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Background/purpose: To study steerable microcatheter (SM) use in moderate and highly difficult vessel selection compared to conventional pre-shaped microcatheter (CM) use. Material and methods: An IRB approved, single institution analysis of 40 complex angiographic procedures with and without superselective microcatheter use during an eight-month period in 2017 was performed. Target vessels were deemed moderate or highly difficult to select based on vessel size, tortuosity, and/or angulation during nonselective initial angiography. Data collected included type of microcatheter used (SM or CM), number of microcatheters and microwires used, procedure time, radiation exposure index (dose area product/DAP), target vessel location, and time to target vessel selection (TTVS; time from device placement to vessel selection). Comparison between the SM and CM groups was performed using Wilcoxon test. Results: A SM (SwiftNinja, Merit Medical, South Jordan, UT, USA) was used to select 46 vessels in 20 patients. One or more CMs were used in 20 patients to select 34 vessels. Median TTVS, number of microwires used, total procedure time, and DAP (microGray. m 2) were 12 vs. 462.5 s (p < 0.0001), 0 vs. 2 (p < 0.001), and 26,948 vs. 30,904 (p = 0.15) in the SM vs. CM groups, respectively. When adjusted for body mass index (BMI) using a linear model for radiation exposure, patients in the SM group had lower radiation exposure than those in the CM group (p = 0.05). Conclusions: Utilization of a steerable microcatheter, without or with a guidewire, leads to easier and faster target vessel selection with shorter procedure times in complex vessel anatomy.

Histological studies of the effects of oral administration of aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus commonly used in ethno medical practice in Africa for the management of various ailments such as kidney stones, dysentery, jaundice, diarrhoea and urogenital diseases on the kidney of adult Wistar rats were carefully studied. Rats of both sexes (n=24), average weight of 260g were randomly assigned into three groups: A, B and C of (n=8) in each group. Group A and B served as treatment groups (n=16) while group C (n=8) served as the control. The rats in the treatment groups (A & B) received 500mg/kg and 1000mg/kg body weight respectively of aqueous extract of Phyllanthus amarus orally through orogastric tube for twenty-eight days, while the control rats received equal volume of distilled water without the extract of Phyllanthus amarus added for the same period. The rats were fed with growers' mash purchased from Edo feeds and Flour Mill Ltd, Ewu, Edo state and were given water liberally. The rats were sacrificed on day twenty-nine of the experiment. The kidneys were carefully dissected out and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for routine histological study after H&E method. The histological findings indicated that the treated sections of the kidneys showed hypertrophy of blood vessels, mild-severe infiltrate of chronic inflammatory cells and varying degrees of tubular necrosis when compared to the control sections. The findings indicated that the administration of Phyllanthus amarus extract has some adverse effects on the kidneys of adult Wistar rats. It is recommended that further studies aimed at corroborating these observations be carried out.

The histological effect of oral administration of artesunate, commonly used for the treatment of Malaria on the medial geniculate body (MGB) of adult wistar rat was carefully studied. The rats of both sexes (n=24), average weight of 210g were randomly assigned into three treatment (n=18) and control (n6) groups. The rats in the treatment group 'A' received 4mg/kg body weight of artesunate base dissolved in distilled water for 3 days. The animals in groups 'B' and 'C' received 4mg/kg body weight of artesunate dissolved in distilled water for the first day and thereafter received 2mg/kg body weight daily for six and thirteen day respectively. The control group D, received equal volume of distilled water daily using the Orogastric tube. The rats were fed with grower's mash obtained from Edo Feeds and Flour Mill Ltd, Ewu, Edo State, Nigeria and were given water liberally. The rats were sacrificed on day fourth, eight and fifteenth of the experiment. The medial geniculate body was carefully dissected out and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for histological studies. The histological findings after H&E method indicated that the treated section of the medial geniculate body showed some decreased cellular population, degenerative changes, cellular hypertrophy, with some vacuolations appearing in the stroma. Varying dosage and long administration of artesunate may have some deleterious effects on the neurons of the Medial geniculate body and this may probably have some adverse effects on auditory sensibilities by its deleterious effects on the cells of the medial geniculate body of adult wistar rats. It is therefore recommended that further studies aimed at corroborating these observations be carried out.