The influence of Toxoplasma gondii on some biochemical parameters has lately gained an increasing attention. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of some biochemical parameters in Toxoplasma positive and negative subjects. An analytical case–control study was achieved in Baghdad for the period from October 2018 until March 2019. Forty nine females participated in this study, with an age range of 18-55 years. The participants were separated into two groups, namely Toxoplasma positive subjects (n=21) and Toxoplasma negative subjects (n=28), based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood and serum samples were collected from all subjects to evaluate the serum levels of cholesterol, triglycerides, high density lipoprotein (HDL), very low density lipoprotein (VLDL), low density lipoprotein (LDL), total protein, total globulin and total albumin. The results showed non-significant differences between Toxoplasma positive and negative subjects for all the parameters, although cholesterol levels were lower (mean 149 mg/dL; range 131.9-165.9 mg/dL) in Toxoplasma positive patients as compared to those in Toxoplasma negative subjects (161 mg/dL; 146.7-175 mg/dL). In addition, triglycerides levels were lower (160 mg/dL; 123.3-196.8 mg/dL) in Toxoplasma positive subjects as compared to the control subjects (165mg/dL; 134.2-195.3 mg/dL). The only significant difference was noticed among subjects with an age range of 26-35 years, where globulin level was significantly higher (p=0.023) in Toxoplasma negative subjects as compared to that in Toxoplasma positive subjects.
Morphometric traits or body conformation traits also called linear body measurements are important in predicting marketing body weight especially for commercial breeders and producers. The total number of reared Domyati ducklings are 168 hatched, at marketing age (8 wks.) 44 brown and 14 white Domyati ducks were used to estimate the body weight and body measurements such as shank length (ShL), keel length (KL), body circumference (BC), breast length (BrL), breast width (BrW), beak width (BL), and body length (BL). Our results showed that there is no significant difference between both white and brown Domyati ducks for body measurements. There was high positive correlation among body weight and body measurements on both white and bro
... Show MoreAim: This study aimed to investigate the impact of rabbit serum on skin wound healing with the help of histological examination. Materials and Methods: A total of ten indigenous rabbits were used in this study. The animals were divided into two groups: control and serum- treated. The histological assessment was done with a paraffin embedding technique and the histological sections were stained with H&E stain. Results: Severe infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes with severe fibrin deposits were seen in serum treated group at 2 days post-injury; at 7 days post-injury the changes revealed moderate fibroplasia, fibrin deposit and severe infiltration of both mononuclear and polymorphonuclear leukocytes; at 14 days post-inju
... Show MoreBackground: Dolutegravir sodium (DTG), used to treat HIV, faces challenges in delivering effective therapeutic concentrations to the brain due to the blood-brain barrier (BBB). Nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) combined with in situ gels present a promising strategy for enhancing brain drug delivery via the intranasal route. Objective: To compare brain pharmacokinetics of DTGs delivered via NLC-loaded in situ gel intranasal administration with the conventional intravenous (IV) drug solution. Methods: 80 Wistar rats, which were divided into three groups: two groups consisting of 39 animals each and a control group with 2 animals. Rats were administered with a dose of 1.0 mg/kg of DTGs IV, and DTGs NLC-loaded in situ gel were admin
... Show MoreBackground: Thymus vulgaris is a plant rich in essential oils acclaimed for the management of oxidative stress and inflammation in the organs. Meanwhile, the heavy metal lead is widely distributed in nature and continued exposure to lead acetate causes reduced fertility.Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of T. vulgaris on ovarian and uterine structural and functional characteristics in female rats exposed to lead acetate. Methods: Three groups of 18 mature Wistar albino female rats (Rattus norvegicus), 15 weeks old and weighing between 200 and 210 g, were established and handled for 60 days as follows: Group A (control group) received 0.5 mL of distilled water (DW) daily; group B received 5 mg/kg body weight (BW
... Show MoreThe effect of 0.662MeV gamma radiation on the optical properties of the CdTe thin films was studied. 300nm thickness of CdTe samples were irradiated with doses (10, 20, 30,60krad) in room temperature. The absorption spectra for all the samples were recorded using UV- Visible spectrometer in order to calculate the energy gap, width of localized states and optical constants(refractive index, extinction coefficient, real and imaginary parts of dielectric constant). The optical energy gap was found to decrease from (1.53 to 1.48 eV), while the width of localized states increased from (1.34 to 1.49 eV) with the increasing of radiation dose. The behavior of energy gap with the irradiation dose makes the material a good candidate for dosimetry
... Show MoreA dose of ten grams of the roots and leaves of Nettle (Urtica dioica) dissolved in (200)ml of boiled water then covered for (10)min. was given to a sample of (15) patients attending to the herbal department of ministry of health complaining of malnutrition and low Hb(hemoglobin) concentration and PCV(packed cell volume) levels with absence of any other predisposing factors disease inorder to find the effects of these roots and leaves on Hb and PCV levels for different periods of time in relation to age and sex variations . The study have shown that this mixture has a high significant effect (p<0.001) in elevating (Hb) concentration and PCV levels on those patients according to the differences recorded from the start of the basic period unt
... Show MoreBackground: Smoking is the major environmental risk factor that has been associated with the pathogenesis and progression of periodontal diseases. Interleukin-8 (IL-8), has been associated with the immunopathology of periodontitis. Objectives: To determine the influence of smoking on salivary Interleukin-8 level from smokers and non-smokers with periodontitis and periodontally healthy control subjects.
Materials and Methods: Un-stimulated saliva samples were collected of 90 participants: 30 smokers and 30 non-smokers with chronic periodontitis, as well as 30 periodontally healthy control subjects. The clinical parameters such as the pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, plaque index, and gingiv
... Show MoreBackground : Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common cause of infertility in reproductive-age women , it is an important harbinger of metabolic disorders. It has been reported that hyperamylasemia can be used as marker of ovarian cancer patients . The current study was conducted to evaluate amylase activity and to estimate the correlation of this enzyme with insulin and insulin resistance in PCOS patients. Methods: This study was conducted on forty five patients with PCOS in comparison to twenty five women as control. Fasting blood sample was taken from each subject and analyzed for amylase activity , FSH,LH, Insulin , proteins, and blood sugar , meanwhile insulin resistance was determined by HOMA-IR index. Results: The result
... Show MoreHalobacterium saccharovorum was isolated from local highsalinity souls named Al-Massab Al-Aam. A growth curve was determined. The average generation time during logarith- mic phase was 17.80±0.62 hr. Bacteriorhodopsin was 1808 lated from the purple membrane, its concentration was 4.8 mg/ml and H.W was 26000. The pattern of other membrane Bpoteins was studied and compared with those of other Boletes. Several unique proteins were isolated and their molecular weights were determined.