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Rauwolfia vomitoria (RV) has potent sedative effect, which may result in severe unpleasant consequences if not controlled. This necessitated this study on the effect of Gongronema latifolium (GL) on RV-induced behaviour, biochemical activities, and histomorphology of the cerebral cortex. Eighteen male Wistar rats of average weight 266 g were grouped into three (1­3). Group 1 was the control administered 0.5 mL of Tween®20, while groups 2 and 3 were administered 150 mg/kg of RV, and a combination of 150 mg/kg of RV and 200 mg/kg of GL (RV+GL), respectively for seven days. Twelve hours after treatments, open field neurobehavioral test was carried-out and the animals euthanized. Their sera were analyzed, and their cerebral cortices routinely processed by H&E method. There was lower (p<0.05) ambulatory, rearing and freezing activities in the RV group, while there was no difference in aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase activities, as well as serum cholesterol and triglycerides levels in all the groups. Cerebral cortical neurohistology of RV and RV+GL groups showed most neurons appearing hypertrophied with pyknotic nuclei in some, and less cellular population compared with the control group. RV produces sedative behaviour, and cerebral cortical neurohistological changes, which GL combination may help modulate.

Rauwolfia vomitoria (RV) tiene un efecto sedante potente, el que puede provocar graves consecuencias si no es controlado. Se estudió el efecto de Gongronema latifolium (GL) sobre el comportamiento inducido por RV, como también en las actividades bioquímicas, e histomorfología de la corteza cerebral. Dieciocho ratas macho Wistar con un peso promedio de 266 g, fueron separadas en tres Grupos (1­3). El Grupo 1 (control) recibió 0,5 mL de Tween® 20, mientras que a los Grupos 2 y 3 se les administró, durante siete días, 150 mg/kg de RV y una combinación de 150 mg/kg de RV y 200 mg/kg de GL (RV + GL), respectivamente. Doce horas después de los tratamientos y pruebas neuroconductuales de campo abierto, los animales fueron sacrificados. Se analizaron los sueros y cortezas cerebrales, los cuales fueron procesados y teñidos on HE. Se observó menor actividad ambulatoria y de congelación (p<0,05) en el grupo RV, mientras que no hubo diferencia en la actividad aspartato aminotransferasa sérica y de fosfatasa alcalina, así como tampoco en los niveles de colesterol y triglicéridos séricos en todos los grupos. La neurohistología cortical cerebral de los grupos RV y RV + GL mostró que la mayoría de las neuronas aparecen hipertrofiadas con núcleos picnóticos, y una menor cantidad celular en comparación con el grupo control. La RV produce un comportamiento sedante, y cambios neurohistológicos a nivel de la corteza cerebral lo que podría ser modulado al combinarse con GL.

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Phenytoin is known to induce microsomal enzymes including xanthine oxidase which catalyzes uric acid synthesis with superoxides as byproducts, thus contributing to the oxidative stress of phenytoin hepatotoxicity. To investigate the role of antioxidant vitamins in ameliorating phenytoin induced hepatic changes through possible actions on xanthine oxidase activities as measured by urate concentration. Growing albino rats of Wistar strain were randomly divided into 8 groups of 7 rats each. Group 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 were treated with phenytoin alone, phenytoin + folic acid, phenytoin + vitamin E, phenytoin + vitamin E + vitamin C, phenytoin + vitamin C, phenytoin + folic acid + vitamin E and phenytoin + vitamin E + vitamin C + folic acid respectively while animals in group 1 were given normal saline to serve as control. Serum concentrations of uric acid, albumin, total protein and the activities of aspartate and alanine aminotransferases (AST and ALT) and catalase were measured spectrophotometrically using appropriate commercial reagent kits. Result showed that administration of phenytoin alone caused significant (p < 0.05) increase in serum levels of globulin, uric acid, AST and ALT activities while the levels of albumin and catalase were reduced significantly (p < 0.05). Supplementation of phenytoin treatment with vitamins resulted in various degrees of protection. However, the elevated level of uric acid in serum was not significantly (p < 0.05) affected by any of the vitamins used and there was no significant correlation between the activities of aminotransferases and uric acid concentration in the vitamin treated animals as was observed between aminotransferases and catalase. The findings in this study suggest that antioxidant vitamins were able to ameliorate phenytoin hepatotoxic effects by improving oxidant radicals removal in the animals but would not inhibit further generation of the superoxides by xanthine oxidase activity and that xanthine oxidase may contribute significantly to the oxidative stress of phenytoin therapy.

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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.

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Folic acid and vitamin B(12) are very important vitamins needed for normal cellular metabolic activities. The effects of folic acid and vitamin B(12) on liver integrity of growing Wistar albino rats following therapeutic dose of phenytoin administration were investigated. The activities of serum AST, ALT, ALP were investigated. Serum total protein level and lipid profile were also measured as indices of biochemical changes. The ingestion of phenytoin alone in rats significantly reduced serum protein while AST, ALT activities incresed as compared to the control (P<0.05). Supplementation of phenytoin with oral administration of 70microgram/kg body wt of folic acid resulted in a significant reversal in serum total protein and suppression in serum AST and ALT activities. Vitamin B(12) supplementation did not afford any significant protection against the effect of phenytoin ingestion but rather phenytoin toxicity was exacerbated in this study. However, the combined effects of vitamin B(12) and folic acid ameliorated the effects of phenytoin on serum enzymes of experimental rats. The effect of combination of phenytoin with folic acid or folic acid and vitamin B(12) is an interesting finding. Supplementation of phenytoin with folic acid or combination of these vitamins may be recommended for the purpose of ameliorating the adverse biochemical changes which are associated with phenytoin therapy. Further work is ongoing to help elucidate the effects of phenytoin and these vitamins on oxidative stress inducing mechanism.