MMSL, 2022 (vol. 91), issue 3

METFORMIN MAY AMELIORATE INFLAMMATORY EVENTS OF IL-18 IN SOME INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONSOriginal article

Ajil A. Alzamily, Karrar M. Obaid, Buthainah Al-Azzawi

MMSL 2022, 91(3):170-181 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.039  

Background: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) belongs to the cytokine family IL-1. IL-18 is synthesized as inactive precursors which need to be processed into an active interleukin by the Caspase-1 enzyme. The role of IL-18 is implicated in several auto-immune disorders, myocardial function, emphysema, metabolic syndromes, psoriasis, bowel inflammation, sepsis, and acute kidney injury. IL-18 exhibits pro-inflammatory properties, such as increased cell adhesion molecules, nitric oxide production, enhancement of T-cell and natural killer cell maturation, and increasing the production of chemokines. This study was designed from November 2020 to February 2021 at...

PUBLIC LEADERSHIP’S MESSAGING DURING PUBLIC HEALTH CRISES – CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FROM MASK-WEARING MESSAGING DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMICReview article

Zhayra Geraldine Garcia Escalona, Vanda Bostik

MMSL 2022, 91(3):182-190 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.040  

Given their primacy in discussions over public health measures throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, this paper focuses on leadership’s messages around masks and mask-wearing, aiming to emphasise the responsibility of leadership in the formation of norms during public health crises. It argues for the importance of robust messaging as a key factor in confidence building and public abidance to health measures, using the shortcomings in mask-wearing communication as a case study. For this purpose, the paper first discusses securitization theory and places it in the context of health to build on risk communication framework. Secondly, it examines the...

EFFECT OF PEPSI BEVERAGES ON URINE pH, CRYSTALLURIA, AND URINARY CALCIUM EXCRETIONOriginal article

Ehsan Hassan Taha Al-dabbagh, Mohammed Khalid Jammaludeen Alnori

MMSL 2022, 91(3):191-196 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.041  

Background: Carbonated beverages are very popular worldwide. Carbonated beverage consumption vast increase raises great health concerns regarding their effect on calcium homeostasis besides obesity and renal function. Carbonated beverages sugar content, caffeine, and acidulant all can affect in a way or another calcium absorption, metabolism and excretion. The latter has direct effect on teeth, bone and general wellbeing. This study aims to reveal the effect of sub-chronic intake of carbonated beverage on urinary pH, crystalluria, calcium excretion.Methods: 21 healthy volunteers have been recruited in this study (9 males and 12 females) abstain for any...

SOLID LIPID NANOPARTICLES AS A PROMISING APPROACH FOR DELIVERY OF ANTICANCER AGENTS: REVIEW ARTICLEReview article

Salam Shanta Taher, Zainab Ahmed Sadeq, Khalid Kadhem Al-Kinani, Zahraa Salim Alwan

MMSL 2022, 91(3):197-207 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.042  

Cancer disease has a complicated pathophysiology and is one of the major causes of death and morbidity. Classical cancer therapies include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and immunotherapy. A typical treatment is chemotherapy, which delivers cytotoxic medications to patients to suppress the uncontrolled growth of cancerous cells. Conventional oral medication has a number of drawbacks, including a lack of selectivity, cytotoxicity, and multi-drug resistance, all of which offer significant obstacles to effective cancer treatment. Multidrug resistance (MDR) remains a major challenge for effective cancer chemotherapeutic interventions. The advent of nanotechnology...

INFLUENCE OF COENZYME Q10 ON HYPERLIPIDEMIA INDUCED IN MICEOriginal article

Zena S. Hamed, Labeeb H. Al-Alsadoon, Khalid A. Shaban, Ghada A. Taqa

MMSL 2022, 91(3):208-215 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.043  

Background and objectives: hyperlipidemia is the hallmark of cardiovascular diseases, namely hypertension, ischemic heart diseases, and strokes. Treatment should be satisfactory to tackle the lipid disorder and maintain the circulatory normal lipid profile. Many factors/cofactors coordinate to maintain lipid levels within normal to avoid subsequent hazards associated with hyperlipidemia. Coenzyme Q10 is a ubiquitous endogenous biomolecule that plays an important biological role in the lipid catabolic pathway. The goal of the study is to define the role of Coenzyme Q10 in hyperlipidemic mice model induced manually.Methods: to do so, a diet based hyperlipidemia...

EVALUATION OF THE THERAPEUTIC EFFECTS OF COMBINED HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AND AZITHROMYCINE IN PATIENTS WITH COVID-19Original article

Zeina A. Althanoon

MMSL 2022, 91(3):216-223 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.045  

Introduction: Coronavirus pandemic is currently a global health concern with no established treatment guidelines. The aim of the present study was to determine the therapeutic effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine combined with azithromycin in patients with positive coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) admitted to the hospital with severe dyspnea, as well as the incidence of occurrence of adverse effects.Methods: It was intended to utilize a retrospective clinical study of approximately 250 adult patients admitted to the ALSALAM Teaching Hospital in Mosul city with mild to moderate COVID-19 in order to evaluate treatment efficacy in combination...

AFLATOXIGENIC FUNGI IN NUTS AND DRIED FRUITS IN MOSUL AND DUHOK CITYOriginal article

Eman A. Ramadan, Nadeem A. Ramadan, Amjad Abdul Hadi Mohammed

MMSL 2022, 91(3):224-234 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.049  

Introduction: The present study aims to determine the contamination of eighteen samples from different nuts and dried fruits from the markets of Mosul and Duhok city.Materials and Methods: This study included samples of local and imported nuts and dried fruits.Results: The study showed different genera of contaminant fungi such as Alternaria, Penicillium, and Aspergillus species which are very common fungi associated with samples. The most fungal contamination was found in pistachio and black raisins, followed by balahsisi, taffy raisins, yellow raisins, dried apricot and peanut with shell. A total of nine species of Aspergillus...

ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY IN FIRST-CONTACT CAREReview article

Petr Grenar, Karel Mědílek, Jiří Nový, Jan M. Horáček, Tomáš Kupsa, Pavel Skořepa, Martin Jakl

MMSL 2022, 91(3):235-243 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.051  

Sonography has become a rising trend in first-contact medical care. Increased usage of sonography comes together with technical development, availability as well as compactness of new devices. Emergent echocardiography is reproducible method providing clinically significant information during primary survey of acute cardiovascular diseases. The main points in process of implementation of emergent echocardiography by non-cardiologists are standardization of the procedure, structure of scholarship and clarification of competences. This text brings an overview of the focused echocardiography in emergency medicine and provides information of heart ultrasonography...

EVALUATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL EFFECTS OF CITRUS PEEL EXTRACTS AND ITS SILVER NANOPARTICLES AGAINST MULTIPLE PATHOGENSOriginal article

Maimonah Q. Yahya, Khadeeja Y. Abid

MMSL 2022, 91(3):244-255 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2021.052  

The majority of nanomaterials have unique properties that make them helpful in a variety of biotechnology applications. The study assesses the phytochemical, antioxidant (using a DPPH radical scavenging assay) and antimicrobial activities and identifies minimum inhibitor concentrations of Citrus sinensis (orange), Citrus Limonum (lemon), and Citrus reticulata (tangerine) extracts and their silver nanoparticles. Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the produced AgNPs. The synthesized AgNPs have a size of less than 100 nm according to SEM examination. Their DPPH radical scavenging activity...

THE EFFECT OF CYCLOPHOSPHAMIDE ON HIPPOCAMPAL STRUCTURE OF ADULT MALE RATS (ROLE OF ROSUVASTATIN)Original article

Luma I Al-Allaf, Rana KA Attarbashee, Jawnaa K Mammdoh

MMSL 2022, 91(3):256-264 | DOI: 10.31482/mmsl.2022.022  

Background: Limited researchs were noticed on the histological impact of cyclophosphamide on rats’ brains and the reports on the effects of antioxidants to protect these harmful effects are scanty. Trials have assessed the effect of statins in cancer regarding the association between statins use and cancer incidence.Aim: To investigate the protective and ameliorative effects of rosuvastatin on the brain toxicity induced by a single dose of cyclophosphamide in male rats.Materials and methods: Twenty-four rats were divided into 3 groups (n=8 for each). The control group includes animals which were received no treatment for 15 days. The cyclophosphamide...