Publications by authors named "Azza Elsheikh"

Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigated the levels of plasma gelsolin (pGSN) in 184 neonates, comparing 92 with late-onset sepsis (LOS) to 92 controls, to determine if it could serve as a diagnostic and prognostic marker.
  • - Results showed that pGSN levels were significantly lower in septic neonates (90.63 ± 20.64) compared to healthy controls (451.83 ± 209.59), and these levels correlated with the severity of sepsis and outcomes, such as mortality and organ failure.
  • - pGSN levels increased significantly in survivors after their sepsis improved, suggesting that it could be a reliable marker for diagnosing and predicting outcomes in neonatal late
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Recombination-activating gene 1 (RAG1) is a vital player in V(D)J recombination, a fundamental process in primary B cell and T cell receptor diversification of the adaptive immune system. Current vertebrate RAG evolved from RAG transposon; however, it has been modified to play a crucial role in the adaptive system instead of being irreversibly silenced by CpG methylation. By interrogating a range of publicly available datasets, the current study investigated whether RAG1 has retained a disproportionate level of its original CpG dinucleotides compared to other genes, thereby rendering it more exposed to methylation-mediated mutation.

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Cognitive decline and Alzheimer-like neuropathology are common manifestations of cadmium toxicity. Thanks to its antioxidant/anti-apoptotic features, dapagliflozin has demonstrated promising neuroprotective actions. However, its effect on cadmium-induced neurotoxicity is lacking.

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Tuberculosis (TB) remains a significant public health concern worldwide. Given the dense living and interactive nature of university environments, students may be at higher risk. This cross-sectional study assessed tuberculosis-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) among students at Taif University (TU) from November 2022 to May 2023.

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Cadmium is an environmental toxicant that instigates cognitive deficits with excessive glutamate excitatory neuroactivity in the brain. Topiramate, a glutamate receptor antagonist, has displayed favorable neuroprotection against epilepsy, cerebral ischemia, and Huntington's disease; however, its effect on cadmium neurotoxicity remains to be investigated. In this study, topiramate was tested for its potential to combat the cognitive deficits induced by cadmium in rats with an emphasis on hippocampal oxidative insult, apoptosis, and autophagy.

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Background: Breast cancer is the most predominant tumor in women. Even though current medications for distinct breast cancer subtypes are available, the non-specificity of chemotherapeutics and chemoresistance imposes major obstacles in breast cancer treatment. Although combretastatin A-4 (CA-4) has been well-reported to have potential anticancer activity, studies of CA-4 reveal a decrease in its activity.

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Cadmium is an environmental contaminant associated with marked neurotoxicity and cognitive impairment. Linagliptin, a dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor, has demonstrated promising neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia and diabetic dementia. However, there has been no study of its effect on cadmium-induced cognitive deficits.

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Background: Understanding COVID-19's onset and clinical effects requires knowing host immune responses.

Objective: To investigate the presence of IgM, IgG, and cytokine levels (IL-2 and IL-6) in individuals with COVID-19 who have had their diagnosis confirmed by PCR.

Methods: This cross-sectional research included 70 adult ICU patients from King Abdullah Hospital in Bisha, Saudi Arabia.

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Cadmium (Cd) is a widespread environmental pollutant that triggers testicular dysfunction. Dapagliflozin is a selective sodium-glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitor with notable antioxidant and anti-apoptotic features. It has shown marked cardio-, reno-, hepato-, and neuroprotective effects.

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Fast food is a major risk factor for atherosclerosis, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western world. Apelin, the endogenous adipokine, can protect against cardiovascular disease via activating its receptor, APJ. Concurrently, secoisolariciresinol diglucoside (SDG), a flaxseed lignan extract (FLE), showed a therapeutic impact on atherosclerosis.

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The recent outbreak of the Ebola virus (EBOV) has marked it as one of the most severe health threats globally. Among various anti-EBOV inhibitors studied, galidesivir (BCX4430) has shown remarkable efficacy. This study aims to identify novel potential anti-EBOV drugs among galidesivir analogs, focusing on the Zaire ebolavirus (Z-EBOV), which exhibits a mortality rate of 90%.

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Meloxicam has shown significant neuroprotection in experimental models of stroke, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease. However, the potential of meloxicam to treat depression-like neuropathology in a chronic restraint stress (CRS) model and the associated molecular changes has been insufficiently explored. The current work aimed to explore the potential neuroprotective actions of meloxicam against CRS-evoked depression in rats.

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Magnesium sulfate has demonstrated marked neuroprotection in eclampsia, hypoxia, stroke, and post-traumatic brain injury rodent models. However, its potential impact against chronic-restraint-stress (CRS)-induced depression-like neuropathology and associated alterations in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress have not been adequately examined. The present study aimed to investigate the neuroprotective potential of magnesium sulfate in a rat model of CRS-triggered depression-like behavioral disturbance and the underlying molecular mechanisms.

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Rebamipide is a quinolone derivative that has been commonly used for the treatment of gastric and duodenal ulcers. However, the molecular mechanisms of rebamipide against acetic acid-evoked colitis have not been adequately examined. Hence, the current study aimed to investigate the ameliorative effect of rebamipide in a rat model of acetic acid-evoked ulcerative colitis and the linked mechanisms pertaining to SIRT1/FoxO3a/Nrf2 and PI3K/AKT pathways.

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Background: Methotrexate (MTX) is an effective anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory agent. However, it induces a serious pneumonitis that leads to irreversible fibrotic lung damage. This study addresses the protective role of the natural flavonoid dihydromyricetin (DHM) against MTX-induced pneumonitis via modulation of Nrf2/NF-κB signaling crosstalk.

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Unlabelled: Liver ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) is a pathophysiological insult that often occurs during liver surgery. Blackberry leaves are known for their anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.

Aims: To achieve site-specific delivery of blackberry leaves extract () loaded AgNPs to the hepatocyte in IRI and to verify possible molecular mechanisms.

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Cancer is the major challenge across world and the adenocarcinoma of prostate malignancy is the second most prevalent male cancer. Various medicinal plants are used for the treatment and management of various cancers. L.

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Novel drugs are desperately needed in order to combat a significant challenge due to chemo-therapeutic resistance and bad prognosis. This research aimed to assess the anticancer activity of a newly synthesized ciprofloxacin Mannich base (CMB) on ovarian cancer (OVCAR-3) and lung cancer (A-549) cell lines and to investigate probable involved molecular mechanisms. The cytotoxic and pro-apoptotic impact of CMB on both cell lines was investigated using MTT assay, Annexin V assay, and cell cycle analysis, as well as caspase-3 activation.

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Background: There are limited studies that have assessed COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and side effects, both globally and in the western region of Saudi Arabia (SA).

Objective: This study assessed the acceptance of vaccination against COVID-19, determined motivators and barriers for taking these vaccines, and assessed vaccine side effects in the western region of SA.

Study Design: The study was an online cross-sectional study conducted among the people who lived in the western region of SA during the period from December 2021 to March 2022.

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Topiramate, a promising drug classically used for the management of neurological disorders including epilepsy and migraine, has demonstrated marked anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic actions in murine models of cardiac post-infarction inflammation, wound healing, and gastric/intestinal injury. However, its potential impact on cadmium-induced testicular injury remains to be elucidated. Herein, the present study aimed to explore the effect of topiramate against cadmium-invoked testicular impairment with emphasis on the molecular mechanisms linked to inflammation, apoptosis, and autophagy.

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The anticancer drug methotrexate (MTX) is known to cause hepatotoxicity as a possibly fatal adverse effect that hinders its clinical application. Although the natural flavonoid, dihydromyricetin (DHM), has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects; its role against MTX-induced hepatotoxicity has not been explored yet. For this, rats were administrated DHM orally for two weeks at a dose of 300 mg/kg per day, with or without a single i.

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Article Synopsis
  • Irbesartan, an angiotensin receptor blocker known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic properties, was tested for its protective effects against ethanol-induced gastric injury in Wistar rats.
  • The study showed that treatment with irbesartan significantly improved gastric damage by reducing lesions, inflammation, and apoptosis markers while enhancing protective factors like antioxidants and autophagy-related proteins.
  • Overall, irbesartan's ability to suppress harmful inflammatory signals and promote protective responses suggests it could be a promising therapeutic option for gastric mucosal injuries caused by ethanol.
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Purpose: Oxidative and inflammatory pathways play a significant role in the pathophysiology of a wide variety of non-communicable diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and hypertension. However, the effect of serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D ‎‎(25[OH]D) on these pathways is still controversial. To evaluate the association of 25[OH]D on ‎antioxidant and pro-inflammatory biomarkers, reduced glutathione (GSH) and tumor ‎necrosis factor (TNF)-α, in T2DM and hypertensive patients.

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