Effect of formaldehyde vapor on the blood constituents of male rabbits

The present experimental study was designed to investigate the effect of formaldehyde on blood constituents of rabbit males, Twenty four adult males were randomly subdivided into 3 groups (I, II, III) and exposed to vapour of 10% FD (12 ppm) in cages for the following periods: 2, 4 and 6 months; beside, 8 rabbits were exposed to vapour of distilled water as a control group. Blood parameters examination showed no morphological changes, but with a significant increase in lymphocytes and esonophils percentage. Significant decrease in neutrophil, red blood cell (RBC) and platelets counts was detected. The present study concluded that formaldehyde of such concentration and exposure time have an effect on blood constituents of rabbit males

The Effect of Using Commercial Red and Black Iron Oxides as a Concrete Admixtures on its Physiochemical and Mechanical Properties

Study discuss the effect of using commercial red and black iron oxides (RIO and BIO) as a concrete admixtures in percentages do not exceeded 2.5% of each oxide from the amount of cement, this study tested the effect of every portion from each oxide at different ages on the compressive strength as well as the workability represented as a values of slump. We conclude that the optimum portion of RIO is 2.5%, but for BIO is 1%, while the proposed uses of RIO in concrete technology are retarder through slump increment reach to 50%, coloring material and mineral admixture through Compressive Strength increment (7-365 days) 5.5-12.8%. On the other hand BIO will propose as, coloring material and mineral admixture through Compressive Strength increment (7-365 days) 22.2-30.8%. SEM-images are clearly show the formation of Calcium hydroxide phase at 7-days while at 1-year the CSH phase is a predominate one, in both cases of RIO and BIO. XRD-pattern is supported the results outcomes through SEM-images

CD56 expression in breast cancer induces sensitivity to natural killer-mediated cytotoxicity by enhancing the formation of cytotoxic immunological synapse

We examined the potential value of the natural killer (NK) cell line; NK-92, as immunotherapy tool for breast cancer (BC) treatment and searched for biomarker(s) of sensitivity to NK-92-mediated cytotoxicity. The cytotoxic activity of NK-92 cells towards one breast precancerous and nine BC cell lines was analyzed using calcein-AM and degranulation assays. The molecules associated with NK-92-responsiveness were determined by differential gene expression analysis using RNA-sequencing and validated by RT-PCR, immunostaining and flow cytometry. NK-target interactions and immunological synapse formation were assessed by fluorescence microscopy. Potential biomarker expression was determined by IHC in 99 patient-derived BC tissues and 10 normal mammary epithelial tissues. Most (8/9) BC cell lines were resistant while only one BC and the precancerous cell lines were effectively killed by NK-92 lymphocytes. NK-92-sensitive target cells specifically expressed CD56, which ectopic expression in CD56-negative BC cells induced their sensitivity to NK-92-mediated killing, suggesting that CD56 is not only a biomarker of responsiveness but actively regulates NK function. CD56 adhesion molecules which are also expressed on NK cells accumulate at the immunological synapse enhancing NK-target interactions, cytotoxic granzyme B transfer from NK-92 to CD56-expressing target cells and induction of caspase 3 activation in targets. Interestingly, CD56 expression was found to be reduced in breast tumor tissues (36%) with strong inter- and intratumoral heterogeneity in comparison to normal breast tissues (80%). CD56 is a potential predictive biomarker for BC responsiveness to NK-92-cell based immunotherapy and loss of CD56 expression might be a mechanism of escape from NK-immunity. - 2019, The Author(s).We would like to thank Ms Khaoula Errafii, Dr Kumaran Mande and Dr Richard Thompson for technical support in RNA sequencing. This work was supported by the Qatar Biomedical Research Institute (QBRI), Qatar Foundation.Scopu

P24 75. Resultados a medio plazo de la revascularización transmiocárdica con láser y células madre

ObjetivoAnalizar los resultados a medio plazo de la revascularización transmiocárdica con láser en combinación con células madre en pacientes con angina refractaria.MétodosDesde junio de 2007 hasta diciembre de 2009 se seleccionaron 19 pacientes (16 hombre y 3 mujeres) con enfermedad coronaria difusa y angina refractaria a tratamiento médico (clase III: 12 pacientes, clase IV: 7 pacientes). En todos ellos se realizó cirugía de revascularización transmiocárdica con láser en combinación con implantación de células madre de médula ósea autóloga.ResultadosLa edad media fue de 65 ± 8,5 años. La media de intervencionismos percutáneos por pacientes previos a la cirugía fue de 3,3 (rango 0-7). Ocho pacientes fueron intervenidos previamente de cirugía coronaria. No hubo efectos adversos asociados al procedimiento. No hubo mortalidad quirúrgica. El número medio de canales creados fue de 19, con un recuento celular por mililitro de: células totales mononuclares (1.660 x 106), CD34+ (9,8 x 106), y CD133+ (4,6 x 106). La mediana de estancia hospitalaria fue de 6 días. El seguimiento medio fue de 19 meses (rango 1-30). En el seguimiento un paciente falleció 24 meses tras la cirugía por insuficiencia cardíaca. En el último seguimiento 11 pacientes estaban en clase I, 5 en clase II y 3 en clase III.Tres pacientes requirieron nuevo cateterismo debido a empeoramiento de su angina.ConclusionesLa cirugía transmiocárdica con láser en combinación con inyección de células madre es un procedimiento seguro y clínicamente efectivo en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria difusa y angina refractaria a tratamiento médico

Betaglycan Is Required for the Establishment of Nephron Endowment in the Mouse

Betaglycan is an accessory receptor for the transforming growth factor-β (TGFβ) superfamily, many members of which play key roles in kidney development. The purpose of this study was to define the role of this co-receptor on fetal murine kidney development. Stereological examination of embryonic and adult betaglycan heterozygous kidneys revealed augmented nephron number relative to littermate controls. Fetal heterozygous kidneys exhibited accelerated ureteric branching, which correlated with augmented nephron development at embryonic day (e) 15.5. In contrast, betaglycan null kidneys exhibited renal hypoplasia from e13.5 and reduced nephron number at e15.5. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of e11.5–e14.5 kidneys demonstrated that heterozygous kidneys exhibited a transient decrease in Bmp4 expression at e11.5 and a subsequent cascade of changes in the gene regulatory network that governs metanephric development, including significant increases in Pax2, Eya1, Gdnf, Ret, Wnt4, and Wt1 expression. Conversely, gene expression in null kidneys was normal until e13.5, when significant reductions were detected in the expression of Bmp4 as well as other key metanephric regulatory genes. Tgfb1 and Tgfb2 mRNA expression was down-regulated in both nulls and heterozygotes at e13.5 and e14.5. The opposing morphological and molecular phenotypes in betaglycan heterozygote and null mutants demonstrate that the levels of betaglycan must be tightly regulated for optimal kidney development

The inhibitory effect of Punica granatum on Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia Extended spectrum β-lactamase strains

Each year, millions of people worldwide suffer from urinary tract infections (UTIs), which are the second most common type of infection in the human body. An infection of the urinary tract (UTI) affects the urinary bladder, kidneys, and\ or urethra. In order to eliminate the urine from the body, it passes through these organs. However, most UTIs are caused by the uropathogenic Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumonia, making treatment more difficult. Recurrent UTIs can be effectively treated with long-term antibiotics; however, they can have several adverse side effects, and sometimes they may generate antibiotic-resistant strains. Due to these downsides, alternative remedies based on plant extracts are increasingly being considered for the prevention and treatment of urinary tract infections, particularly in the context of a synergistic antibiotic strategy. There are many medicinal benefits of the pomegranate (Punica granatum) plant that makes it to be known as a wonder fruit. Pomegranates are the predominant species that belong to the family Lythraceae. Due to its extensive range of bioactive compounds, the diverse parts of this P. granatum plant exhibit significant pharmacological activities. The bioactive compounds of this plant have been shown to possess several antioxidants; anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-diabetic, anti-atherosclerotic, and many other biological effects. Consequently, the purpose of this review was to highlight the inhibitory potential of P. granatum extracts on E. coli and K. pneumonia pathogens, to be used in the effective management of UTIs

Erratum to: Variation in 5-hydroxymethylcytosine across human cortex and cerebellum

This is the final version. Available from BMC via the DOI in this record.The article to which this is the erratum is in ORE at: http://hdl.handle.net/10871/2029

Functional annotation of the human brain methylome identifies tissue-specific epigenetic variation across brain and blood

notes: PMCID: PMC3446315© 2012 Davies et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Dynamic changes to the epigenome play a critical role in establishing and maintaining cellular phenotype during differentiation, but little is known about the normal methylomic differences that occur between functionally distinct areas of the brain. We characterized intra- and inter-individual methylomic variation across whole blood and multiple regions of the brain from multiple donors

Host Genetic Variants Potentially Associated With SARS-CoV-2: A Multi-Population Analysis.

Clinical outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) showed enormous inter-individual and inter-population differences, possibly due to host genetics differences. Earlier studies identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with SARS-CoV-1 in Eastern Asian (EAS) populations. In this report, we aimed at exploring the frequency of a set of genetic polymorphisms that could affect SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility or severity, including those that were previously associated with SARS-CoV-1. We extracted the list of SNPs that could potentially modulate SARS-CoV-2 from the genome wide association studies (GWAS) on SARS-CoV-1 and other viruses. We also collected the expression data of these SNPs from the expression quantitative trait loci (eQTLs) databases. Sequences from Qatar Genome Programme (QGP, = 6,054) and 1000Genome project were used to calculate and compare allelic frequencies (AF). A total of 74 SNPs, located in 10 genes: , -γ, , , , , , , and promoter, were identified. Analysis of Qatari genomes revealed significantly lower AF of risk variants linked to SARS-CoV-1 severity (, , , , and ) compared to that of 1000Genome and/or the EAS population (up to 25-fold change). Conversely, SNPs in , -γ, , and were more common among Qataris (average 2-fold change). Inter-population analysis showed that the distribution of risk alleles among Europeans differs substantially from Africans and EASs. Remarkably, Africans seem to carry extremely lower frequencies of SARS-CoV-1 susceptibility alleles, reaching to 32-fold decrease compared to other populations. Multiple genetic variants, which could potentially modulate SARS-CoV-2 infection, are significantly variable between populations, with the lowest frequency observed among Africans. Our results highlight the importance of exploring population genetics to understand and predict COVID-19 outcomes. Indeed, further studies are needed to validate these findings as well as to identify new genetic determinants linked to SARS-CoV-2.This work was supported by the Qatar University High Impact Grant (Grant Number: QUHI-BRC-20_21-1). OA was supported by a startup grant from the College of Health and Life Sciences, Hamad Bin Khalifa University. This work makes use of data generated by the Qatar Genome Programme (QGP) and Qatar Biobank (QBB), which are funded by Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community