The objective of this research was to look at how the pesticide lambda-cyhalothrin (LCT) affected the liver, kidney, testis, and ovary of albino mice; and on morphological and skeletal features of the newborn of treated females. The study also aimed to test the ameliorative effects of L-carnitine (LC) against (LCT). Five sets of mice were created, Group 1 acted as the control, while Group 2 received a high dose of LCT, Group 3 received a high dose of LCT + LC, Group 4 received a low dose of LCT that was a residue of in khat (Qat), and Group 5 received a low dose of LCT + LC. The findings revealed that the treated groups' body weights were reduced significantly, whereas the absolute and relative weights of the liver in all groups were statistically decreased insignificantly. There were histopathological changes in the tissues in groups 2 and 4. While the tissues of the ovary and testis showed recovery in groups 3 and 5. When compared to the control group, the values of the seminiferous tubules parameters were statistically significant in the 3 and 5 groups. The newborn had a high dose of pesticides and showed some malformations in the skeleton. However, in group 3 the skeletal malformation was minimized and in-group 5 the skeleton malformations had completely disappeared. It could be concluded that LCT is highly harmful to mouse tissues and caused neonatal malformations, whereas LC has a marked protective effect against LCT.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of marjoram extract on oocyte maturation and gene expression in sheep oocytes and embryos. The first experiment studied the effect of the extract as an antioxidant to improve the in vitro maturation media used for sheep oocytes; the oocytes were matured in a TCM199 medium supplemented with 1 or 10 µg/mL of marjoram extract or the control, 0 µg, for 24 hr. Then, the maturation was estimated, and the gene expression was measured by using qPCR. The second experiment studied the effect of the extract on the development of sheep embryos produced in vitro; the fertilized oocytes were cultured in a SOF medium supplemented with 1 or 10 µg/mL of marjoram extract or the control, 0 µg, for 7 days. Then, the gene expression was measured using qPCR. The results showed that the marjoram extract did not improve nuclear maturation or the blastocyst rate. There was a significant increase in the level of GDF-9 gene expression in mature oocytes in the treatment groups. An increase in the expression of BCL-2 and EGR-1 genes was observed for the blastocysts in the 10 µg/mL group. We concluded that the marjoram extract did not improve nuclear maturation, but it did affect the expression of some genes in sheep oocytes and embryos.

Background: The utilization of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and in vitro embryo production (IVEP) has increased significantly as an effective tool of assisted reproductive technology. Sperm capacitation is a process of membrane maturation allowing the acrosome reaction to take place. Ionomycin is a calcium ionophore that induces the acrosome reaction by increasing calcium cycling across phospholipid membranes. The aim of this study was to enhance the cleavage rate and development of bovine embryos. Methods: Bovine ovaries were collected from the central slaughter house. Oocytes were obtained from follicles and were let to mature for 24 h. Frozen bull semen thawed in 37°C water and transferred to a discontinuous percoll gradient (Sigma GE17-0891-01). The spermatozoon pellet was separated into four groups after resuspension in bovine in vitro fertilization media (BO-IVF): control without additives; with DMSO and with ionomycin (25 and 50 nM) and kept in an incubator for three hours. The oocytes matured under commonly used media (TCM-199) for 24 h. The mature oocytes were then fertilized for 18-24h. The embryos were cultured in SOF medium until the seventh day to study cleavage rate and blastocyst rate. Result: The results indicated that 50 nM ionomycin supplementation considerably reduced cleavage while DMSO and 25 nM ionomycin supplementation had no effect on cleavage percentage. Moreover, when compared to the other groups, ionomycin at 25 nM significantly increased blastocyst development. In conclusion, the highest rate of blastocyst development was observed in the capacitation medium supplemented with 25 nM ionomycin, apparently due to the importance of calcium and metabolism in spermatozoa for fertilization and embryo development.

Cloning, commonly referred to as somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), is the technique of enucleating an oocyte and injecting a somatic cell into it. This study was carried out with interspecific SCNT technology to clone the Arabian Oryx utilizing the oryx’s fibroblast cells and transfer it to the enucleated oocytes of a domestic cow. The recipient oocytes were extracted from the cows that had been butchered. Oryx somatic nuclei were introduced into cow oocytes to produce embryonic cells. The study was conducted on three groups, Oryx interspecific somatic cell nuclear transfer into enucleated oocytes of domestic cows, cow SCNT “the same bovine family species”, used as a control group, and in vitro fertilized (IVF) cows to verify all media used in this work. The rates of different embryo developmental stages varied slightly (from 1- cell to morula stage). Additionally, the oryx interspecies Somatic cell nuclear transfer blastocyst developmental rate (9.23%) was comparable to that of cow SCNT (8.33%). While the blastula stage rate of the (IVF) cow embryos exhibited a higher cleavage rate (42%) in the embryo development stage. The results of this study enhanced domestic cow oocytes’ ability to support interspecific SCNT cloned oryx, and generate a viable embryo that can advance to the blastula stage.

Culex pipiens complex members have been known as important vectors of medical and veterinary arthropod-borne diseases for many pathogens (viral, bacterial, parasitic). Therefore, this study aimed to investigate natural bacterial flora within the Culex pipiens pipiens (Linnaeus,1758) collected from Aleppo City, Syria. Specimens of Cx. p. pipiens were identified based on a pictorial key. The presence of bacterial species was investigated using the PCR technique and special culture media. Results indicated the presence of mine bacterial species, including Wolbachia pipiens, Moraxella catarrhalis, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Corynebacterium kutsceri, Clostridium tetani, and Acinetobacter baumannii. Wolbachia controls the sexual behavior of mosquitoes and therefore can be used in biocontrol.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent malignancies worldwide, necessitating the development of alternative therapeutic approaches. Nanotechnology-based treatments have gained significant attention for enhancing drug bioavailability and minimizing systemic toxicity. This study assesses the anticancer activity of biosynthesized Faidherbia albida nanoparticles (NPs) against the triple-negative breast cancer cell line, MDA-MB-231. Methods: Faidherbia albida roots were collected, authenticated and used for extract preparation. Biosynthesized nanoparticles were characterized using dynamic light scattering (DLS), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). MDA-MB-231 cells were treated with varying concentrations of F. albida crude extract and its NPs and cell viability was assessed using the MTT assay. Apoptotic markers Bcl-2 and Bax were measured using ELISA and lipid peroxidation levels were determined through the TBARS assay. Result: The synthesized F. albida NPs had an average size of 114.4 nm, as determined by DLS. TEM analysis confirmed a clustered morphology and FTIR and XRD analyses validated the presence of functional groups and crystalline structures. MDA-MB-231 cells exhibited significant morphological alterations upon NP treatment, including cellular shrinkage and increased debris accumulation. The MTT assay revealed a concentration-dependent decrease in the viability of cells, with NP-treated cells exhibiting 14-26% greater cytotoxicity than crude extract-treated cells. ELISA assays demonstrated a significant increase in the regulation of the pro-apoptotic marker Bax and downregulation of the anti-apoptotic marker Bcl-2. Furthermore, NP treatment resulted in a notable reduction in lipid peroxidation levels compared to crude extract treatment.