Possible Role of Interleukin-6 in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Background: Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease. Many etiological agents are proposed to play a role in its pathogenecity. One of these factors is cytokines such as Interleukin6. Material & Methods: ELISA method has been used for IL-6 estimation in 75 RA patients in comparison with 61 SLE as patient controls and 39 apparently healthy controls. Results: This study showed that there was an elevation of IL-6 in the sera of RA patients with high significant differences between RA patients and controls (P< 0.001). Moreover a good correlation between IL-6 level & RF titer were observed. However, for most patients with high IL-6 were shown to be HLA-DR4. Conclusions: Interleukin-6 play a crucial role in the disease which may be participate in the severity of RA & subsequently its treatment

Effect of Nigella sativa seeds' extract Treatment on Neutrophils count

Background: Nigella sativa seeds have been frequently used in folk medicine for treatment of various diseases such as inflammatory disease. The aim of this study is to show the effect of this herb on Neutrophils count as the main antiinflammatory cells. Materials & Methods: Aqueous & oil extract ofNigella sativa seeds have been applied for treatment of 30 blood samples of apparently  healthy individuals. Blood count has been performed after different incubation periods. Results & Conclusions: This study revealed that treatment of blood samples with herbal extraction results in highly significant elevation of Neutrophils' count with time passing particularly the aqueous one and after 6 hrs. incubation period (P < 0.001). Our conclusion, that Nigella sativa aqueous extract can be used against bacterial infections which required recruitment of Neutrophils

Environmental Study of Some Water Characteristics at Um-Al-Naaj Marsh, South of Iraq.

Um-Al-Naaj region in Al-Hawiezah Marsh, Southern Iraq was chosen to study the environmental variations of some water characteristics during 2008, seasonally. The results showed clear seasonal changes in values of some environmental variables (temperature, depth, light penetration, turbidity, total suspended solids, pH, dissolved oxygen, reactive phosphate, reactive nitrite, and reactive nitrate), while there were no clear seasonal changes in electrical conductivity and salinity values. In addition, high nutrients concentrations and light penetration were noted. Statistical analysis showed significant positive relationship between air and water temperature; electrical conductivity and salinity. Water turbidity was significantly affected by total suspended solids. On the other hand, some of the studied variables had significant negative effects (relative relationships) to each other, when water pH and dissolved oxygen were affected by temperature; total suspended solids and turbidity affected also light penetration

Association between Interleukin-5 & Body Mass Index among Iraqi Asthmatic Patients

Background: Asthma is an allergic hypersensitivity disease in which many mediators play a role in its pathogenecity. One of these etiological agents is the mediators such as Interleukin-5 (IL-5). The  aim of this study to demonstrate the association between IL-5 and obesity in asthma development.  Materials & Methods: One hundred and four sera samples for asthma cases have been studied in comparison with 41 non-asthmatic bronchitis as a patient controls beside 30 apparently healthy controls. Cytokine has been estimated using ELISA method in correlation with Body Mass Index (BMI). Results: This study revealed a significant correlation between IL-5 concentration and BMI (P<0.05), particularly among females. Conclusion: There is certain correlation between obesity and asthma accompanied by IL-5

Possible Role for Interleukin-5 in Asthma

Background: Asthma is an allergic disease characterized by airway obstruction as a result of cellular accumulation due to the liberation of certain mediators. Among those mediators are the cytokines such as IL-5.  Patients & Methods: Interleukin-5 concentration has been estimated in 94 sera samples of Asthmatic patients in comparison with 41 non-asthmatic bronchitis as patient controls in addition to 30 apparent healthy control group using ELISA method. Results & Conclusions: There is highly significant elevation of IL-5 in the asthmatic cases in comparison with healthy controls (P< 0.001). We conclude that this cytokine may play the major role in asthmatic attack & it may be a good marker for the disease

Daily Rhythms of Physiological Parameters in the Dromedary Camel Under Natural and Laboratory Conditions

Camels are well adapted to hot arid environments and can contribute significantly to the economy of developing countries in arid regions of the world. Full understanding of the physiology of camels requires understanding of the internal temporal order of the body, as reflected in daily or circadian rhythms. In the current study, we investigated the daily rhythmicity of 20 physiological variables in camels exposed to natural oscillations of ambient temperature in a desert environment and compared the daily temporal courses of the variables. We also studied the rhythm of core body temperature under experimental conditions with constant ambient temperature in the presence and absence of a light-dark cycle. The obtained results indicated that different physiological variables exhibit different degrees of daily rhythmicity and reach their daily peaks at different times of the day, starting with plasma cholesterol, which peaks 24 minutes after midnight, and ending with plasma calcium, which peaks 3 hours before midnight. Furthermore, the rhythm of core body temperature persisted in the absence of environmental rhythmicity, thus confirming its endogenous nature. The observed delay in the acrophase of core body temperature rhythm under constant conditions suggests that the circadian period is longer than 24 hours. Further studies with more refined experimental manipulation of different variables are needed to fully elucidate the causal network of circadian rhythms in dromedary camels

Direct heat stress-induced effects on rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability in sheep pair-fed alfalfa hay

Aim of the study: To investigate the direct effect of heat stress on rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability of pair-fed rams to subsequently eliminate the confounding effects of dissimilar feed intake induced by heat stress exposure.Area of study: Saudi Arabia.Material and methods: Five rumen-cannulated desert rams (45 ± 1.63 kg body weight; 2–3 years of age) were placed individually in controlled climatic-chambers to be exposed to two successive periods. The 1st period was a control thermoneutral period (TN; 23.64 ± 0.14 °C; extended for 21 days) followed by a 2nd period of heat stress (HS; 44.26 ± 1.70 °C, for another 21 days). Each period was consisted of a temperature acclimation phase (7 days) and a data collection phase (14 days). Alfalfa hay was offered twice daily during both periods in a pair-fed manner (800 g DM per head and day).Main results: Exposing pair-fed desert rams to elevated ambient temperature had (p&lt;0.05) elevated their respiration rate and skin temperature, without noticeable (p&gt;0.05) changes in their rectal temperature. Most of the rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability were not affected by HS (p&gt;0.05). However, exposure to HS increased (p&lt;0.05) pre-feeding rumen total volatile fatty acids concentrations, pre-feeding molar proportion of acetate, and post-feeding rumen osmolality.Research highlights: HS had no direct effect on post-feeding rumen fermentation characteristics and nutrients degradability in desert sheep. This implies that strategic approaches to mitigate the adverse effects of HS have to be directed towards promoting feed intake and nutrients utilization under such conditions

Thermoregulatory and Physiological Responses of Najdi Sheep Exposed to Environmental Heat Load Prevailing in Saudi Arabia

The objective of this study was to evaluate the thermoregulatory and physiological responses of Najdi rams raised under hot summer conditions prevailing in Kingdom Saudi Arabia. The core temperature (Tcore) showed circadian rhythm characterized by biphasic achrophases, which were associated with the feeding times during both seasons. Average daily Tcore was significantly (P<0.05) higher under hot summer conditions. However, the amplitudes of the rhythmic oscillation during winter and summer seasons were 0.85 and 0.56C, respectively. Rectal (Tre) and skin temperatures (Tsk) were significantly (P<0.05) higher under hot summer conditions and exhibited similar patterns during both seasons concurrent with the pattern of temperature humidity index (THI), reaching the maximum values late in the afternoon and the minimum values early in the morning. Respiratory rate (RR) and heart rate (HR) showed the same pattern of the thermal parameters and were significantly (P<0.05) higher under hot summer conditions. Serum concentrations of total protein, globulin, glucose, sodium and chloride were significantly (P<0.05) increased while those of albumin and calcium were decreased under hot summer conditions. The results obtained from this study indicate that hot summer conditions of Saudi Arabia is thermally stressful to Najdi rams. Therefore, Najdi sheep production under such conditions would require environmental and/or nutritional modification to alleviate the impact of heat stress

Fragmentation of Nuclei at Intermediate and High Energies in Modified Cascade Model

The process of nuclear multifragmentation has been implemented, together with evaporation and fission channels of the disintegration of excited remnants in nucleus-nucleus collisions using percolation theory and the intranuclear cascade model. Colliding nuclei are treated as face--centered--cubic lattices with nucleons occupying the nodes of the lattice. The site--bond percolation model is used. The code can be applied for calculation of the fragmentation of nuclei in spallation and multifragmentation reactions.Comment: 19 pages, 10 figure

Measurement and simulation of camel core body temperature response to ambient temperature

College of Food and Agriculture Sciences, King Saud University, P.O Box 2460 Riyadh-11455, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.The objectives of the study were to use a biotelemetry system for continuous measurement of camel core body temperature and to use a system identification technique to model and simulate the core body temperature response to diurnal changes in ambient temperature. Air and core body temperatures of five Arabian camels were recorded every thirty minutes over a six days period. During the course of this study, camels maintained their temperature near a constant level ( 36.5 oC ± 0.4). Deep body temperature response to ambient air temperature was modeled using a system identification technique. A linear difference equation (ARX model) was used to build a mathematical model from measured input (air temperature) and output (core body temperature). The parameters of the ARX model were estimated using the least squares method. Quality of the model was evaluated by simulation with input from a new data set. The model output was in good agreement with the measured one where the root mean square difference between measured and simulated output was 0.58 oC