Cognitive dysfunction including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders are major health problem which are debilitating in nature. 1,2 The global prevalence of dementia in adults aged >60 years ranged from 5 to 7% with AD as the most common type followed by vascular dementia. 3,4 There are scarce and conflicting reports on the prevalence of dementia with far-reaching implications on the public health policies in the sub-Saharan Africa. 3,5,6 In Nigeria, incidence of dementia and Alzheimer's in the Yoruba Africans is two to three times less, compared to the African Americans. 7 However, cases of dementia increased by 400% over the past 20 years such as from 1995-2015. 8 Research also revealed gender difference on the incidence of AD in which two thirds of patients with AD are women, raising the intriguing suggestions that there are biological mechanisms underlying the higher incidence of AD in women. 9 Neuroprotection refers to strategies and mechanisms able to defend the central nervous system against neuronal injury due to acute stroke or trauma including chronic neurodegenerative disorders. 10

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Cassava leaves (Mannihot esculenta Crantz) are largely consumed as vegetable in African, but contain a toxic compound, cyanide. The present study explored the assay for liver enzymes on adult Wistar rats. Twelve's adult Wistar rats weighing 110-150g were distributed into three groups of four rats each. Groups 2 and 3 were administered orally with M. esculenta leaf aqueous extract at 0.2ml and 0.5ml respectively for 14 days. Group 1 was control and received 0.3ml of normal saline. The effect of aqueous extract of M. esculenta on the body weight, liver enzyme was evaluated. After the end of the administration (day 14), the weight were taken before sacrificed the next day. Rat's liver were excised and fixed in 10% formal saline, then processed for rapid routine paraffin embedding. Our results showed significant difference (p<0.05) in the body weight gain between control and the treated groups. Serum chemistry revealed significant decrease (p<0.05) in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), Alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in animals treated with 0.2ml and 0.5ml of the extract relative to the control. From the results of this study, it may be concluded that the administration of aqueous extract of Mannihot esculenta leaf is toxic to Wistar rats at the dose administered.

This study was carried out to evaluate the effects of ethanolic leaf extract of Sida acuta on the histology of the testis and reproductive hormones of male adult Wistar rats. Twenty five rats weighing between 180 -220 g were assigned to five groups (control, olive oil control, low dose, medium dose and high dose) with five animals each. Normal control fed only on rat chow, olive oil control group received 0.5ml of olive oil. The experimental groups, low dose, medium dose and high dose received 500mg/kgBW, 1000mg/kgBW 1500mg/kgBW of the extract orally for 60days respectively. The animals were sacrificed at end of sixty days using chloroform anesthesia. Blood was collected from the left ventricle of the heart through cardiac puncture for hormonal assay. The testes were dissected, sectioned for hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). Hormonal studies showed dose dependent significant (p<0.05) increase in Luteinizing Hormone (LH) across all the treatment groups when compared to the normal and olive oil control groups. Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) was reduced in the low and medium dose animals that received 500mg/kgBw and 1000mg/kgBw of the extract respectively when compared to the control groups, while the high dose group that received 1500mg/kgBw of the extract showed increased FSH level. Testosterone level remained insignificant among all experimental groups when compared to the normal and olive oil control groups. Histological observations of the testes showed dose dependent distortion of the normal cytoarchitecture of the organs, as the high dose (1500mg/kgBw) treated group revealed prominent distortion. Hence the study suggests that consumption of Sida acuta at high dose may cause adverse effect on reproductive parameters and organs.

Objectives: Stroke is becoming a very common disease, giving rise to an increased morbidity and mortality globally; yet, its diagnosis is shrouded in the phrase “cerebrovascular accident.” The objectives of the study were to evaluate the various types, sites, and shapes of stroke presentation using computed tomography (CT) scan. Material and Methods: A total of 500 subjects indicative of stroke referred for cranial CT scans were recruited at the Jos University Teaching Hospital, Jos and the Asi-Ukpo Hospital, Calabar. With ethical approval, a proportionate random probability sampling method was used to obtain archived cranial CT images of the different types, sites, and shapes of the lesions, viewed directly from the CT scanners. Data obtained were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Science and results expressed as percentages and frequencies at P < 0.05. Results: The highest occurring type of stroke was ischemic (63.2%). Others were hemorrhagic (22.8%), cerebral atrophy (4.2%), cerebral infarct with atrophy (1.6%), intracerebral (0.8%), subarachnoid (1.4%), and subdural hemorrhage (0.8%). The left parietal lobe (24.8%) was the most common site of stroke occurrence while the left occipital, left temperoccipital, and left temperoparietal lobes had 7.6%, 7.4%, and 5.6%, respectively. Furthermore, 30.8% of cases presented as either oval hyperdense or hypodense lesions. Irregular lesions were 21.8% of cases while triangular, circular, and rectangular lesions occurred in 11.6%, 8.4%, and 6.4% of cases, respectively. Meanwhile, 8.0% of cases had normal CT brain scan that presented as stroke mimics on pattern recognition. Conclusion: The study revealed a distorted gross anatomy of the brain with preponderance of left-sided intracerebral ischemic stroke mostly in the left parietal lobe that presented as oval hyperdense and hypodense lesions in the sampled Nigerian population.