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Abstract The aim was clinical evaluation of the efficacy of topical insulin eye drops in patients with refractory persistent epithelial defects (PEDs). This prospective non-randomized investigation was conducted to examine the efficacy of insulin eye drops in treating patients with PEDs that did not respond to conventional therapy. A total of twenty-three patients were included in the study, and they were administered insulin eye drops formulated as 1 U/mL, four times a day. The rate of epithelial defect resolution and time to complete corneal re-epithelialization were considered primary outcome measures. The relative prognostic impact of initial wound size and other parameters, including age, sex, smoking, diabetes, and hypertension were also analyzed. The results showed that during follow-up (maximum 50 days), a total of 16 patients (69.6%) achieved improvement. Insulin eye drops significantly reduced the corneal wounding area in 75% of patients with small epithelial defects (5.5 mm2 or less) during 20 days. Only 61% of patients with moderate epithelial defects (5.51–16 mm2) showed a significant recovery in 20–30 days. Also, 71% of patients with a defect size greater than 16 mm2, demonstrated a significant improvement in the rate of corneal epithelial wound healing in about 50 days. In conclusion topical insulin reduces the PED area and accelerates the ocular surface epithelium wound healing.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of Salmonella enterica in raw chicken meat, eggs, and ready-to-eat foods containing poultry products and among patients suffering from diarrhea as a result of ingestion of this foodborne pathogen in Baghdad, Iraq. It assesses the antibiotics susceptibility, virulence and pathogenicity of S. enterica isolates. Thirteen Salmonella spp. isolates from foodstuff and seven from clinical patients were recovered from 80 and 20 samples, respectively. Isolates from foodstuff samples displayed the highest resistance to nalidixic acid (69.23%), followed by chloramphenicol (53.84%). Salmonella spp. isolated from clinical samples showed resistance to both azithromycin and cefotaxime at the same percentage level (71.42%). The results of antibiotic resistance gene amplification (gyrA, mphA) were analyzed and showed that these genes were present in 100% and 50% of phenotypically resistant isolates, respectively. Virulence genes invA, avrA, and sipB were found on average in 86% of food isolates, accounting for 69.2%, 92.3%, and 95%, respectively. In addition, the detection of these virulence genes among clinical isolates showed their presence at the same level (85.7%). Our study revealed that unhygienic chicken slaughterhouses and lack of food safety management are strong indicators of a high probability of the Salmonella presence in our food products in the Iraqi markets.

This study is aimed to Green-synthesize and characterize Al NPs from Clove (Syzygium aromaticum L.) buds plant extract and to investigate their effect on isolated and characterized Salmonella enterica growth. S. aromaticum buds aqueous extract was prepared from local market clove, then mixed with Aluminum nitrate Al(NO3)3. 9 H2O, 99.9% in ¼ ratio for green-synthesizing of Al NPs. Color change was a primary confirmation of Al NPs biosynthesis. The biosynthesized nanoparticles were identified and characterized by AFM, SEM, EDX and UV–Visible spectrophotometer. AFM data recorded 122nm particles size and the surface roughness RMs) of the pure S. aromaticum buds aqueous extract recorded 17.5nm particles size, while the results of Al NPs in the tested sample recorded 21nm particles size with surface roughness RMs about 2.35nm. SEM images revealed the presence of Al NPs with diameters ranged from 33.5-70.4nm with regular spiracles shape particles in the prepared biosynthesized nanoparticle sample. The EDX spectrum analysis showed that the Aluminium weight ratio was 1.75, while it was 50.498 in the Al NPs sample prepared from aqueous extract. UV-Visible spectroscopy data revealed that biosynthesized Al NPs were absorbed at 213nm while Aluminum nitrate was absorbed at 258nm. These results indicate the formation of Al NPs. The antibacterial activity showed that Al NPs exhibited having high antibacterial activity on Salmonella spp. isolates compared to the effect of the control agent (imipenem) in this experiment. We conclude that biosynthesized Al NPs from clove aqueous extract can be exploited as natural antibacterial compounds to inhibit the growth of Salmonella.

Millions of cataract surgeries with intraocular lens (IOL) implantation are performed worldwide. Although cataract surgery brings many benefits to the patients, the risk of various complications is still a concern. One of the infrequent adverse events but potentially affecting on patients' visual acuity and contrast sensitivity is losing the transparency of IOL. IOL opacification may lead to IOL removal or exchange, which is unpleasant to both the patient and the surgeon. Several reports of acute IOL clouding are available in the literature describing various etiologies of this phenomenon, however, the exact mechanism remained unclear in some cases. Herein, we aimed to review the causes and outcomes of intraoperative and early postoperative IOL opacification.

Metabolic homeostasis balances the production and consumption of energetic molecules to maintain active, healthy cells. Cellular stress, which disrupts metabolism and leads to the loss of cellular homeostasis, is important in age-related diseases. We focus here on the role of organelle dysfunction in age-related diseases, including the roles of energy deficiencies, mitochondrial dysfunction, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, changes in metabolic flux in aging (e.g., Ca2+ and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide), and alterations in the endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondria contact sites that regulate the trafficking of metabolites. Tools for single-cell resolution of metabolite pools and metabolic flux in animal models of aging and age-related diseases are urgently needed. High-resolution mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) provides a revolutionary approach for capturing the metabolic states of individual cells and cellular interactions without the dissociation of tissues. mass spectrometry imaging can be a powerful tool to elucidate the role of stress-induced cellular dysfunction in aging.

Aims: To determine the role of the kynurenine (KYN) pathway in rhodoquinone (RQ) and de novo NAD+ biosynthesis and whether NAD+ rescue pathways are essential in parasitic worms (helminths). Results: We demonstrate that RQ, the key electron transporter used by helminths under hypoxia, derives from the tryptophan (Trp) catabolism even in the presence of a minimal KYN pathway. We show that of the KYN pathway genes only the kynureninase and tryptophan/indoleamine dioxygenases are essential for RQ biosynthesis. Metabolic labeling with Trp revealed that the lack of the formamidase and kynurenine monooxygenase genes did not preclude RQ biosynthesis in the flatworm Mesocestoides corti. In contrast, a minimal KYN pathway prevented de novo NAD+ biosynthesis, as revealed by metabolic labeling in M. corti, which also lacks the 3-hydroxyanthranilate 3,4-dioxygenase gene. Our results indicate that most helminths depend solely on NAD+ rescue pathways, and some lineages rely exclusively on the nicotinamide salvage pathway. Importantly, the inhibition of the NAD+ recycling enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase with FK866 led cultured M. corti to death. Innovation: We use comparative genomics of more than 100 hundred helminth genomes, metabolic labeling, HPLC-mass spectrometry targeted metabolomics, and enzyme inhibitors to define pathways that lead to RQ and NAD+ biosynthesis in helminths. We identified the essential enzymes of these pathways in helminth lineages, revealing new potential pharmacological targets for helminthiasis. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that a minimal KYN pathway was evolutionary maintained for RQ and not for de novo NAD+ biosynthesis in helminths and shed light on the essentiality of NAD+ rescue pathways in helminths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To determine the role of the kynurenine (KYN) pathway in rhodoquinone (RQ) and de novo NAD + biosynthesis and whether NAD + rescue pathways are essential in parasitic worms (helminths). Results: We demonstrate that RQ, the key electron transporter used by helminths under hypoxia, derives from the tryptophan (Trp) catabolism even in the presence of a minimal KYN pathway. We show that of the KYN pathway genes only the kynureninase and tryptophan/indoleamine dioxygenases are essential for RQ biosynthesis. Metabolic labeling with Trp revealed that the lack of the formamidase and kynurenine monooxygenase genes did not preclude RQ biosynthesis in the flatworm Mesocestoides corti . In contrast, a minimal KYN pathway prevented de novo NAD + biosynthesis, as revealed by metabolic labeling in M. corti , which also lacks the 3-hydroxyanthranilate 3,4-dioxygenase gene. Our results indicate that most helminths depend solely on NAD + rescue pathways, and some lineages rely exclusively on the nicotinamide salvage pathway. Importantly, the inhibition of the NAD + recycling enzyme nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase with FK866 led cultured M. corti to death. Innovation: We use comparative genomics of more than 100 hundred helminth genomes, metabolic labeling, HPLC-mass spectrometry targeted metabolomics, and enzyme inhibitors to define pathways that lead to RQ and NAD + biosynthesis in helminths. We identified the essential enzymes of these pathways in helminth lineages, revealing new potential pharmacological targets for helminthiasis. Conclusion: Our results demonstrate that a minimal KYN pathway was evolutionary maintained for RQ and not for de novo NAD + biosynthesis in helminths and shed light on the essentiality of NAD + rescue pathways in helminths.