Sphingolipids (SLs) are major structural constituents of eukaryotes, including the kinetoplastid parasite Leishmania. SLs are important for cellular trafficking and signaling and participate in different cell functions, such as, differentiation and cell death (apoptosis). In this study we have investigated the viability of Leishmania major wild type (W.T) and L. major knockout LmLCB2, one of two subunits of serine palmitoyl transferase (SPT) after treatment with myriocin (potent inhibitor of SPT) in order to detect the survival and proliferation of the parasites in vitro. This is to focus on the de novo sphingolipids biosynthesis pathway in both Leishmania wild type which can synthesize SPT and knockout Leishmania which genetically ablated for SPT expression. Different concentrations of myriocin have been used starting from 100 μM to 3.125 μM. Results showed that there were no significance differences in proliferation and viability of both W.T and knockout L. major. These results indicate that Leishmania W.T and knockout promastigotes can survive after myriocin treatment and SLs may be nonessential for Leishmania major promastigotes proliferation in vitro.
Background: Treatment of invasive prolactinoma, which has several characteristics including invasive growth into cavernous sinuses and formation of giant adenomas compressing adjacent neural structures, resulting in neurological dysfunction, has been very challenging. There are relatively few reports available describing long-term treatment outcome.
Aims of the study: In this study we evaluate the results of cabergoline administration as initial treatment during 4 years follow up period.
Methods: We prospectively categorized 36 patients into four groups according to the results of 3 months of cabergoline treatment: group 1, tumor volume reduction (TVR) ˃25% with normaliz
... Show MoreA collection of 118 specimens of Iraqi phasianid birds belong to four species was examined
for haematozoa. Results show that 21.2% of them were infected with one or more of four
species of blood parasites; Haemoproteus danilewskyi, H. santosdiasi, Plasmodium sp. and
microfilaria. Haemoproteus danilewskyi is reported here for the first time in Iraq.
Loratadine is a long acting non-sedating anti-histaminic agent that was developed for the treatment of seasonal allergic rhinitis, whose anti-histaminic action is more effective than the other anti-histaminic drugs available commercially. This project was carried out to prepare an acceptable suspension through studying the release of drug in presence of different types and concentrations of suspending agents such as polysorbate 40, xanthan gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC), aluminum magnesium silicate (veegum) and sodium alginate. The effects of these suspending agents were studied at pH 1.2 (0.1N HCl) and 37 Ù’C. The results showed that the release rate of loratadine in the presence of these suspending agents was dependent o
... Show MoreThe present study focused mainly on the analysis of stiffened and unstiffened composite laminated plates subjected to buckling load. Analytical, numerical and experimental analysis for different cases has been considered. The experimental investigation is to manufacture the laminates and to find mechanical properties of glass-polyester such as longitudinal, transverse young modulus, shear modulus. The compressive test was carried to find the critical buckling load of plate. The design parameters of the laminates such as aspect ratio, thickness ratio, boundary conditions and number of stiffeners were investigated using high order shear deformation theory (HOST) and Finite element coded by ANSYS .The main conclusion was the buckling load c
... Show MoreCadmium is one of the heavy metal found in the wastewater of many industries. The electrocoagulation offers many advantages for the removal of cadmium over other methods. So the removal of cadmium from wastewater by using electrocoagulation was studied to investigate the effect of operating parameters on the removal efficiency. The studied parameters were the initial pH, initial concentration, and applied voltage. The study experiments were conducted in a batch reactor with with two pairs of aluminum electrodes with dimension and 2mm in thick with 1.5 cm space between them. The optimum removal was obtained at pH =7, initial concentration = 50 mg/L, and applied voltage = 20 V and it was 90%.
Background: Blastocystis spp. distributes world widely and the genus Blastocystis include many subtypes that are isolated from human intestinal tract. It is considered the most common parasite detected in human being.
Objectives: To evaluate the incidence of Blastocystis spp. among leukemic children, to find out its association with the presence of symptoms (diarrhea and abdominal pain), and to assess the efficacy of different staining methods in detection of Blastocystis spp.
Type of the study: cross-sectional study.
Method: 103 children were enrolled in this study, 53 leukemic patients and 50 healthy con
... Show MoreThe high viscosity of heavy oil is a crucial factor that strongly affects its up-stream recovering, down-stream surface transporting and refining processes. Economical methods for recovering the heavy oil and reducing is very important and related to capital and/or operating cost. This research studies the treatment of Iraqi heavy crude oil, which characterize with high viscosity and low API which makes transportation of heavy crude oil a difficult mission, needs for treatment to reduce viscosity for facilitating transportation and processing. Iraqi heavy crude oil was used Sharqi Baghdad, which obtained from Baghdad east oil fields with API 22.2º.Many kinds of additives were used to reduce the viscosity, experiments were performed o
... Show More