Al-Shatrah Veterinary and Biological Sciences Journal

Exposure to paraquat interfere with serious metabolic processes, initiating structural injury to various organs, including the liver, kidney and thyroid. The main attention of this study was to evaluate the impacts of NMN contrary to paraquat toxicity in albino rats. Fifty female albino rats were splitting into 5 collections: Control group. Paraquat group, in which rats were intra-peritoneal injected with paraquat pesticide at a concentration of 0.25 ml daily for 30 days. NMN group, in which rats administrated NMN at a dose of 1 ml orally via stomach tube for 30 days. Protective group, in which rats were treated with NMN for 30 days and then with the paraquat for another 30 days. Therapeutic group in which rats were treated with the paraquat for 30 days and then with NMN for another 30 days. Paraquat exposure lowered T4, T3, total protein while increasing TSH, ALT, AST, total bilirubin, urea, creatinine. The activities of antioxidants enzymes, including SOD and GPx were reduced following paraquat administration. Nevertheless, NMN treatment reduced all paraquat stimulated injuries in the liver, kidney and thyroid of rats due to its ability for enhancing NAD+ levels

This study examined the relationship between immunohistochemistry-defined molecular subtypes of breast carcinoma and the tumour immune microenvironment. A total of 500 invasive breast carcinoma cases were retrospectively analysed using routine histopathology and immunohistochemistry. Tumours were classified into luminal A, luminal B, HER2-enriched, basal-like, and unclassified subtypes based on surrogate markers. Immune cell infiltration was assessed using CD8 and CD68 immunohisto-chemistry in a subset of cases, and immune-related gene expression was analysed by quantitative real-time PCR in selected CD8-dominant and CD68-dominant tumours. Basal-like tumours showed higher CD8 infiltration, while unclassified triple-negative tumours more frequently demonstrated macrophage-dominant immune profiles. Gene expression analysis showed higher expression of cytotoxic and T-cell–associated genes in CD8-dominant tumours compared with CD68-dominant tumours. These findings highlight immune heterogeneity across breast cancer subtypes and support the value of combining routine immunohistochemistry with targeted molecular analysis of invasive breast cancer

The Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) is an essential to the immune response against viral infections, mainly HIV. This study examines the amino acid interactions between TLR7 and HIV across three species: humans, cows, and sheep, concentrating on binding distances and docking scores as indicators of interaction strength. In humans, the most favorable interactions include 330A (Lysine, LYS) with 540A (Arginine, ARG) at a distance of 1.642 Å and a docking score of -316.27, indicating strong electrostatic interactions. The second best interaction, 242A (Asparagine, ASN) and 269B (Glutamine, GLN), displays a distance of 2.516 Å, likely involving hydrogen bonding for enhanced specificity. In cattle, the interaction between 561A (Glutamic Acid, GLU) and 1B (Proline, PRO) is remarkably the strongest across species, with a distance of 1.439 Å and a docking score of -235.19. In sheep, the interaction 559A (Glutamine, GLN) with 96B (Histidine, HIS) at 2.181 Å reflects effective binding with a score of -295.91. Generally, these interactions expose critical insights into the structural dynamics of TLR7's recognition of HIV, highlighting the significance of binding affinities in immune response strategies. This analysis can guide the progress of therapeutic approaches to improve TLR7-mediated responses to HIV across various species.

Bacterial contamination in operating rooms is a critical element in the transmission of illnesses within hospitals, especially hospital-acquired infections. It is regarded as one of the most severe and life-threatening sources of nosocomial infections. This study examined the diagnostic outcomes of 1,832 bacterial culture swabs obtained from the Bacterial Contamination Unit at Al-Nasiriya Teaching Hospital. The collection comprised specimens collected from ten operating theaters from October 2023 till January 2024, facilitating a thorough evaluation of microbial prevalence across diverse surgical departments. The findings indicated that the predominant contamination occurred in general surgery and orthopedic surgery rooms, with Escherichia coli (E. coli) at 40.9%, followed by Enterobacter spp. at 29.5% and Staphylococcus aureus at 23.9%. The least prevalent pathogen was Klebsiella spp (1.2%). The current study underscores the significance of infection control systems in preventing the cross-transmission of nosocomial infections, which can lead to contamination and infection in critically sick patients

In the current study, stool samples collected from patients at various hospitals in Basrah governorate such as Al-Fayhaa Teaching Hospital, Al-Zubair General Hospital, and Al-Sayyab Hospital. These samples were examined for infection with Cryptosporidium from December 1, 2024, to August 1, 2025.
The study was focused on detection of Cryptosporidium sp. In different areas of Basrah (Rural and Urban), gender, age groups and intensity of infection. A total of 193 stool samples were collected from people in Basrah governorate, of different ages, genders, and locations. The overall infection rate was 64.8%. Significant differences were mostly observed in the months of study. The infection rate was highest in March (76.9%) and lowest in December (37.1%), with a significant difference at P ≤ 0.009. The highest infection rate was seen in rural areas, while the lowest was in urban areas, with a significant difference at P ≤ 0.009.
The collected samples after staining were examined microscopically using modified Ziehl-Neelsen (MZN) stain for detection Cryptosporidium oocysts. The numbers and dimensions of the oocysts were recorded under the microscope and photographed using a camera mounted on a Leica microscope. The results were statistically analyzed using the Chi-square test at a probability level of P ≤ 0.05

COVID-19 is related to the blood type ABO system and vulnerability to COVID-19 infection. The ABO system comprises the B, A, and O alleles, which impact the antigen expression on red blood cells, and the presence of naturally occurring antibodies in plasma. People with type A blood may now be more susceptible to contracting COVID-19. On the other hand, type O may indicate a decreased risk of serious viral consequences. One theory aims to explain the relationship between blood type and risk of infection. In individuals with blood types B and O, anti-A antibodies may prevent the virus's spike protein from adhering to human cells. This could reduce the likelihood that the virus will infiltrate when issues are not only protected by these protections but also by similar ones. IgG versions of anti-A antibodies, which are frequently produced by people with type O blood, seem to be more efficient at preventing the virus than the IgM forms, which are typically produced by people with type B blood. When things go wrong in the body during bad cases of COVID, those changes are tied to what happens early on. Not far behind comes a detail about TMPRSS2 - this protein opens the door for the virus, yet blood type may dial its activity up or down. Studies confirm this: your blood group can change your chances of getting an infection and the severity of the disease. This evidence explains the variation in outcomes across people; one person recover it easily, while another fights a much worse strain. Genetic factors may play a role in determining a person's fate on this scale

Keratinophilic fungi are one of the most significant skin diseases affecting both humans and animals. Despite the availability of numerous treatments against these fungi, their symptoms and the long duration of treatment may prevent complete recovery in a short period of time. Therefore, there is a request to search for plants from nature that can be used as alternatives to antibiotics and chemical treatments. The results demonstrated the inhibition of three types of plant extracts (petroleum ether, chloroform, and ethanol), showing that these extracts have the ability to inhibit keratinophilic fungi (Trichophyton Schoenleinii, Microsporum canis, and Aspergillus flavus) on Mueller-Hinton agar at the four concentrations used in the experiment, indicating the efficiency of the plant for use in treating cutaneous diseases caused by fungi. The highest rate of inhibition was also recorded using the extract of Ethanol at concentration 4 which is the highest concentration used in the experiment. The comet assay is used as an applied analysis to measure broken DNA strands resulting from chemical and oxidative stress. It was used in this study before and after treatment to demonstrate the efficiency of the alcoholic extract in treating fungal skin infections. Regarding the experimental animals, the apparent results from the five groups taken from male mice, with each group containing 6 mice, showed that all the mice developed cutaneous lesions by scratching method ranging from mild to moderate after two weeks of exposure to the pathogen. After two weeks, the animals were treated with an ethanolic extract from the Albizia Lebbek plant at a concentration of 4 ml/liter, which showed inhibitory efficacy against keratinophilic fungi. Using the comet assay, the extract demonstrated its efficacy and ability to not harm living cells, in addition to the therapeutic potential of the extract.

Toxoplasma gondii infection poses a significant public health risk in women of childbearing age because of the risk of unfavorable pregnancy outcome and possible hematological changes. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the seroprevalence of T. gondii and determine the modifications of hematological and iron status in pregnant and non-pregnant women in Kirkuk Province, Iraq. This cross-sectional study was conducted between January and late June 2025and included 152 women (106 pregnant and 46 non-pregnants). Blood samples were examined using anti-Toxoplasma IgG/IgM ELISA, complete blood count (CBC) and iron biomarkers (serum iron, TIBC, transferrin, and ferritin). The levels of seropositivity higher in non-pregnant women (IgG: 41.3%, IgM: 34.8%) compared to pregnant women (IgG: 20.0%, IgM: 21.0%). Hematological anomalies, such as microcytic anemia, leukocytosis, and thrombocytopenia were also observed in seropositive women. The patterns of iron deficiency particularly evident among Igm-positive cases. These outcomes are significant to the necessity to combine serological and hematological screening into the prenatal care plan to alleviate maternal and fetal complications

Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is one of the leading causes of community-acquired pneumonia, as well as a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the globe. Of these carbapenemase genes, blaVIM and blaKPC are of great clinical significance and have been frequently described in various Gram-negative pathogens, whereas little work has been done on pneumococcal isolates. The aim of the present study was to detect the presence of blaVIM and blaKPC genes in S. pneumoniae isolated from sputum samples of Iraqi patients suffering pneumonia and confirm the association of these genes with antimicrobial resistance patterns. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Al-Sadr Medical City Hospital, Najaf, Iraq, extending from June 2024 to January 2025. We included 96 patients with clinical diagnosis of pneumonia. Sputum specimens were collected in sterile containers and then cultured according to standard microbiological procedures. Identification of S. pneumoniae was based on the basis of colony morphology, gram staining and biochemical tests. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing against ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, imipenem, and meropenem was performed by the Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion method following the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI) guidelines. Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used for the molecular detection of blaVIM and blaKPC genes. Antimicrobial resistance rates to the tested antibiotics were variable, but they were highest for gentamicin and ciprofloxacin, and the carbapenems retained relatively higher activity. Molecular analysis indicated that blaVIM and blaKPC genes were found in 11.5% and 7.3% of the isolates, respectively. The presence of both genes was significantly associated with resistance to imipenem and meropenem (p<0.001). On the other hand, the non-β-lactam resistance showed no significant correlation with the carbapenemase gene carriage. These findings highlight the need for ongoing molecular surveillance, rational use of antibiotics and improved infection control measures to contain the spread of carbapenem resistance from one respiratory pathogen to another