Immunohistochemical analysis of CD45RO+ T cells and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in cyclosporin A-induced rat gingival tissue

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and CD45RO⁺ T cells, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression in cyclosporin A (CsA)–induced rat overgrown gingival tissue during an 8‐week period. Methods: Sixty male Sprague‐Dawley rats weighing 200 to 250 g were used in this study. Mandibular first molars were ligated with 3–0 silk suture. The rats received daily doses of 0.09% NaCl (control group) or 10 mg/kg body weight of CsA (test group) by intraperitoneal injections. Five rats from the control group and 10 rats from the test group were sacrificed at each experimental period (2, 4, 6, and 8 weeks after the beginning of CsA treatment). The specimens were examined immunohistochemically. Results: CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and CD45RO⁺ T cells, and VEGF expression were more prevalent in the CsA‐treated group than in the control group (P <0.05). VEGF was significantly correlated with CD4⁺ T cells, CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio, and CD45RO⁺ cells (P <0.05). Conclusion: Based on our findings, we conclude that VEGF, a major regulator of angiogenesis, and CD4⁺, CD8⁺, and CD45RO⁺ memory T cells play a key role in CsA‐induced gingival overgrowth.     

Catechol-O-methyltransferase Val158Met polymorphism and hyperactivity symptoms in Egyptian children with autism spectrum disorder

Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) plays an important role in the catabolism of brain dopamine and norepinephrine, which have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) as well as in other neuropsychatric disorders. We aimed to investigate the association of COMT Val158Met gene polymorphism with ASD and to examine the influence of such genotypes on hyperactivity symptoms in ASD patients. Eighty ASD patients (mean age 9 ± 1.9 years) and 100 control children (mean age 8.9 ± 1.9 years) were examined. COMT Val58Met polymorphism was genotyped using Tetra-primer ARMS-PCR method. The clinical diagnosis of ASD and ADHD were confirmed according to the DSM-IV criteria for research. We found no significant difference in genotypes or alleles’ frequencies of COMT Val158Met polymorphism between ASD patients and control group. There was a significant association between COMT (Val/Val) genotype and both increasing CARS (p = 0.001) and hyperactivity scores (p = 0.006). Regarding Conner's Score, the DSM-IV hyperactive impulsive were significantly higher in Val/Val genotype than both Met/Val and Met/Met genotypes (p = 0.03). Our data suggested an association between COMT Val58Met polymorphism and hyperactivity symptoms in Egyptian children with ASD.     

Design,synthesis, and in vitro biological evaluation of novel thiazolopyrimidine derivatives as antileishmanial compounds

A series of thiazolopyrimidine derivatives was designed and synthesized as a Leishmania major pteridine reductase 1 (LmPTR1) enzyme inhibitor. Their LmPTR1 inhibitor activities were evaluated using the enzyme produced by Escherichia coli in a recombinant way. The antileishmanial activity of the selected compounds was tested in vitro against Leishmania sp. Additionally, the compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activity against the murine macrophage cell line RAW 264.7. According to the results, four compounds displayed not only a potent in vitro antileishmanial activity against promastigote forms but also low cytotoxicity. Among them, compound L16 exhibited an antileishmanial activity for both the promastigote and amastigote forms of L. tropica, with IC₅₀ values of 7.5 and 2.69 µM, respectively. In addition, molecular docking studies and molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out in this study. In light of these findings, the compounds provide a new potential scaffold for antileishmanial drug discovery.     

Rhino-orbito-cerebral mucormycosis during the COVID-19 third wave in 2021: an Egyptian preliminary report from a single tertiary hospital

Neurological Sciences - COVID-19 is a pandemic disease which predominantly affects the respiratory system with high critical care mortality and morbidity; however, it also causes multi-organ...     

Experimental and Numerical Investigation of an Axial Rotary Blood Pump

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become a standard therapy for patients with severe heart failure. As low blood trauma in LVADs is important for a good clinical outcome, the assessment of the fluid loads inside the pump is critical. More specifically, the flow features on the surfaces where the interaction between blood and artificial material happens is of great importance. Therefore, experimental data for the near‐wall flows in an axial rotary blood pump were collected and directly compared to computational fluid dynamic results. For this, the flow fields based on unsteady Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes simulations‐computational fluid dynamics (URANS‐CFD) of an axial rotary blood pump were calculated and compared with experimental flow data at one typical state of operation in an enlarged model of the pump. The focus was set on the assessment of wall shear stresses (WSS) at the housing wall and rotor gap region by means of the wall‐particle image velocimetry technique, and the visualization of near‐wall flow structures on the inner pump surfaces by a paint erosion method. Additionally, maximum WSS and tip leakage volume flows were measured for 13 different states of operation. Good agreement between CFD and experimental data was found, which includes the location, magnitude, and direction of the maximum and minimum WSS and the presence of recirculation zones on the pump stators. The maximum WSS increased linearly with pressure head. They occurred at the upstream third of the impeller blades and exceeded the critical values with respect to hemolysis. Regions of very high shear stresses and recirculation zones could be identified and were in good agreement with simulations. URANS‐CFD, which is often used for pump performance and blood damage prediction, seems to be, therefore, a valid tool for the assessment of flow fields in axial rotary blood pumps. The magnitude of maximum WSS could be confirmed and were in the order of several hundred Pascal.     

Effects of aging on the male reproductive system

The study aims to discuss the effects of aging on the male reproductive system. A systematic review was performed using PubMed from 1980 to 2014. Aging is a natural process comprising of irreversible changes due to a myriad of endogenous and environmental factors at the level of all organs and systems. In modern life, as more couples choose to postpone having a child due to various socioeconomic reasons, research for understanding the effects of aging on the reproductive system has gained an increased importance. Paternal aging also causes genetic and epigenetic changes in spermatozoa, which impair male reproductive functions through their adverse effects on sperm quality and count as, well as, on sexual organs and the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis. Hormone production, spermatogenesis, and testes undergo changes as a man ages. These small changes lead to decrease in both the quality and quantity of spermatozoa. The offspring of older fathers show high prevalence of genetic abnormalities, childhood cancers, and several neuropsychiatric disorders. In addition, the latest advances in assisted reproductive techniques give older men a chance to have a child even with poor semen parameters. Further studies should investigate the onset of gonadal senesce and its effects on aging men.     

A universal transgene silencing approach in baculovirus-insect cell system

Baculovirus-insect cell system (BICS) is considered one of the most efficient eukaryotic gene expression systems. This system has also been used for producing different recombinant baculoviruses with increased insect toxicity as potential biopesticides. Establishing a universal gene silencing (UGS) system is very important due to the increasing number of studies using RNA interference (RNAi) with BICS. In this work, the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was used as the RNAi consistent target sequence located downstream of a depressant insect-neurotoxin gene, LqqIT2 used as a model of the gene of interest. Small interfering RNA (siRNA) and inverted repeats of EGFP gene (IR-EG) were examined in targeting the EGFP-LqqIT2 (EL)-fusion mRNA or LqqIT2-EGFP (LE)-bicistronic mRNA for degradation. Suppression efficiencies using these inducers were examined transiently and stably in uninfected and infected insect Sf9 cells. Moreover, RNAi showed persistence for 4 and 8 days in baculovirus-infected as well as uninfected Sf9 cells, respectively. Bicistronic RNA seems an efficient way to lower cost and effort of the gene silencing approach while maintaining the biological activity of the protein of interest when the RNAi is not in use.