No abstract

Background:Calabash chalk, a popularly consumed geophagic material in Nigeria has been reported to contain lead, arsenic, alpha lindane, endrin, and endosulfan 11 among other pollutants.Aim:The continuous exposure of young children to this chalk necessitated this study on the bone morphometry and mineralization in young Wistar rats.Materials and Methods:Fourteen young (weanling) Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 54-72 g were assigned into two groups of seven animals each. Group I served as control, while group II was the test group (TG). 40 mg/ml of C. chalk was administered as suspension to the test animals in group II. Animals in the control group were orally treated with 1ml of distilled water. Administration of the C. chalk in the animals lasted for 28 days, and the animals were sacrificed on day 29, using chloroform anaesthesia. The femur bones were dissected out, cleaned of flesh and sun-dried. The lengths and weights of the femur bones were measured using graphite furnace atomic mass spectrophotometer.Results:Results showed 1.6% decrease in body weight change in the TG, insignificant decreases in the weights and lengths of both the right and left femur bones, and significant decreased (P < 0.0126) organ-somatic index, and femur bones concentrations (mg/l) of zinc, phosphate, carbonate, calcium, sodium, and potassium (P < 0.05).Conclusion:In conclusion, this study showed that C. chalk may alter growth rate, and cause de-mineralization in the femur bone, hence, it may be detrimental to bone growth.

No abstract

Dr. Gunther von Hagens developed plastination as a technique of tissue preservation in 1977. He used a delicate method of forced impregnation with curable polymers like silicone, epoxy or polyester resins for preservation of anatomical specimens. With plastination, every part of a biological tissue is treated, preserving it for educational purposes. Hence, there are vast applications in the medical field. We set out to survey the knowledge and opinion of lecturers of anatomy about plastinated specimen use in medical schools through the administration of questionnaires to respondents who participated at the Society of Experimental and Clinical Anatomists of Nigeria (SECAN) conference in 2011. It was found that 50.0% and 23.75% of respondents respectively, had their masters and doctorate degrees in Anatomy. Less than 8.0% utilised plastination as a tool for teaching as against 40% (plastic models), 36.25% (cadavers) and 15.0% (pathology pots). Conventional methods such as fixation by immersion (15.0%) and embalming (52.5%) with formaldehyde were commonly used for long term preservation of tissues in their various institutions. These methods were found to be less costly (25.0%), easy to use (56.25%) and the only method (12.25%) available, even though they posed some health hazards (96.0%). Whilst only 6.25% of the respondents did not know anything about plastination, 93.75% were aware of it. The advocacy for preservation of tissues by plastination has been gradual in developed countries. We recommend the use of plastinates in medical schools in Nigeria.

Purpose: Over time, plants have been a major source of medicine to treat and cure various ailments and diseases. In many cases, the dosages and standardization of these herbal products have been so ignored that it results in these products causing damages to certain organs of the body unnoticed. The impact of ethanolic leaf extract of Nauclea latifolia on the testes was determined using Wistar rats. Method: 500, 1000 and 1500 mg of ethanolic leaf extract of Nauclea latifolia /kg body weight was administered for 21 days to 4 groups of animals (n=10). Blood sample was taken for hormonal assay, testicular weight measured, and histological procedure done, and the tissues stained with PAS. Results: Result from hormonal assay showed reduced level of testosterone and follicle stimulating hormone. After histological staining using periodic acid Schiff method (PAS) and subsequent examination using a compound microscope, there was a reduced level of glycogen granules in all the Nauclea latifolia groups. Findings from this study also showed that the ethanolic leaf extract of Nauclea latifolia at all doses significantly reduced testicular weight (p<0.05). Conclusion: This study reveals that Nauclea latifolia is anti-androgenic.