Papers by Irshaid I Irshaid
Eastern Mediterranean Health Journal, 2014
Lupus, Jul 6, 2010
To assess the relationship between serum C3 or C4 levels and lupus renal flare, C3 and C4 levels ... more To assess the relationship between serum C3 or C4 levels and lupus renal flare, C3 and C4 levels were measured bimonthly in 71 lupus nephritis patients for a mean of 35 months, during which time 70 renal flares were identified. Comparing baseline, pre-flare, and at-flare values indicated that neither C3 nor C4 levels decreased pre-flare, but both decreased on average significantly at flare. However, sensitivity/specificity for C3 (75%/71%) and C4 (48%/71%) were low. To account for other influencing factors, multiple regression was performed that included bimonthly values of C-reactive protein (CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and genotype data on C3 (S/F), CRP (1846G > A), and the complement regulator factor H (Y402H). This analysis revealed that reduced levels of C4, but not C3, were independently associated with the two-month pre-flare period. Conversely, reduced levels of C3, but not C4, were independently associated with the flare visit. Significant pro-flare interactions included low C3 levels with the factor H 402HHencoding genotype, and low CRP levels with the C3 F allele. Together these data suggest that C4 activation is critical for initiating renal flare while C3 activation is involved in the actual tissue damage, and that these effects are influenced by genetic variability in complement activation and regulation.
Archives internationales de physiologie et de biochimie, 1990
Human placental glutathione S-transferase was purified to apparent homogeneity by direct applicat... more Human placental glutathione S-transferase was purified to apparent homogeneity by direct application of the crude homogenate into glutathione linked sepharose affinity chromatography. Chromatofocusing analysis in the presence of reduced glutathione resolved the enzyme into three acidic peaks eluted at pH 6.0, 5.7 and 5.5. About 36% of the initial activity was recovered in the isozyme fraction eluted at pH 6.0 whereas the isozymes eluted at pH 5.7 and 5.5 accounted for 20% and 25% of the activity respectively. Disc gel electrophoresis in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate revealed the presence of a single protein band in all the three separated isozymes. These isozymes were homodimers with an apparent relative molecular mass of 44.000 and subunit molecular mass of 21.000. The isozymes were immunologically related to each other and to the enzyme from goat and sheep placentae. Mother age had no influence in the placental glutathione S-transferase activity, albeit the activity was slightly higher in placenta obtained from younger women.
Surgery, 2005
Hyperoxia has been shown to improve wound healing; however, the mechanism for such therapeutic ef... more Hyperoxia has been shown to improve wound healing; however, the mechanism for such therapeutic effects of oxygen remains hypothetical. Rac 1 regulates a wide variety of cellular activities, including cell proliferation and migration, and also is a key regulator for the activity of the nicotinamide dinucleotide phosphate oxidase the enzyme complex responsible for the production of a large fraction of cellular superoxide. We generated transgenic mice that express either the cDNA of a constitutively active mutant of human Rac 1 (V12 mutant or Rac CA) or the dominant negative isoform (V12 and N17 mutant or Rac DN) in the blood vessels using mouse vascular smooth muscle promoter for alpha-actin. We placed 2 wounds of 6 mm in diameter at the middorsal region of each mouse and allowed about 3 weeks for the wounds to heal. The size of the wounds in Rac CA transgenic mice was reduced relative to wild type mice; healing of Rac DN mice was slower than wild type and Rac CA ( P < .05). Blood vessel formation appeared faster in Rac CA mice, a finding associated with enhanced expression of some angiogenic growth factors. The current studies suggest that Rac 1 activation accelerates the wound healing process and is associated with more efficient angiogenesis at the wound site.
American Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Feb 1, 2009
Problem statement: Urtica pilulifera L. (Urticaceae), has long been used for the treatment of var... more Problem statement: Urtica pilulifera L. (Urticaceae), has long been used for the treatment of various aliments including diabetes. Diabetes is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia which has a deleterious effect on all systems including reproductive system of animals. Therefore, the current study was designed to investigate the effects of Urtica pilulifera on the reproductive system of diabetic rats. Approach: Forty male rats were evenly divided into four groups: Group I consisted of non-diabetic rats that received only the vehicle; group II-IV was injected intraperitonially with a single dose of streptozotocin (STZ) of 70 mg kg −1 ; groups III and IV were given methanol extract of Urtica pilulifera orally, 3 days after the STZ injection, at daily doses of 1.0 and 2.0 g kg −1 , respectively. After 4 weeks of treatments, all the rats were sacrificed. Results: Administration of 70 mg kg −1 of streptozotocin to male rats induced diabetes and significantly reduced the body and sex organ weights, testosterone levels, sperm count and motility and significantly increased the glucose levels and water and food intake. By contrast, rats given the Uritica pilulifera methanol extract had significantly improved body weight gain, whereas the glucose levels, water and food intake significantly improved in treated diabetic male rats. In addition, this extract improved the reproductive system of the diabetic male rats by significantly increasing the testis and epididymis weights, testosterone levels, sperm count and motility. Conclusion/Recommendations: We concluded that the adverse effects of STZ-diabetes on reproductive system of male rats can be reversed by treatment with Urtica pilulifera leaf extract; and this leaf extract exhibits antihyperglycemic and spermatogenic activities. Based on these findings, we suggested the possible utilization of Urtica pilulifera extracted as a therapy to prevent the development of diabetes in later life and improved the performance of male reproductive system in animals and humans.
Pakistan Journal of Biological Sciences, Mar 15, 2018
Molecular Immunology, Jul 1, 2007
The type one complement receptor (CR1) contains a variable number of binding domains for C3b and ... more The type one complement receptor (CR1) contains a variable number of binding domains for C3b and C4b, formed through a nearly identical set of repeating units known as short consensus repeats (SCRs). Each SCR contains 4 cysteines that, by forming two disulfide bonds, impart a conformation critical for function. In this study, we identified a CR1 single nucleotide polymorphism (1597C>T) that results in an additional cysteine (483R>C) in SCR 8 of the N-terminal C3b/C4b binding domain, and occurring sporadically in corresponding SCRs of other repeated C3b/C4b binding domains. The normal carrier frequency for 483-C was 6.3% in 175 African Americans, and 2.4% in 153 Caucasians. In expression constructs containing one C3b/C4b binding domain, the 483-C residue reduced binding to C3b, C3bi, and C4b by over 80% (each p < 0.0001), versus the wildtype construct. Full-length CR1 from 483-C carriers also exhibited reduced binding to C3b and C4b, although the effect was influenced by the total number of binding domains present. Race-matched comparisons between SLE patients (86 African Americans, 228 Caucasians) and the normal cohort showed that 483-C carrier status alone is not a risk factor for SLE or lupus nephritis. The physiological role of this polymorphism remains to be determined.
Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 2009
Jordanian journal of engineering and chemical industries, Dec 1, 2021
Disposal of poultry sludge is one of the significant challenges facing cities because of very str... more Disposal of poultry sludge is one of the significant challenges facing cities because of very strict requirements for landfilling and the scarcity of space for landfills. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the physical and chemical properties of poultry sludge and its suitability for reuse in agricultural and non-agricultural applications. Three samples were collected from sludge at the wastewater treatment plant of Al-Thuraya slaughterhouse in Al-Mafraq District, Jordan. The physical and biochemical properties of these samples were analyzed. Also, elemental composition and heat value were determined. The results indicated that poultry sludge had a slightly alkaline pH and a total moisture content of 20%, and an average total solid of 80%. The dry solid sludge had a volatile solid content of 94.9% and 5.1% of ash. Also, dry sludge had a high protein content (62 %) followed by carbohydrate (20%) and fiber (17%), with fat being around 1%. The significant elements in the sludge were carbon (65.5%) followed by nitrogen (16%), phosphorous (5%), and sulfur (2%). Heavy metal concentrations in dry sludge ranged from 0.01 to 2mg/kg. These heavy metal concentrations were well below the safe limits recommended by legislators for sludge used as a fertilizer. The findings from this study revealed that dry poultry sludge offers a wide range of potential uses as fertilizer, animal feed, and a source of energy. It should be considered a potentially valuable and sustainable resource rather than a waste product.
Journal of Medical Sciences, 2018
Research Journal of Microbiology, Apr 1, 2012
Journal of Biological Sciences, Sep 15, 2015
Xylene is frequently released into the environment from biomass. As a consequence of this, its bi... more Xylene is frequently released into the environment from biomass. As a consequence of this, its bioaccumulation can cause adverse health effects in humans. The purpose of this study was to screen for aerobic xylene-degrading bacteria from gasoline contaminated soil sites located around gas stations in the city of Al-Mafraq, Jordan. The effects of some physicochemical factors were examined. The 10 g of soil sample were transferred to Stanier's mineral medium supplemented with 1% m-xylene and incubated at 30°C for 72 h. At least 4 aerobic m-xylene degrading isolates, designated as X1-X4 were identified using biochemical and molecular biology techniques. Isolates X1 and X2 were rod-shape Gram negative, oxidase and catalase positive bacteria. Isolate X3 was a rod-shape and Gram negative bacterium that was catalase positive and oxidase negative. Isolate X4 was a rod-shape, spore forming and Gram positive bacterium that was oxidase and catalase positive. Isolates X1, X2 and X4 showed high similarity to Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas stutzeri and Bacillus firmus, respectively, whereas X3 was a novel species of the genus Citrobacter, similar to Citrobacter amalonaticus. The growth rates of these isolates were slower at 2% m-xylene than at 1% m-xylene. The growth rate was less when the temperature was reduced from 30-25°C, whereas, at 45°C, the growth rate almost completely ceased. The growth rate was higher at pH 6.5 than at pH 5.5 or 8.5. The shortest generation times were found to be 8 h for Bacillus firmus, followed by 9 h for Pseudomonas stutzeri, 10 h for Citrobacter amalonaticus and 11 h for Pseudomonas aeruginosa under 1% m-xylene at 30°C and pH 6.8. In conclusion, we reported for the first time the isolation of four bacterial species with the ability to utilize m-xylene as a growth substrate.
European Scientific Journal, ESJ, Sep 29, 2014
Background and Aims: Shopping carts (SCs) are considered as highly contaminated public surfaces, ... more Background and Aims: Shopping carts (SCs) are considered as highly contaminated public surfaces, and may play a role in transmission of some harbor heterotrophic bacteria to human being. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the hygienic conditions and presence of heterotrophic bacteria on the surface of the handles and bases of SCs taken from shopping stores in Al-Mafraq city, Jordan. Methods: Five different SCs were selected randomly from four shopping stores (designated as A, B, C and D) during May through June, 2011. Two dry swab samples were taken from each SC, one from the handle and another one from the base. All samples were cultured on nutrient agar as none selective medium and incubated aerobically at 37 °C for 48 hours. The resulting number of colony forming units (CFUs) in each plate was converted to CFU per cm 2 surface area. The species of bacterial isolates were determined by biochemical tests and 16S rDNA sequencing. Results: The number of heterotrophic bacteria per SC range between 6 to 133 CFU/cm 2 surface area for the cart handles and between 6 to 300 CFU/cm 2 surface area for the cart bases, indicating higher numbers of heterotrophic bacteria in the cart bases as well as more fluctuations in the number of heterotrophic bacteria at the handles and bases of SCs. These analyses also confirmed the presence of seven coliform and three noncoliform species on the tested surface of the handles and bases of the selected stores. These include E. coli spp., Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Burkholderia cepacia, Yersinia enterocolitica, Tatumeella ptyseas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Shigella sonnei, Bacillus cereus, and Bacillus pumilus.
Advanced studies in biology, 2013
1,2,4-triazoles have been reported to possess a wide range of biological activities, including an... more 1,2,4-triazoles have been reported to possess a wide range of biological activities, including anticancer, antifungal, antiviral and antibacterial activities. Therefore, the current investigation is intended to synthesize six novel 1,2,4-triazole derivatives (designated as 2aa, 2ab, 2ac, 2bb, 2bd, and 2be). These derivatives were screened for their antibacterial activity against two Gram-negative bacteria isolated from clinical specimens (stool and ear exudates of infected patients) and two Gram-positive standard bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus ATCC29213 and Bacillus cereus ATCC11778) using both well diffusion and broth dilution methods. The chemical structures of the new 1,2,4-triazole derivatives were characterized by 1 H and 13 C-NMR spectra, in addition to elemental analysis. The bacterial strains designated as GN1 and GN2 were identified by biochemical and molecular methods and confirmed as new strains of Shigella sp., and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, respectively. All triazole derivatives were found to be active against bacteria with varying degrees. Some derivatives were found to have the same antibacterial activity as penicillin G (the positive control) against certain strains, for instance, 2ab, 2bd, and 2be against B. cereus ATCC11778. Interestingly, some compounds were more active than penicillin G against certain strains. The activity of 2aa against B. cereus ATCC11778 was higher than the activity of penicillin G, whereas 2ab and 2ac were more active than penicillin G against the clinical isolate P. aeruginosa. The variation seen in antimicrobial activity could be attributed to the difference in the substituent groups attached to the 1,2,4-triazole nucleus. In conclusion, these findings might hold promise for development of a new class of a novel expanded spectrum antibiotics against clinically important bacteria that are highly resistant to current antibacterial agents and associated with serious and life-threatening infections.
Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, Jan 5, 2018
Background and Objective: Raw meats from animal carcasses are most frequently contaminated with b... more Background and Objective: Raw meats from animal carcasses are most frequently contaminated with bacteria during the slaughtering and dressing process. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the bacterial quality of raw meat from lamb, goat and beef carcasses immediately after slaughtering at butcher shops in Al-Mafraq city-Jordan. Materials and Methods: A total of 243 meat samples were aseptically cut from the hand, leg and back of carcasses at three butcher locations, designated as site-C (the central part of the city), site-N (the north side of the city) and siteS (the south side of the city). Samples were processed and then cultured on nutrient agar and xylose lysine deoxycholate (XLD) agar plates aerobically at 35 °C for 48 h for enumeration of bacteria and total Enterobacteriaceae count (TEC) by aerobic plate count (APC). APC and TEC were expressed as colony forming units per gram of meat (CFU/g). Results: APC and TEC in the raw meats ranged from 11.6-28.1 X 10 6 CFU/g on nutrient agar and from 23-120 X 10 3 CFU/g on XLD agar medium. By meat type, the lamb had the highest APC and TEC, followed by beef. By location, the highest APC and TEC were shown in the C-Site, followed by the S-Site. There were significant differences between APC counts by location and meat type (P<0.05). APC and TEC at the legs of the tested carcasses were significantly higher than the hand and back regions (P < 0.05). Conclusion: There were high levels of bacterial loads on raw meat carcasses during slaughtering and dressing process inside the butcher shops. The bacterial load exceeded the guideline set up by international studies and was influenced by location, meat type and part of the carcass. To improve the quality of locally produced raw meat, these findings emphasized the need to curb slaughtering animal inside the butcher shops.
Halophilic bacteria flourish in environments with high salinities such as the Dead Sea of Jordan.... more Halophilic bacteria flourish in environments with high salinities such as the Dead Sea of Jordan. In this current study, a new strain, assigned as DS4, was isolated from the Dead Sea of Jordan. The strain was identified based on biochemical and physiological characteristics, and it was further identified by 16S rDNA sequence analysis. DS4 was shown to be Gramnegative, oxidase-positive, non-lactose fermenting, and sulfide-producing on TSI medium. The strain was found to lack the following exoenzymes: amylase, gelatinase, and protease. Strain DS4 was able to grow at high salinity range of 3.4–4.5% NaCl and optimally at 4% NaCl. Furthermore, the 16S rRNA gene analysis revealed that the gene was 99% identical with the genes of several strains of Shewanella putrefaciens deposited in the public nucleotide database. Moreover, the antibiogram of this new strain was determined by well diffusion method. The strain was found to be sensitive to various antibiotics (at concentration of 10 mg ml ...
Jordan Journal of Biological Sciences, 2016
Airborne bacteria and fungi were analyzed during November, 2013. Morbidity due to respiratory dis... more Airborne bacteria and fungi were analyzed during November, 2013. Morbidity due to respiratory diseases was also reported. The studied zones include Al-Mafraq downtown, Al al-Bayt University, Al-Zaatari refugee camp and the open desert. A total of sixty air samples were collected by a microbiological air sampler on nutrient and tryptic soy agars as cultivation media for bacteria. Potato dextrose, Sabouraud dextrose and malt extract agars were used as cultivation media for fungi. Statistical analysis revealed that there was a significant difference between almost all studied zones (P<0.05). The highest bacterial level was detected in Al-Mafraq downtown with 2055 CFU m-3 , whereas the lowest level was detected in the open desert with 23 CFU m-3. The highest level of fungi was detected in Al-Zaatari refugee camp (405 CFUm-3), whereas the lowest level of fungi was observed in the open desert zone (13 CFUm-3). Bacteria and fungi levels were within the suggested threshold value limits for culturable bacteria and fungi. Eleven different bacterial species and four fungal species were isolated from these zones and identified by biochemical and molecular techniques. Fungi were examined macroscopically and microscopically and compared to the morphology of published fungal species. The identified bacterial species were Bacillus cereus, Bacillus aerius, Bacillus safensis, Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus axarquiensis, Bacillus pumilus, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus methylotrophicus, Bhargavae acecembensis, and Cellulomonas sp. The isolated bacteria were all aerobic, Gram-positive, endospore-forming bacteria and catalase positive. The identified fungi were Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. In respect to respiratory diseases in the studied area, the most frequent lung diseases in the studied area was bronchitis (42%), followed by chest infection (25%), pneumonia (21%), and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (12%).In conclusion, the isolated microbial species may appear to originate from the dusts of human and animal.
Asian Journal of Biochemistry, 2016
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Papers by Irshaid I Irshaid