Multiple Sclerosis (MS), is a common autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system. Currently, there is no cure for MS, and most treatments involve the use of immunosuppressive drugs that can have adverse effects or increased toxicity. Cannabis, commonly known as marijuana, is a product of the Cannabis sativa, and for several centuries has been used as an alternative medicine in many cultures. Cannabis sativa produces over 421 chemical compounds, including about 80 terpenophenols named phytocannabinoids, and include both psychotropic THC and non-psychoactive CBD. In the currently study, we show that a combination therapy using THC and CBD results in amelioration of EAE, an animal model of MS, by reducing hind limb paralysis, decreasing immune cellular infiltration into the brain, and mitigating the presence of inflammatory biomarkers, including gram negative bacteria-associated lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Interestingly, the gut microbiome plays an important role in immune function and studies have shown that it is altered significantly in MS patients. Inasmuch, we performed 16S rRNA sequencing on experimental groups to investigate the gut microbiome composition after using a combination of THC and CBD compared to disease controls. Interestingly, we found that EAE mice showed increase in the mucin degrading bacterial species, Akkermansia municiphila, which was significantly reduced in disease mice treated with THC+CBD. Collectively, our data suggests that THC+CBD can ameliorate EAE by preventing accumulation of mucin-degrading bacteria that would lead to increased gut microbial dysbiosis.
The current study was designed to investigate the alterations in the ultrastructure of orgenelles and cellular activity of exocrine pancreatic acini of experimentally induced-diabetic rats and to assess the usefulness of herbal combination supplementation in improving the ultrastructure and cellular activity of exocrine pancreas. The number of albino male rats used were 24 which divided into equally 4 groups; group I: control group, group II: alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (single intraperitoneal dose of alloxan 120 mg/kg for 3 days), group III: herbal combination treatment composed from the extracts of fenugreek seeds (Trigonella foenum-graecum), black cumin (Nigella sativa) seeds, rhizomes
... Show MoreThe aim of the present study is to investigate and compare the efficacy of L-carnitine, multivitamins and their combination therapies on semen characteristics in idiopathic male infertility. Idiophathic infertile patients were randomly divided into three groups who had received three different treatment regimens for three months: group A (45 patients) has received 2 grams daily of L-carnitine alone; group B (55 patients) had received the combination of L-carnitine (2 grams daily) plus one tablet daily of multivitamins (Stresstabs®); and group C (29 patients) had received one tablet daily of multivitamins alone. The study was started on 1/11/2009 and completed on 31/3/2010 and performed at Rizgari Teaching Hospital in
... Show MoreThe treatment of migraine headache targets the neurovascular mechanism and involves the use of serotonin receptor antagonists. Some of these drugs are used for the treatment of acute attacks; while others are effective as prophylactic measures to decrease the duration and frequency of attacks. Pizotifen, a 5-HTA antagonist, is one of the prophylactic drugs for which the clinical use resulted in low outcomes in reducing migraine symptoms. Melatonin, a serotonin derived neurohormone, was reported to exert many functions like sleep induction, anti-inflammatory, neurovascular regulation, cytoprotection and modulation of neurotransmitter release. In the view of the involvement of serotonin in the pathophysiology of migraine a
... Show MoreHuman Adenosine deaminase is an essential enzyme for modulating the bioactivity of thyroid hormones, and It is important for the maturation and differentiation of lymphocytes, although its clinical importance in thyroid diseases have yet to be identified. Objective: The aim of the current study is to determine the Adenosine deaminase concentration in healthy controls, and in autoimmune thyroid diseases such as Graves' Disease, and Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. Patients and methods: A total of 183 serum specimens of 103 female patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases and 80 healthy control groups were included in this study and collected from the Baghdad Medical City, Iraq. Quantitative Human Adenosine Deaminase ELISA kits were used to estimate
... Show MoreKlebsiella pneumoniae are Gram-negative which cause many diseases such as urinary tract infections, respiratory tract infections and septicemia. Inulinase is an enzyme used in food manufacture and pharmaceuticals. Inulinase is used in decreasing lipid ratio and, cholesterol in blood and considered as a prebiotic factor inside intestine. Many microorganisms can produce inulinase, such as yeast, fungi and bacteria; among such bacteria: Bacillus spp., Arthrobacter spp., and Pseudomonas spp. but there are no studies about inulinase production by K. pneumoniae have been reported. So the current study aims at investing the ability of producing and purification inulinase by K. pneumoniae. Method: K. pneumoniae were isolated from many hospitals and
... Show MoreDeep drawing process to produce square cup is very complex process due to a lot of process parameters which control on this process, therefore associated with it many of defects such as earing, wrinkling and fracture. Study of the effect of some process parameters to determine the values of these parameters which give the best result, the distributions for the thickness and depths of the cup were used to estimate the effect of the parameters on the cup numerically, in addition to experimental verification just to the conditions which give the best numerical predictions in order to reduce the time, efforts and costs for producing square cup with less defects experimentally is the aim of this study. The numerical analysis is used to study
... Show MoreAn experimental analysis was included to study and investigate the mass transport behavior of cupric ions reduction as the main reaction in the presence of 0.5M H2SO4 by weight difference technique (WDT). The experiments were carried out by electrochemical cell with a rotating cylinder electrode as cathode. The impacts of different operating conditions on mass transfer coefficient were analyzed such as rotation speeds 100-500 rpm, electrolyte temperatures 30-60 , and cupric ions concentration 250-750 ppm. The order of copper reduction reaction was investigated and it shows a first order reaction behavior. The mass transfer coefficient for the described system was correlated with the aid of dimensionless groups as fo
... Show MoreAs the prices of the fuel and power had fluctuated many times in the last decade and new policies appeared and signed by most of the world countries to eliminate global warming and environmental impact on the earth surface and humanity exciting, an urgent need appeared to develop the renewable energy harnessing technologies on the short-term and long-term and one of these promising technologies are the vertical axis wind turbines, and mostly the combined types. The purpose of the present work is to combine a cavity type Savonius with straight bladed Darrieus to eliminate the poor self-starting ability for Darrieus type and low performance for Savonius type and for this purpose, a three-bladed Darrieus type with symmetric
... Show MoreThis study investigates the potential of biogas recovery from used engine oil (UEO) by co-digestion with animals’ manure, including cow dung (CD), poultry manure (PM), and cattle manure (CM). The experimental work was carried out in anaerobic biodigesters at mesophilic conditions (37°C). Two groups of biodigesters were prepared. Each group consisted of 4 digesters. UEO was the main component in the first group of biodigesters with and without inoculum, whereby a mix of UEO and petroleum refinery oily sludge (ROS) was the component in the second group of biodigesters. The results revealed that for UEO-based biodigesters, maximum biogas production was 0.98, 1.23, 1.93, and 0 ml/g VS from UEO±CD, UEO±CM, UEO±PM, and U
... Show MoreIn the present study, nanoporous material type MCM-41 was prepared by the sol-gel technique and was used as a carrier for prednisolone (PRD) drug delivery. The structural properties of mesoporous were fully characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption /desorption and Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR). The mass transfer in term of adsorption process (loading) and desorption process (releasing) properties were investigated. The maximum drug loading efficiency was equal to 38% and 47.5% at different concentrations. The PRD released was prudently studied in water media of pH 6.8 simulated body fluid (SBF) in according to "United State Pharmacopeia (USP38)". The results proved that the release of prednisolone from MCM-41
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