-50 years. They were divided into three groups: gingivitis group (n=30), periodontitis p
... Show MoreBackground: Coronavirus, which causes respiratory illness, has been a public health issue in recent decades. Because the clinical symptoms of infection are not always specific, it is difficult to expose all suspects to qualitative testing in order to confirm or rule out infection as a test. Methods: According to the scientific studies and investigations, seventy-three results of scientific articles and research were obtained using PubMed, Medline, Research gate and Google Scholar. The research keywords used were COVID-19, coronavirus, blood parameters, and saliva. Results: This review provides a report on the changes in the blood and saliva tests of those who are infected with the COVID-19.COVID-19 is a systemic infection that has
... Show MoreEnvironmental exposures to lead remain a serious problem in the developing and industrializing countries. Children are the highest risk aged-group for lead poisoning. This study was designed to assess lead exposure in Al-Fallujah city by analyzing blood lead levels in children and adults and to explain the relationship between blood lead levels, hematological parameters and ferritin levels in the children. The study was performed on-(90) subjects, (65children and 25 adults).Venous blood samples were taken for estimation of hematological parameters, serum ferritin levels and blood lead levels. The children group was subdivided into four groups as: group (A) (low ferritin, low Hb), group (B) (low ferritin, normal Hb), group (C) (normal fer
... Show MoreThe aim: Infection with the hepatitis B virus (HBV) caused by blood transfusion is a big problem throughout the world. The aim of study is to determine the faster and more accurate methods for detection of hepatitis B infections by serological screening and PCR- amplification. Materials and methods: A total of 140528 donors were tested for HBsAg and total anti-HBc from January to October 2021 in Iraq’s National Blood Transfusion Center; however, only 100 samples with HBsAg (-) and anti-HBc (+) were collected and tested for HBV DNA using quantitative real-time PCR. Results: From 2015 to 2021, the percentage of HBsAg positive donors was 0.33 percent in 2015, 0.32 percent in 2016, 0.30 percent in 2017, 0.28 percent in 2018, 0.23 pe
... Show MoreHookah smoking has become very popular in Iraq among women and men. Hookah tobacco contains natural radioactive elements, such as radon, radium, and uranium, as well as toxic elements, such as polonium, which are released during the combustion of tobacco and are inhaled by smoking. Most reviews focus on hookah tobacco, and only a few have investigated the blood of hookah smokers. In this study, a CR-39 detector was used to measure radon, radium, and polonium concentrations and conduct risk assessments in female hookah smokers of different ages. The results show that the concentrations of radon-222, polonium-218, and polonium-214 varied between 61.62 and 384.80, 5.45–33.64 on the wal
Two- dimensional numerical simulations are carried out to study the elements of observing a Dirac point source and a Dirac binary system. The essential features of this simulation are demonstrated in terms of the point spread function and the modulation transfer function. Two mathematical equations have been extracted to present, firstly the relationship between the radius of optical telescope and the distance between the central frequency and cut-off frequency of the optical telescope, secondly the relationship between the radius of the optical telescope and the average frequency components of the modulation transfer function.