Al-Kufa University Journal for Biology

Objective:In the present study, an attempt is carried out to estimate the degree of iron
overload in IHD patients in addition to the measurement of lipid peroxidation end
product, malondialdehyde (MDA). The level of these compounds will indicate the risk
of tissue damage caused by oxidative stress and iron overload.
Methodes: Sixty eight patients with ischemic heart diseases including stable angina
(AS), unstable angina (UA) and myocardial infarction (MI) (aged 40-60 years) were
involved in the present study during their admission to Al- Sader Teaching Hospital /
Al- Najaf Al- Ashraf. Age matched twenty two healthy men were included as control
group. All blood samples were taken early morning from fasting subjects.
Serum levels of iron and total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) were measured
spectrophotometrically while unsaturated iron-binding capacity (UIBC), estimated
total iron body stores (ETIBS), transferrrin saturation percentage (TS%) and
transferrin concentration were calculated mathematically. Serum ferritin and MDA
were measured using ELISA technique.
Results: Results of the present study in general revealed that there is a mild state of
iron overload in IHD patients in comparing with healthy control. The results of iron
status showed significant increase (P<0.05) in all iron indices of IHD patients in
comparing with healthy control group except TIBC and UIBC, which decrease
significantly (P<0.05) in those patients in comparing with control group. Moreover, a
significant (P<0.05) increase in serum ferritin and ETIBS was found in IHD patients
compared with control group. Serum MDA is increased significantly in IHD patients
as compared with control group.

Heat stress due to increased temperature is an agricultural problem in many
areas in the world. The objective of this study was to examine changes in seed
germination characters, cell membrane stability, lipid peroxidation level and
electrolyte leakage in germinated seeds exposed to heat stress. Seed germination, coefficient
of germination and germination vigor index asignificant decreased (due to
high temperature) is compared to control (untreated seeds). The MDA a signficant
increased, whereas the protein content asignficant decreased due to high temprature.
Heat stress a signficant increased proline content. Electrolytes level (as indicator on
perturbation of membrane permeability) a signficant increased with exposure period
increase to high temperature.

Purpose: To examine the dissemination of blaTEM and blaSHV genes in Escherichia
coli isolate from patients with significant bacteriuria.
Methods: During the study period, antibiotic susceptibility patterns were studied in a
total of 38 isolates of E. coli. The isolates were also examined to determining the
presence of blaTEM and blaSHV genes by PCR assay. Conjugation experiments were
performed by using rifampicin resistance E. coli MM294 as the recipient.
Results: All isolates were resistance to at least five of the antibiotics tested (multidrug
resistance, MDR) and sensitive to imipenem. PCR assay revealed that 57.1% and
14.3% of the isolates carried blaTEM and blaSHV genes, respectively, additionally 9.5%
of the isolates harbored both genes. Conjugation experiments and PCR trials
confirmed that the blaTEM positive E. coli isolates tested were able to transfer this
gene in transconjugants.
Conclusions: There was a high occurrence of MDR isolates in patients with
significant bacteriuria and the blaTEM gene was common among isolates.

The current study was designed to explain the relationship of testosterone and estradiol levels with the serum lipid profile alteration . It has included the measurement of serum testosterone and estradiol levels in healthy subjects (40 males and 43 post – menopausal females) , atherosclerotics male (40) and post – menopausal (41) atherosclerotic females . Serum triglyceride , cholesterol , HDL- cholesterol , LDL- cholesterol and VLDL- cholesterol were also estimated in those individuals . The results revealed significant (p < 0.05) elevation of serum estradiol level in atheroselerotic males when compared with those of the control group,Estradiol also was found decreased significantly (p <0.05) when testosterone levels indicated a significant (p < 0.05) in atherosclerotic post-menopausal female when compared with control group . The results identified the details of serum lipid profile changes in conditions of different levels of sex steroids .

Three groups of rabbits were used to study the immunization with killed ,live
bacteria and cell free culture of Gardnerella vaginalis by using direct agglutination
and passive haemagglutination.We found that these antigens stimulate local and
systemic specific humoral immune response.Delayed type hypersensitivity was also
studied and found it stimulate Tcells.