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Background: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, medical education has gone online. Human anatomy is a three-dimensional subject that requires a clear understanding of the relationships between structures through the study of human cadavers, microscopic samples, and models. Objective: This study aimed to examine the attitudes and perceptions of students regarding teaching anatomy before and after the lockdown period and ways of improving the challenges they faced. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at AL Imam University School of Medicine. Structured surveys were designed to understand students’ attitudes and opinions towards offline versus online teaching of anatomy and suggestions to improve the online teaching process. Results: The mean attitude scores for the conventional lectures, seminars, and practical sessions were significantly higher. Students expressed positive attitudes towards the three teaching modules. Students agreed that themes related to computer skills and technical Internet infrastructure (71.55%) and administrative procedures (61.74%) are essential for improving the online teaching process. Conclusion: Conventional learning is the main target of student learning. Improvements in computer skills, technical Internet infrastructure, learning resources, staff communication, examinations, and development of blended learning will enrich the learning process, especially during the impending challenges.

Background and Objectives: Sertraline is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that is frequently prescribed during pregnancy to treat mood disorders. Studies indicate that chronic use of sertraline is associated with elevated liver enzymes, oxidative stress, and histological alterations in the liver. Folic acid, a recommended supplement currently used during the first trimester of pregnancy, has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Hence, folic acid might be a potential protective agent against sertraline-induced liver injury. The current study aimed to investigate the possible hepatotoxic effects of sertraline administration during pregnancy and early postpartum. In addition, we sought to evaluate the potential protective effects of folic acid supplementation in alleviating any sertraline-induced liver damage. Materials and Methods: Eighty pregnant albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: control, folic acid-treated, sertraline-treated, and folic acid–sertraline-treated. Each group was divided into rats euthanized immediately after giving birth (0 h) or 14 days postpartum. Biochemical, histological, and immunohistochemical evaluations of liver function and structure were conducted. Results: Administration of sertraline was associated with a significant increase in hepatic enzymes (ALT and AST) and disrupted lipid profile (elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, and LDL-c) compared to the control group. Increased apoptosis was evidenced by increased caspase 3 expression and histological alterations, including vacuolation and inflammatory infiltrates, in sertraline-treated rats. Folic acid supplementation effectively mitigated these effects by preserving liver architecture, normalizing biochemical markers (ALT, AST, and lipid profile changes), and reducing apoptotic activity (lower caspase 3 expression). Conclusions: Folic acid mitigated sertraline-induced hepatic damage in pregnant rats. This suggests the potential benefits of using folic acid during the whole duration of pregnancy in patients treated with sertraline.

Background: Obesity often affects kidney health. Irisin, a myokine released during exercise, may exert renoprotective effects. This study examined the effects of swimming-induced irisin on kidney health in obese rats. Materials and methods: Sixty male rats were divided into four groups: control non-trained, obese non-trained, control trained, and obese trained. Obesity was induced using a high-fat diet, and an 8-week swimming program was implemented. Measurements included body and kidney weights, renal function markers (serum urea, creatinine, and urinary albumin), lipid profile, fasting glucose, insulin, and HOMA-IR. Levels of skeletal muscle irisin and PGC-1α were measured by ELISA, and citrate synthase activity was assessed spectrophotometrically. Renal tissue analysis included phospho-AMPKα1 (measured by ELISA), Complex I activity, ATP, Malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity (measured spectrophotometrically), and PGC-1α mRNA expression (qRT-PCR). Renal tissues were examined under a light microscope for histopathological evaluation, followed by semi-quantitative scoring of glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions, morphometric analysis of glomerular tuft area, and a composite score of cleaved caspase-3 immunoexpression. Results: Exercise increased skeletal muscle levels of irisin, PGC-1α, and citrate synthase activity. It also activated renal AMPK, improved mitochondrial function, increased PGC-1α mRNA levels, and reduced renal oxidative stress, as evidenced by decreased malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and restored superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in obese rats. These changes were associated with improved renal function, reduced tubular injury and apoptosis in obese rats, partial restoration of the glomerular tuft area, lower lesion scores, and reduced cleaved caspase-3 immunoexpression. Conclusions: These findings suggest that irisin may mediate the renoprotective effects of exercise through the AMPK–PGC-1α pathway, highlighting swimming as a beneficial non-pharmacological intervention and supporting a potential adjunct role for irisin in managing obesity-related CKD.

Background and Objectives: Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is an interstitial lung disease that leads to death and is characterized by excessive collagen deposition and tissue scarring. Bleomycin (BLM) is widely used to induce PF in rodent models, closely resembling human idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Ivermectin, a broad-spectrum antiparasitic agent, has recently attracted interest due to its reported anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic effects. The beneficial effects of ivermectin to treat PF may be attributed to suppressing the NLRP3 inflammasome. Ivermectin can cause acute toxicity, including convulsions, when overdosed in animals. In humans, it may induce neurological disorders, particularly in individuals with mutations in the ABCB1 gene. This study aimed to investigate the potential protective role of ivermectin against BLM-induced PF in rats. Materials and Methods: Forty adult male albino rats were randomly allocated into four groups (n = 10 each): control, ivermectin-treated (0.6 mg/kg, orally on days 0, 1, 7, and 8), BLM-treated (single intratracheal dose of 5 mg/kg), and BLM- and ivermectin-treated. Lung tissues were collected for histopathological analysis and Mallory trichrome staining to assess collagen deposition. Mast cell (MC) infiltration was assessed using toluidine blue. Immunohistochemistry for α-SMA and Ki-67 was used to evaluate myofibroblast and cell proliferation. Oxidative stress parameters, including serum total antioxidant capacity, lung glutathione and lung nitric oxide were measured. Results: Ivermectin treatment markedly attenuated BLM-induced lung fibrosis, showing reduced collagen accumulation, restoration of alveolar architecture, and decreased inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunohistochemical evaluation revealed decreased expression of α-SMA and Ki-67, while biochemical analyses demonstrated improved oxidative stress markers. Conclusions: Ivermectin significantly mitigates BLM-induced pulmonary fibrosis in rats through modulation of inflammation, suppression of myofibroblast proliferation, and reduction in oxidative stress and collagen deposition. These findings highlight ivermectin as a potential candidate for the management of fibrotic lung diseases, warranting further mechanistic and clinical investigations.

Sertraline, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, is commonly prescribed during pregnancy. While its adverse effects on pregnant mothers are documented, its impact on fetal organ development, particularly the liver, is less understood. Folic acid is a standard prenatal supplement, possessing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects. This study aimed to investigate the effects of maternal exposure to sertraline during pregnancy alone, as well as during both pregnancy and lactation, on the offspring liver and to investigate the potential role of concurrent folic acid supplementation. Pregnant Sprague-Dawley albino rats were divided into four groups: Control, Folic acid-supplemented, Sertraline-treated, and Sertraline + folic acid-treated. Treatments were administered to dams by oral gavage once daily during pregnancy alone, as well as during both pregnancy and lactation. Male offspring were sacrificed at birth (0-Day) and 14 days postpartum (14-Day). Offspring livers were processed for histopathological (H&E and Masson trichrome staining), immunohistochemical evaluation of cleaved Caspase-3 expression, and morphometric analysis. Offspring from sertraline-treated dams (Sertraline 0-Day, prenatal exposure only) exhibited marked hepatocellular vacuolation, vascular congestion, and inflammatory infiltration in portal areas. In the sertraline 14-Day group (combined prenatal and lactational exposure), partial structural recovery was observed; however, liver damage persisted but was less severe, showing diffuse vacuolation. Strong cleaved Caspase-3 immunoreactivity was observed in the sertraline-treated group, indicating increased apoptosis. Conversely, offspring from the Sertraline+ folic acid groups (0-Day and 14-Day) showed apparently normal hepatic architecture at both time points, with minimal histopathological changes and significantly weaker cleaved Caspase-3 expression, comparable to that of the control and folic acid groups. Maternal sertraline exposure during pregnancy, with or without continuation into early lactation, induces significant structural damage and increases apoptosis in the offspring's liver. Concurrent maternal folic acid supplementation effectively mitigates these effects at both time points, although the extent of protection may vary depending on the exposure window (prenatal vs. combined prenatal and lactational exposure). These findings suggest a potential modulatory benefit of folic acid supplementation in mitigating sertraline-induced hepatic alterations in offspring.