Blood biochemistry and haematology of weaner rabbits fed sun-dried, ensiled, and fermented cassava peel-based diets

Twenty-four New Zealand white × Chinchilla weaner bucks, aged between 7 and 8 weeks and averaging 0.9 kg in weight, were divided into four groups of six each and used in a 12-week feeding trial to evaluate the blood biochemistry and haematology of rabbits fed sun-dried, ensiled, and fermented cassava peel-based diets. The test diets designated A, B, C and D were completely randomised. Diet A, the control, was a 16.18 per cent CP (crude protein) weaner ration formulated from maize, maize offals, soya bean meal, blood meal, oyster shell, bone meal, vitamin premix, and common salt. Diets B, C and D were also weaner rations of, respectively, 16.10, 16.20 and 16.08 per cent CP in which 10 per cent maize of the control diet was replaced, respectively, with sun-dried, ensiled and fermented cassava peels. The diets were roughly iso-caloric. The haematological components of the study included packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cells (WBC), neutrophil (N), and lymphocytes (L). The biochemical parameters were serum creatinine, urea, bilirubin (total and conjugated), serum glutamic transaminase (SGPT), serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase (SGOT), eosinophil, and blood sugar. Liver and kidney weights were also monitored. The results showed that PCV, WBC, N and L were affected (P0.05) among rabbits fed different dietary treatments. Vingt-quatre lapins mâles en sevrage de l\'espèce de Nouvelle - Zélande blanc × Chinchilla agé de 7 à 8 semaines et de poids moyen de 0.9 kg étaient divisés en 4 groups de 6 lapins chacun et employés dans un essai d\'alimentation de 12 semaines pour évaluer la biochimie et l\'hématologie de sang de lapins nourris de régimes à base de pelure de manioc séchée de soleil, ensilées et fermentée. Les régimes d\'essai classés A, B, C et D étaient complètement choisis au hasard. Le régime A, le contrôle, était une ration de sevrage avec 16.18% de CP (protéine brute) formulée de maïs, déchets de maïs, farine de graine de soja, farine sanguine, coquille d\'huître, engrais de cendres d\'os, vitamine prémix et sel ordinaire. Les régimes B, C et D étaient aussi des rations de sevrage, respectivement, avec 16.10, 16.20 et 16.08% de CP enquel 10% de maïs du régime de contrôle était remplacé par les pelures de manioc, respectivement, séchée de soleil, ensilées et fermentée. Les régimes étaient approximativement iso-cloriques. Les éléments hématologiques de l\'étude comprenaient la volume de cellule tassée (VCT), le globule sanguin blanc (GSB), le neutrophile (N) et les lymphocytes (L). Les paramètres biochimiques étaient le sérum créatinine, l\'urée, la bilirubine (totale et conjuguée), le sérum glutamique transaminase (SGPT), le sérum glutamique oxaloacétique transaminase (SGOT), l\'éosinophile et le sucre dans le sang. Les poids de foie et de rein étaient également suivis de près. Les résultats montraient que VCT, GSB, les neutrophiles et les lymphocytes étaient modifiés (

AMELIORATION OF ARSENIC-INDUCED TOXICITY BY ETHANOL LEAF EXTRACT OF PHYLLANTUS AMARUS LINN AND VITAMIN C IN MALE ALBINO RATS

The ameliorative effect of ethanol leaf extract of Phyllantus amarus (EEPA) and vitamin C in arsenic-induced toxicity was studied. Thirty-six (36) male albino rats divided into six groups of six (6) rats each were used for the study. Arsenic toxicity was induced in three of the groups by daily intake of 100 ppm of arsenic as Dimethylarsenate (DMA) in their drinking water.  Two of the arsenic-exposed groups were treated with 200 and 500 mg/kg bwt of EEPA and vitamin C respectively. The third group was not treated during arsenic exposure. The fourth and fifth groups were positive control for P. amarus and Vitamin C respectively, while another group served as the normal control. All treatments were done orally for six weeks. The effects of treatments on lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and liver function were thereafter studied. Increased levels of total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and malondialdehyde (MDA) were observed in plasma and lymphocytes of untreated arsenic-exposed rats compared to the control group. Arsenic increased total cholesterol and LDL-cholesterol concentrations, while triacylglycerol concentration was reduced significantly. Treatments with EEPA and Vitamin C however ameliorated the dyslipidemia observed in arsenic-exposed groups. Exposure to DMA increased plasma activities of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) of the animals, while plasma activity of ALT in rats treated with Vitamin C was not different compared to the control. Both treatments however, had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the activity of plasma AST. P. amarus may therefore play a role in ameliorating arsenic-induced dyslipidemia in male albino rats.     &nbsp

Association between composite scores of domain-specific cognitive functions and regional patterns of atrophy and functional connectivity in the Alzheimer's disease spectrum

Background: Cognitive decline has been found to be associated with gray matter atrophy and disruption of functional neural networks in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in structural and functional imaging (fMRI) studies. Most previous studies have used single test scores of cognitive performance among monocentric cohorts. However, cognitive domain composite scores could be more reliable than single test scores due to the reduction of measurement error. Adopting a multicentric resting state fMRI (rs-fMRI) and cognitive domain approach, we provide a comprehensive description of the structural and functional correlates of the key cognitive domains of AD. Method: We analyzed MRI, rs-fMRI and cognitive domain score data of 490 participants from an interim baseline release of the multicenter DELCODE study cohort, including 54 people with AD, 86 with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), 175 with Subjective Cognitive Decline (SCD), and 175 Healthy Controls (HC) in the ADspectrum. Resulting cognitive domain composite scores (executive, visuo-spatial, memory, working memory and language) from the DELCODE neuropsychological battery (DELCODE-NP), were previously derived using confirmatory factor analysis. Statistical analyses examined the differences between diagnostic groups, and the association of composite scores with regional atrophy and network-specific functional connectivity among the patient subgroup of SCD, MCI and AD. Result: Cognitive performance, atrophy patterns and functional connectivity significantly differed between diagnostic groups in the AD-spectrum. Regional gray matter atrophy was positively associated with visuospatial and other cognitive impairments among the patient subgroup in the AD-spectrum. Except for the visual network, patterns of network-specific resting-state functional connectivity were positively associated with distinct cognitive impairments among the patient subgroup in the AD-spectrum. Conclusion: Consistent associations between cognitive domain scores and both regional atrophy and networkspecific functional connectivity (except for the visual network), support the utility of a multicentric and cognitive domain approach towards explicating the relationship between imaging markers and cognition in the AD-spectrum