Cellular and Molecular Biology

This study was carried out to investigate the molecular mechanism of microRNA-26 (miR-26) targeting BNIP3 to mediate proliferation and apoptosis of multiple myeloma (MM) cells. The expression of miR-26 and BNIP3 in MM and normal tissues was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot. According to the average expression of miR-26 and BNIP3, the patients were divided into 12 cases with high miR-26 expression group, 18 cases with low miR-26 expression group, 20 cases with BNIP3 high expression group, and 10 cases with BNIP3 low expression group...

PI3K pathway is a very important pathway that is reported to be involved in breast cancer. Mutation of PI3K and p110 alpha-catalytic subunit of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PIK3CA) is of high predictive and prognostic values in breast cancer. The purpose of the current study was to screen the hotspot mutations of the PIK3CA gene i.e. rs2677760, rs3806685, rs121913273 & rs121913279 along with expressional analysis of PI3K and PIK3CA genes in breast cancer female patients...

In this study, UVA- and UVB-irradiated human fibroblasts were used to investigate the anti-photoaging efficacy of two aqueous extracts from Aspergillus oryzae-fermented broken rice (FBR) and brewers' rice (FBrR). As UVA and UVB can damage the dermal and epidermal layers, respectively, two UV radiation approaches were utilised: i) direct UVA irradiation on fibroblasts, and ii) UVB-irradiated keratinocytes indirectly co-cultured with fibroblasts to observe their epithelial-mesenchymal interaction during UVB-induced photoaging...

Denervated muscle atrophy is a severe neurological complication that significantly impacts patients' quality of life. Currently, there is a lack of effective treatment methods. This study aims to investigate the molecular mechanisms associated with denervated muscle atrophy and explore potential therapeutic targets. In this study, we assessed the severity of denervated muscle atrophy by measuring the wet-weight ratio of the calf muscles. We conducted Western blot and immunofluorescence experiments to observe the morphology and cross-sectional area of muscle fibers following sciatic nerve transection...

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. The tumor suppressor gene MT-CO1, and Kristen Rat Sarcoma Virus (KRAS), an oncogene are primarily responsible for controlling cell apoptosis, cell cycle arrest, and cell proliferation, and any irregularities in these genes could lead to cancer. This study aims to examine the expression of KRAS and MT-CO1 in CRC biopsy specimens and investigate their relationship with one another in CRC patients residing in the Erbil city of Kurdistan Region, Iraq...

Activin regulates inflammation, cell proliferation, immune response, wound repair, and endocrine function. In this study, we investigated the effect of activin on inflammatory genes in THP-1 cells and the involvement of NF-κB, AKT, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Cell viability was determined using a colorimetric assay with the MTS/PES solution. The mRNA levels were analyzed using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The expression of NF-κB, AKT, and MAPK signaling proteins was measured using immunoblot analysis...

The skeletal system of the body is responsible for important functions in the human body. In addition to causing movement, this system also plays a role in the production of blood cells and fat storage. Bone marrow is a spongy or viscous tissue that fills the inside of the body's bones. The basic structure of bone marrow is of two types. Red bone marrow and yellow bone marrow. Red bone marrow contains blood stem cells that can become red blood cells, white blood cells, or platelets. Yellow bone marrow is made mostly of fat and contains stem cells that can turn into cartilage, fat, or bone cells...

The study was conducted to evaluate the root, shoot and leaf callus cell regeneration and its biochemical properties like antioxidant, carbohydrate, pigment and mineral content from broccoli root, shoot and leaf cutting in vitro. An in vitro factorial experiment was carried out based on a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 5 replicates in tissue culture applying different IBA (0.25, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0 and 3.5 mg/l) and BAP (1 mg/l) concentrations using broccoli root tip and leaf cutting. The results showed that a higher callus weight was found in the cultured leaf cutting than in root tip cutting in the concentration of 1...

Ovarian cancer (OC) ranks seventh among malignant tumors worldwide. As one of the most common gynecological malignancies, ovarian cancer has the second-highest mortality rate, after cervical and uterine cancer. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology has enhanced multi-gene panel analysis and its clinical utility for identifying cancer-causing gene mutations. This study aimed to determine the presence of significant and nonsense mutations in telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT), alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation, X-linked (ATRX), O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT), and isocitrate dehydrogenase 1 and 2 (IDH1/IDH2) genes using the Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) method...

Due to several mutations in its genomic sequence, particularly in the spike protein region, the recently-discovered SARS-CoV-2 variant B.5.2.1 has alarmed health policy authorities worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) has labelled it "Omicron" and classified it as a worldwide variant of concern (VOC). Following the appearance of Omicron in Iraq, new cases were also detected and analyzed in Kurdistan regions. Two hundred patients were recruited in this study from Erbil/Iraq. The RNA genome samples were extracted,  the qRT-PCR performed, and 10 samples were sequenced...

Serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) is an indicator of nutritional status in the body. Vitamin D (VD) is important for promoting calcium and phosphorus absorption and bone health. This work investigated the correlation between 25(OH)D level and bone density and bone development in infants. the bone density in 150 infants aged 0 to 3 years was measured by ultrasound. Based on the values of bone density, the infants were grouped into a normal (N) group (n = 95) and an abnormal (ABN) group (n = 55). At the same time, serum 25(OH)D, calcium, phosphorus, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were detected to analyze their correlations...

This study aims to investigate the Interleukin (IL)-6 rs1800795 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPARA) rs4253778 polymorphism distributions in the relatively faster and slower subgroups of national cross-country skiing athletes and to identify advantageous genotypes for endurance performance. IL-6 is an inflammatory mediator that is effective in muscle tissue hypertrophy, repair, and the immune system. On the other hand, PPARA transcription factor is a molecule associated with fatty acid, sugar metabolism and inflammation formation...

Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells (iPSCs) offer a unique therapeutic tool. The extent of the ongoing clinical studies substantiates the role of these cells in a highly promising area of personalized medicine. The employment of this technology in translational research is on the horizon. However, still, many questions remain unanswered. In this review, we discussed certain challenges and difficulties currently faced during the safe and stable clinical application of iPSCs. Furthermore, we describe the potential therapeutic scenarios employing iPSCs for the betterment of human health and the improvement of the health care sector...

The objective of the current investigation was to investigate the diagnostic utility of the serum concentrations and mutational status of TGFβ1, SMAD2, CTNNβ1, and Wnt3a. and the expression levels of human‑related genes in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The serum concentrations were determined using the ELISA technique, and PCR for genotype variations of TGFβ1, SMAD2, CTNNβ1, and Wnt3a were examined using Sanger sequencing in tissue samples obtained from 93 patients with NSCLC and 84 healthy individuals for blood, and 20 Formalin Fixed Paraffin Embedded (FFPE) from normal samples dissected adjacent to the tumour...

We aimed to analyze the effect of acute exercise on oral microbiota in regularly trained swimmers. As environmental factors may affect the oral microbiota; we also aimed to analyze the short-duration effect of swimming training on the oral bacteria relative difference in swimmers. Saliva samples of 20 swimmers both before and after the training were used for the oral microbiota metagenesis. The next-generation sequencing method targeting 16S rDNA gene fragments was used for genotyping. The Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used for the statistical evaluation of the taxons...

An in-depth understanding of the pathogenesis and mechanisms of sleep disorders is important for finding reliable treatments and interventions in the future. This study aims to explore the effect of sleep deprivation by modified multiple platform-water maze (MMP-WM) on rat neurological function and Tau protein in the hippocampus, as well as the intervention effect of remimazolam. First, 40 Sprague Dawley (SD) rats were divided into a control group (no treatment), a Rem group (remimazolam), an MMP-WM group (sleep deprivation model in rats established by MMP-WM), and a combined group (MMP-WM + remimazolam)...

Macrophages become activated by a variety of stimuli such as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and participate in the process of immune responses. Activated macrophages produce various inflammatory mediators. In the present study, we investigated the anti-inflammatory mechanism of a serotonin derivative, N-feruloylserotonin, isolated from safflower seeds in RAW 264.7 macrophages. N-Feruloylserotonin treatment significantly attenuated these effects on LPS-induced reactive oxygen species, nitric oxide, and prostaglandin E2 production in RAW 264...

Acinetobacter baumannii, has been recognized by (WHO) as a global priority pathogen. It has been demonstrated to quickly pick up antimicrobial resistance genes. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) is an unambiguous typing method for identifying accurate and portable nucleotide sequences of internal fragments of multiple housekeeping genes. The present study aimed to determine the sequence type using MLST, genetically define the carbapenem resistance phenotype and clarify the epidemiology of multidrug resistant (MDR) A...

Wounds and the healing process are one of the main concerns of medical science today. A wound is any loss of integrity, or rupture of the layers of skin (epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis) or subcutaneous tissue caused by physical factors (surgical incision, trauma, pressure, and gunshot wounds) or chemical factors (acid burns). It is observed that soft tissue, muscle, or bone is involved in occurrences of wounds. Lesions and fractures of the skin surface necessitate medical attention, wherein dressings expedite the healing process by establishing a physical barrier between the wound and the external environment, thereby preventing further injury or infection...

Cervical cancer (CC) is the fourth most common cancer amongst females worldwide. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) 1 plays a vital role in several tumors. Nevertheless, its potential and mechanism in radiotherapy sensitivity underlying CC remains obscure. Hence, the objective of this research was to probe the potential of HDAC1 in CC radiotherapy sensitivity and its mechanism of action. The expression HDACs and survival analysis of HDAC1 were investigated based on the GEPIA database. Immunohistochemical staining was implemented to detect HDAC1 and Ki-67 expression in tumor tissues...