Renal failure is a growing concern in the modern society and the increasing rate of exposure to toxic substances has contributed a lot to renal diseases. As a result of this, there is a great need for agents that can serve as nephroprotective. The present study assessed some parameters of renal function on the ameliorative properties of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) in cadmium (Cd) -induced nephrotoxicity in adult wistar rats model. The study was performed on twenty four (24) male Wistar rats divided into four groups: Group A (Control), Group B (Cd), Group C (Cd + 100mg/kg BW of GBE) and Group D (Cd + 300mg/kg BW of GBE). The Cd and GBE were administered orally through oro-gastric cannula. The results showed changes in the renal function chemical parameters (creatinine, urea, and total protein) in the treated groups compared to the control group. Exposure to Cd lowered the activities of the kidney by increasing the plasma level of creatinine and urea, and decreasing the plasma level of total protein. The creatinine concentration decreased significantly (p<0.05) in groups C and D while the urea concentration increased on GBE administration. A significant decrease was observed in the plasma total protein level in the Cd group when compared with the control and on administration of GBE there was an increase in the plasma total protein concentration in groups C and D. The results showed that Ginkgo biloba treatment ameliorated the effects of Cdinduced nephrotoxicity in all parameters except urea which is to be further investigated. These may be explained by the oxidative and anti-oxidative properties of the Cd and GBE respectively and their mechanisms of action.

Abstract:One of the clinical significance of the sella turcica is the empty sella syndrome which is the condition of a shrunken or flattened pituitary gland; hence a familiarity with the sella turcica anatomy and radiological appearance is of great importance. The present study investigated the normal dimensions of the sella turcica and the relationship with gender and age in adult Nigerians resident in Lagos, using computed tomographs of patients who underwent CT head examination. This was carried out to determine if the dimensions of sella turcica vary with age, gender and race; this is with a view to providing normal, standard reference for the indigenous population in Nigeria. This study assessed: the length, the depth and the anteroposterior diameter of the sella turcica; 297 samples were obtained and analyzed using SPSS Windows Version 14.0. T-test was used for the statistical analysis and values obtained were expressed as mean±S.E.M. and P value ˂ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The results showed the mean length of 9.81±0.094mm; the mean antero-posterior diameter of 11.37±0.090mm and the mean depth of 8.49±0.08mm. It was also observed that neither the age group nor the gender of the patients is a determinant of the sella turcica dimensions. Furthermore, the males tend to have slightly larger sella turcica dimensions than the females and the values from the present study are lower than those reported in Caucasian studies. The size of pituitary gland can be roughly estimated from the dimensions of sella turcica obtained from radiological methods in pathological conditions since disease conditions of the "master gland" ultimately affect the size of the sella turcica.

Background: Despite widespread concerns about its possible side effects, notably on the prefrontal cortex (PFC), which mediates cognitive processes, the use of Cannabis sativa as a medicinal and recreational drug is expanding exponentially. This study evaluated possible behavioral alterations, neurotransmitter levels, histological, and immunohistochemical changes in the PFC of Wistar rats exposed to Cannabis sativa. Purpose: To evaluate the effect of graded doses of Cannabis sativa on the PFC using behavioural, histological, and immunohistochemical approaches. Methods: Twenty-eight juvenile male Wistar rats weighing between 70 g and 100 g were procured and assigned into groups A-D ( n = 7 each). Group A served as control which received distilled water only as a placebo; rats in groups B, C, and D which were the treatment groups were orally exposed to graded doses of Cannabis sativa (10 mg/kg, 50 mg/kg, and 100 mg/kg, respectively). Rats in all experimental groups were exposed to Cannabis sativa for 21 days, followed by behavioral tests using the open field test for locomotor, anxiety, and exploratory activities, while the Y-maze test was for spatial memory assessment. Rats for biochemical analysis were cervically dislocated and rats for tissue processing were intracardially perfused following neurobehavioral tests. Sequel to sacrifice, brain tissues were excised and prefrontal cortices were obtained for the neurotransmitter (glutamate, acetylcholine, and dopamine) and enzymatic assay (Cytochrome C oxidase (CcO) and Glucose 6- Phosphate Dehydrogenase-G-6-PDH). Brain tissues were fixed in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin (NBF) for histological demonstration of the PFC cytoarchitecture using H&E and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) for astrocyte evaluation. Results: Glutamate and dopamine levels were significantly increased ( F = 24.44, P = .0132) in groups D, and B, C, and D, respectively, compared to control; likewise, the activities of CcO and G-6-PDH were also significantly elevated ( F = 96.28, P = .0001) ( F = 167.5, P = .0001) in groups C and D compared to the control. Cannabis sativa impaired locomotor activity and spatial memory in B and D and D, respectively. All Cannabis sativa exposed groups demonstrated evidence of neurodegeneration in the exposed groups; GFAP immunoexpression was evident in all groups with a marked increase in group D. Conclusion: Cannabis sativa altered neurotransmitter levels, energy metabolism, locomotor, and exploratory activity, and spatial working memory, with neuronal degeneration as well as reactive astrogliosis in the PFC.

Abstract:Renal disease has been found to be the ninth leading cause of death. Environmental pollution is a serious cause for concern nowadays and the exposure of humans to heavy metals released into the environment by several sources produces deleterious and lethal effects. Cadmium (Cd) which is a non-essential heavy metal known to possess toxic effects on living things can be found almost anywhere and its toxicity is of concern to industrial workers and all humans due to its use in some industrial products and also in agriculture. The chief organ of toxic impact in the human is the kidney, where the proximal tubule is a major target of Cd deposition. The present study investigated if ethanolic extract of Chanca Piedra (CP) (Phyllantus amarus) has any prophylactic or ameliorative effects against nephrotoxicity induced by cadmium sulphate in adult male Wistar rats. A total of forty-two (42) adult male Wistar rats were used for this study and were divided into seven (7) groups (n=6) as follows: Group A (control), Group B (40mg/kg BW), Group C (100mg/kg BW of CP and 40mg/kg BW of Cd), Group D (200mg/kg BW of CP and 40mg/kg BW), Group E (40mg/kg BW and 100mg/kg BW of CP), Group F (40mg/kg BW and 200mg/kg BW of CP), Group G (200mg/kg BW of CP). Both cadmium and Chanca Piedra were administered orally through oro-gastric cannula. Results showed that exposure to Cd lowered the activities of the kidney by increasing the plasma creatinine and urea levels. Exposure to CP also lowered the activities of the kidney by increasing the plasma creatinine and urea levels. The findings suggest that the administration of CP extract has no prophylactic or ameliorative effects on cadmium induced kidney damage and continue use of this extracts in the treatment of some diseases may be deleterious to the kidney.

Abstract:The present study investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) in attenuating cadmium-induced hepatotoxicity. A total of 24 adult Wistar rats with an average weight of 145g were used for this study. The rats were randomly divided into groups of four: groups A (control), B (Cd at 50mg/kg BW), C (Cd at 50mg/kg BW and GBE at 100mg/kg BW) and D (Cd at 50mg/kg BW and GBE at 300mg/kg BW). Liver tissues were excised, homogenized and centrifuged to obtain supernatant for analysis of liver enzyme activities including ALP, AST, and ALT. Other samples were fixed in 10% formal saline for 24 hrs and processed for histological analysis. Statistical analysis of data -one way analysis of variance-was done using GraphPad Prism 5. Results indicated changes in the activities of liver enzymes (ALP and AST) in the treated groups compared to the control group. ALP activity was significantly higher in group B compared to groups C and D. Also, AST activities of group B was significantly higher than the control group, and no significant difference was observed in the activities of ALT across the groups. It was observed that cadmium produced cytotoxic effects in both the liver histoarchitecture and enzyme activities as seen in the increased levels of ALP, AST activities while Ginkgo biloba ameliorated alterations in enzyme activities and preserved liver histoarchitecture. The low dose of Ginkgo biloba was more effective in ameliorating the hepatotoxic effects.