Abiodun O. Ayoka

Mixture of Kerosene and Xylene: a Contribution to Clearing Agents

El objetivo de este estudio fue el de sustituir el costoso y peligroso compuesto xileno, utilizado como agente de aclaramiento, por un compuesto menos costoso (mezcla de kerosene y xileno), con menor toxicidad y sin comprometer la integridad celular ni las caracteristicas de tincion de las secciones. Los tejidos (higado y rinon) fueron obtenidos a partir de una rata Wistar adulta presumiblemente sana, los que fueron fijados en solucion de formalina salina al 10%, y separadas en cinco grupos (A, B, C, D y E) y tratadas para estudio con microscopico de luz, con tincion H & E. Durante el aclaramiento de las secciones histologicas, los grupos A, B, C, D y E, fueron, respectivamente, aclarados con el disolvente 1 (solo xileno), solvente 2 (70ml de xileno: 30ml Kerosene), solvente 3 (50ml de xileno: 50ml Kerosene), solvente 4 (30ml xileno: 70ml kerosene) y solvente 5 (solo el kerosene). Los resultados revelaron que los tejidos de los grupos A, B y C fueron aclarados correctamente sin alteraciones morfologicas. En la tincion tambien se observo como caracteristica, ser muy brillante. Los grupos D y E, sin embargo presentaron una tincion de pobre intensidad con la reduccion de los detalles celulares. Zonas con manchas semitransparentes tambien fueron observadas. Se infiere que una mezcla de xileno y kerosene podria ser empleado en el aclaramiento de los tejidos, solo prescrito en la proporcion del solvente 2 y 3, sin suponer ningun riesgo para la salud o comprometer la integridad celular.

An in vitro study of the effects of Cassia podocarpa fruit on the intestinal motility of rats

Folkloric evidence and scientific reports indicate the use of C. podocarpa fruit as a purgative recipe. This study attempts to find the in vitro effects of its aqueous infusion (ACPF) and methanolic extract (MCPF) on the motility of the intestine of albino rats of Wistar strain and to compare their effect with those of C. acutifolia fruit (ACAF and MCAF). MCPF relaxed both the ileum and colon dose dependently. Its effect was blocked by tolazoline (10(-9) M) and propranolol (10(-9) M). ACPF had no effect on the ileum, but contracted the colon dose-dependently. Its effect was blocked by nifedipine (2.8 x 10(-10) M) and drastically reduced by atropine (3.4 x 10(-6) M). MCAF has the same effect as ACPF on both ileum and colon and its effect was similarly affected by atropine (3.4 x 10(-6) M) and nifedipine (2.8 x 10(-8) M). ACAF relaxed the ileum, its effect was blocked by tolazoline (5.1 x 10(-7) M). MCAF was more potent than ACPF in contracting the colon, Hexamethonium (2.8 x 10(-8) M), chlorpheniramine (3.8 x 10(-8) M) and promethazine (3.2 x 10(-10) M) potentiated the effect of ACPF on the colon. The results suggest that both ACAF and MCPF have anti-diarrhoeal effect. MCPF acts via both alpha and beta adrenergic receptor stimulation, while ACAF stimulates alpha-receptor. ACPF and MCAF engage both the cholinergic system and calcium channel activation in causing purgation in the colon. The potentiation of the effect of ACPF by some blockers could be due to allosteric enhancement of the receptors involved in its action.

Histological and histochemical studies of the aorta and pulmonary trunk in STZ-induced diabetic wistar rats treated with momordica charantia

La diabetes mellitus (DM) es una enfermedad metabolica grave con complicaciones micro y macro vasculares que resultan en una significativa morbilidad y mortalidad. El presente estudio investigo los efectos de Momordica charantia (M. charantia) sobre los cambios histologicos de la aorta y el tronco pulmonar en ratas Wistar con diabetes inducida por estreptozotocina. Cuarenta ratas Wistar adultas sanas de ambos sexos fueron asignadas al azar en cinco grupos A, B, C, D y E, 8 ratas cada grupo. El grupo A fue control (ratas normales); el grupo B fue de ratas diabeticas inducidas experimentalmente; el grupo C fue de ratas diabeticas tratadas con extractos metanolicos de M. charantia por dos semanas (grupo de retirada); grupo D fue de ratas diabeticas tratadas con extractos metanolicos de M. charantia durante cuatro semanas, y el grupo E fue de ratas diabeticas tratadas con glimepirida durante cuatro semanas. Los tejidos obtenidos se incluyeron en parafina y se tineron con tecnica de rutina y tinciones especiales. Los resultados histologicos revelaron alteraciones morfologicas en la aorta y el tronco pulmonar de las ratas diabeticas. El analisis histoquimico revelo tambien la deposicion anormal de glucogeno en estos vasos de ratas diabeticas. Tanto M. charantia y glimperida atenuaron las alteraciones morfologicas y redujeron los depositos de glucogeno. En conclusion, la M. charantia tiene un efecto de mejora prometedor sobre los cambios en la morfologia de la aorta y el tronco pulmonar en ratas Wistar diabeticas inducidas por STZ y, por extension, pueden ser relevantes en el manejo de alteraciones cardiovasculares asociadas con la DM.

Aqueous Extract of Allium sativum (Linn.) Bulbs Ameliorated Pituitary-Testicular Injury and Dysfunction in Wistar Rats with Pb-Induced Reproductive Disturbances

AIM: To determine the effects of aqueous extract of Allium sativum bulbs (AEASAB) on pituitary-testicular injury and dysfunction in Wistar rats with lead-induced reproductive disturbances. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Male Wistar rats were divided into 7 groups such that the control group received propylene glycol at 0.2 ml/100 g intraperitoneally for 10 consecutive days, the toxic group received lead (Pb) alone at 15 mg/kg/day via intraperitoneal route for 10 days while the treatment groups were pretreated with lead as the toxic group after which they received graded doses of the extract at 50, 100 and 200 mg/kg/day via oral route for 28 days. RESULTS: Pb administration induced significant deleterious alterations in the antioxidant status of the brain and testis, sperm characterization (counts, motility and viability) as well as reproductive hormones (FSH, LH and testosterone) of exposed rats (p < 0.05). These were significantly reversed in the AEASAB-treated groups (p < 0.05). Also, there was marked improvement in the Pb-induced vascular congestion and cellular loss in the pituitary while the observed Pb-induced severe testicular vacuolation was significantly reversed in the representative photomicrographs, following administration of the extract. CONCLUSION: AEASAB treatment ameliorated the pituitary-testicular injury and dysfunction in Wistar rats with Pb-Induced reproductive disturbances.

Evaluation of electrocardiogram as a biological signal for sex verification among fresh undergraduates in a Nigerian tertiary institution

Background: Sex verification using electrocardiogram (ECG) is a new application of the biological signal. Objective: This study aimed to determine the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of an electrocardiographic score in sex verification. Methods: A total of 2442 apparently healthy fresh undergraduates who presented for health screening in a tertiary institution were recruited for the study. The technical team documented the sex of the participants and had their resting 12-lead ECG recorded according to standard protocol. Two physicians who were blinded to the participants and the recorded sex utilized Ogunlade Sex Determination Electrocardiographic Score (OSDES) to determine the sex. The validity of OSDES was estimated using sex recorded by the technical team as the standard while the accuracy of scoring system was determined using receiver operating characteristic curve. Results: The mean (± standard deviation) of age of the participants was 20.71 ± 3.62 years. Among the male population, true positives (TPs), false positives (FPs), false negatives (FNs), and true negatives (TN) were 1131, 49, 90, and 1172, respectively. Among the females TP, FP, FN, and TN were 1172, 90, 49, and 1131, respectively. Among males, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 92.63% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 91.02-94.03%), 95.99% (95% CI: 94.73-97.02%), 95.85% (95% CI: 94.55-96.91%), and 92.87% (CI: 91.31-94.23%) respectively while among the females, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV were 95.99% (95% CI: 94.73-97.02%), 92.63% (95% CI: 91.02-94.03%), 92.87% (95% CI: 91.31-94.23%), and 95.85% (95% CI: 91.02-94.03%) respectively. The area under curve was 0.943. Conclusion: This study concluded that ECG has a reasonable level of sensitivity and specificity with excellent accuracy in verification of sex among fresh Nigerian undergraduates.

The role of electrocardiogram in the diagnosis of dextrocardia with mirror image atrial arrangement and ventricular position in a young adult Nigerian in Ile-Ife: a case report

IntroductionDextrocardia with situs inversus is a rare congenital disease. In patients with this condition, the heart is presented as a mirror image of itself with its apex pointing to the right. The pulmonary and abdominal anatomies are reversed. Dextrocardia with situs inversus occurs at birth but its diagnosis may be in adulthood. This case advances knowledge by graphically describing the unusual electrocardiographic features of dextrocardia in a young adult.Case presentationWe report a case of a 22-year-old Nigerian man of Yoruba ethnicity who presented himself for preadmission medical test. He had a standard 12-lead electrocardiogram which revealed uncommon features: inversion of P waves in leads I, aVL and aVR; dominantly negative QRS waves in leads I, V1 to V6; reverse R wave progression in chest leads; low voltage in V4 to V6; extreme QRS axis; flattened T waves in V4 to V6 and aVR; and inverted T waves in lead I and aVL. An electrocardiogram diagnosis of dextrocardia was made. The differential diagnosis considered was right ventricular hypertrophy. A cardiovascular examination showed pulse rate of 70 beats per minute, blood pressure of 119/62mmHg, visible cardiac impulse at right precordium, apex beat was located at his fifth right intercostal space mid-clavicular line. A chest X-ray (posterior anterior view) including upper abdomen showed dextrocardia; his aortic arch was located on the right. His stomach bubble was located below his right hemidiaphragm. His trachea was slightly deviated to the left. The findings in his lung fields were not remarkable. Abdominopelvic ultrasonography showed that right-sided intra-abdominal organs (liver, gallbladder) were located on the left while left-sided organs (stomach, spleen) were located on the right. His abdominal aorta was on the right while his inferior vena cava was located on the left. A diagnosis of dextrocardia with situs inversus was made ultrasonographically.ConclusionsA properly interpreted electrocardiogram was useful in suspecting the diagnosis of dextrocardia with situs inversus. So, an analysis of a relatively simple and non-invasive diagnostic tool such as an electrocardiogram allows for suspicion of a cardiovascular anomaly in a setting of scarce diagnostic resources.

Changes in some biochemical parameters of kidney functions of Plasmodium berghei infected rats administered with some doses of artemether

+) and potassium (K + ) of Plasmodium berghei infected rats during a week of intramuscular administration of artemether (12.5 to 50.0 mg/kg/day) and one week thereafter. Their concentrations and that of creatinine and urea in the plasma were also determined at the end of the study. The observed changes were related to the effects of artemether on the kidneys of the rats. The urine levels of the two electrolytes decreased significantly during treatment (P<0.05). One week post-treatment with 12.5 mg/kg of artemether, the urine concentrations of the electrolytes increased to values that were not significantly different from that of day 0. At 25 and 50 mg/kg, their urine concentrations still remained significantly lower than day 0 values (P<0.05). Plasma concentrations of the electrolytes one week post-treatment increased, but they were only significant at 25 mg/kg for K + . A significant increase in the plasma level of creatinine was observed at all the doses of the drug at one week post-treatment. A dose-dependent degeneration of the renal tissue of all the experimental rats was also observed. We concluded that high doses of artemether caused progressive degeneration of the renal tissue of P. berghei infected rats.

Ginger polyphenols attenuate cyclosporine-induced disturbances in kidney function: Potential application in adjuvant transplant therapy

Cyclosporine (CYA), a common immuno-suppressant drug that is used in organ transplants, is associated with nephrotoxic effects. Scientific exploration of natural products of plant origin should be considered; especially, in a world with increasing prevalence of kidney diseases. Effects of ginger polyphenols (GP) in Wistar rats with CYA-induced perturbations in electrolyte balance and kidney function was determined. Fifty Wistar rats were recruited for this study such that graded doses of GP were administered following CYA-induced kidney injury and comparisons were made against control and toxic groups at p < 0.05. Distilled water, CYA (50 mg/kg p.o. for 10 days) and GP (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg p.o. for 21 days) were administered to the rats at 0.2 ml/100 g. CYA administration induced kidney injury as characterized by significant deleterious alterations in plasma and urine levels of creatinine, urea, Na+ and K+ electrolyte balance as well as creatinine clearance. Also, there was a significant derangement in feeding pattern and relative kidney weight. Using GSH and SOD as antioxidant indicators, there was significant disturbance of the anti-oxidant system while histopathological results showed evidence of interstitial vacuolations with atrophic glomeruli. These conditions were significantly attenuated (p < 0.05) following administration of graded doses of GP. It was, therefore, concluded that GP could potentially be a therapeutic choice for patients with CYA-induced kidney injury.