Publications by authors named "Atif F"

Lumpy skin disease (LSD) is an emerging, highly contagious transboundary disease of bovines caused by the Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV), responsible for substantial economic losses to the dairy, meat, and leather industries in Pakistan as well as various countries around the world. Epidemiological information on LSD is scarce in Punjab, Pakistan. Therefore, a molecular epidemiological study was conducted in two agro-ecologically diverse districts (Bhakkar and Jhang) of Punjab, Pakistan.

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  • Anaplasma is a type of bacteria that can make sheep and goats sick, and this study looked at how common it is in animals from Faisalabad, Pakistan.
  • Out of 384 blood samples taken, 131 tested positive for Anaplasma, showing it’s more common in goats (41.88%) than in sheep (22.00%).
  • The study also found that factors like where the animals live, if they have ticks, their age, and how clean their surroundings are can affect their chances of getting sick.
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is the most important cause of anaplasmosis in small ruminants. The current study was planned to estimate the molecular prevalence, risk factors, and phylogenetic analysis of infection in sheep and goats from different agro-climatic regions of Central and Southern Punjab, Pakistan. A total of 400 jugular blood samples were collected from asymptomatic goats ( = 200) and sheep ( = 200) from the Jhang and Dera Ghazi Khan districts from January 2021 to February, 2023.

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  • Caprine theileriosis, caused by the parasite Theileria ovis, poses significant production challenges for goat and sheep farming in regions like Pakistan, where these animals are vital for the economy.
  • A study in the Muzaffar Garh district examined 1,084 goat blood samples over a year using PCR, revealing a low infection rate of 1.11%, with higher prevalence during summer.
  • Young goats showed more infections in winter, and infected animals exhibited altered blood parameters, indicating health issues; hence, the study suggests implementing control measures to combat T. ovis.
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The increasing incidence of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing (.) in backyard chicken farming in Pakistan is of serious concern. This study aimed to assess the prevalence, antimicrobial resistance patterns and risk factors associated with ESBL avian pathogenic (APEC) isolated from backyard chickens in the Jhang district, Punjab, Pakistan.

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This review examines various aspects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its potential role as a causative agent for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in the veteran population. The pituitary glands and the hypothalamus, both housed in the intracranial space, are the most important structures for the homeostatic regulation of almost every hormone in the human body. As such, TBI not only causes psychological and cognitive impairments but can also disrupt the endocrine system.

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  • * There are about 38 viral species linked to ticks, with most being RNA viruses, and the interaction between ticks and their hosts is critical for effective pathogen transmission, facilitated by the ticks' saliva which contains proteins essential for virus uptake and reproduction.
  • * Immunological factors, such as specific receptors and pathways, significantly influence tick-virus interactions, and ticks can also harbor other viruses in their internal microbial communities, making the study of these interactions vital for understanding the spread of tick
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Theileriosis and anaplasmosis are important tick-borne hemoparasites of bovines. The first surveillance study aimed to assess the suitability of duplex PCR for simultaneous detection of Theileria annulata and Anaplasma marginale field infections in Jhang and Rawalpindi districts of Punjab, Pakistan. Cattle blood samples (n = 480) were collected from selected union councils of all tehsils using a multistage sampling technique.

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This review highlights the diagnostic methods used, the control strategies adopted, and the global epidemiological status of canine cyclic thrombocytopenia and granulocytic anaplasmosis at the animal-human interface. Canine anaplasmosis is an important worldwide disease, mainly caused by and with zoonotic implications. chiefly infects platelets in canids, while is the most common zoonotic pathogen infecting neutrophils of various vertebrate hosts.

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  • Research indicates that cancer, specifically glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), can be viewed as a metabolic disease influenced by mitochondrial functions and hormonal regulation, particularly by progesterone (P4).
  • In experiments, GBM cell lines exposed to different doses of P4 showed significant decreases in oxygen consumption, glycolysis rates, and overall mitochondrial function, with the most substantial inhibitory effects observed at 80 μM concentration.
  • Additionally, high levels of P4 were linked to an increase in superoxide radical generation, suggesting potential implications for tumor growth control and treatment strategies against GBM.
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Vitamin D deficiency (D) alters morphology and outcomes after a stroke. We investigated the interaction of D following post-stroke systemic inflammation and evaluated whether administration of progesterone (P) or vitamin D (D) will improve outcomes. D rats underwent stroke with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced systemic inflammation.

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Post-stroke systemic inflammation, due to the injury itself and exacerbated by in-hospital infections, can increase morbidity and mortality in stroke patients. In this study, we examined the immunomodulatory effects of progesterone (P4) alone and in combination with vitamin D hormone (VDH) on acute phase post-stroke peripheral immune dysfunction and functional/behavioral deficits. Adult rats underwent transient middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion (tMCAO) and delayed systemic inflammation was induced by injections of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) beginning 24 h post-stroke.

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NOD-like receptor pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome inhibition and autophagy induction attenuate inflammation and improve outcome in rodent models of cerebral ischemia. However, the impact of chronic stress on NLRP3 inflammasome and autophagic response to ischemia remains unknown. Progesterone (PROG), a neuroprotective steroid, shows promise in reducing excessive inflammation associated with poor outcome in ischemic brain injury patients with comorbid conditions, including elevated stress.

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  • The study investigated how progesterone affects glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) growth by altering glycolytic metabolism and promoting cell senescence in a mouse model.
  • High-dose progesterone treatment led to a significant decrease in tumor size (about 47%) and improved survival rates (around 43%), with no harmful effects on other organs.
  • In cell studies, progesterone reduced the expression of key enzymes and signaling pathways related to glycolysis and promoted senescence in GBM cells, suggesting a mechanism for slowing tumor progression.
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  • Researchers studied how the visual cortex responds to visual stimuli after a crush injury to one optic nerve in adult mice.
  • They found that the side of the brain corresponding to the injured eye showed enhanced visual response when stimulated with the intact eye, indicating a form of plasticity.
  • The neurosteroid allopregnanolone, which boosts GABA inhibition, reduced this enhancement, suggesting it might help modulate visual plasticity in related eye and brain disorders.
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Despite improved therapeutic methods, CNS toxicity resulting from cancer treatment remains a major cause of post-treatment morbidity. More than half of adult patients with cranial irradiation for brain cancer develop neurobehavioral/cognitive deficits that severely impact quality of life. We examined the neuroprotective effects of the neurosteroid progesterone (PROG) against ionizing radiation (IR)-induced neurobehavioral/cognitive deficits in mice.

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Despite the fact that stress is associated with increased risk of stroke and worsened outcome, most preclinical studies have ignored this comorbid factor, especially in the context of testing neuroprotective treatments. Preclinical research suggests that stress primes microglia, resulting in an enhanced reactivity to a subsequent insult and potentially increasing vulnerability to stroke. Ischemia-induced activated microglia can be polarized into a harmful phenotype, M1, which produces pro-inflammatory cytokines, or a protective phenotype, M2, which releases anti-inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophic factors.

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We investigated the effect of progesterone (P4) treatment on diabetes/hyperglycemia-induced pathological changes in brain, spinal cord and sciatic nerve tissue in male rats. Animals were rendered hyperglycemic by a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ). P4 treatment was started after hyperglycemia was confirmed and body weight and blood glucose levels were monitored once/week for 5weeks.

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We investigated the neuroprotective effects of progesterone (P4) treatment in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSPs) given 60-min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO). The treatment groups were: (1) Wistar-Kyoto (normotensive sham), (2) SHRSP (hypertensive sham), (3) tMCAO SHRSPs (SHRSP+tMCAO), and (4) SHRSP+tMCAO+P4. P4 (8mg/kg) was administered 1h after occlusion and then daily for 14days.

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Neonatal stroke is among the top ten causes of childhood death and permanent disability in survivors, but no safe and effective acute treatments exist. To advance understanding of its neuroprotective mechanisms, we examined the effects of progesterone (PROG) on local and systemic inflammation (IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα), brain derived neurotrophic factor/Tropomyosin receptor kinase B (BDNF/TrkB) signaling, vascular damage (vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9)), acute behavioral seizures and brain infarction size following neonatal arterial ischemic stroke in mice. CD1 mouse pups (postnatal day 12, mixed gender) received permanent unilateral right common carotid ligation (pUCCL) or sham surgery.

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The Anaplasma species are important globally distributed tick-transmitted bacteria of veterinary and public health importance. These pathogens, cause anaplasmosis in domestic and wild animal species including humans. Rhipicephalus, Ixodes, Dermacentor and Amblyomma genera of ticks are the important vectors of Anaplasma.

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