Morphological alterations in the seminiferous tubules of adult Wistar rats: the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure

This study presents the effects of prenatal ethanol exposure on the morphology of the seminiferous tubules of the testes in the adult male rat. Timed-pregnant adult female Wistar rats (average weight 200 g) were given daily intragastric intubation of 5.8 g/kg ethanol between gestation days 9 and 12. Pair-fed and ad lib-fed animals served as controls. The pups were weighed at birth and weaned at 30 days. At 42 days of age the male offspring (n = 10) from each group were anaesthetised and the testes removed and weighed. Another set of male rats from each group (n = 6), were anaesthetised, whole body perfused and the testes removed and processed for paraffin embedding. Sections were subjected to morphological analysis and morphometric measurements based on computerised techniques following haematoxylin and eosin, PAS and reticulin staining. The results demonstrated that prenatal ethanol exposure induced persistent growth retardation and a 66% reduction in testicular weight and severely altered the morphology of the seminiferous tubules of adult male rats, causing a reduction in the cross-sectional area of the tubules by 18%, germinal epithelium thickness by 21% (p < 0.001) and an inhibition of spermatogenesis. The study showed the absence of reticulin fibres in the peritubular tissue of seminiferous tubules of prenatal ethanol-exposed adult male rats. The results imply that damage following prenatal ethanol exposure occurs irreversibly in utero and persists into adulthood in the exposed animals, which may have implications for male fertility

Ultrasound and stethoscope as tools in medical education and practice: considerations for the archives

Francis A Fakoya,&nbsp;Maira du Plessis,&nbsp;Ikechi B Gbenimacho Department of Anatomical Sciences, St George&rsquo;s University School of Medicine, St George&rsquo;s University, Grenada, West Indies Objectives: In recent years, the use and portability of ultrasound has threatened the utility of the stethoscope, with many debating and even advocating its replacement. The authors set out to assess opinions in this regard among faculty within a medical school and specifically within an anatomy department where ultrasound is incorporated into the curriculum from the first term. Methods: A debate was elicited during a biweekly Anatomy Journal Club session and was centered on three published papers presented. Several questions were raised regarding the possible replacement of stethoscope &ndash; the value of early exposure to students as well as how ultrasound and stethoscope should be considered by physicians, students, and teachers.Results: The general consensus was that the stethoscope should not be replaced but should be used in conjunction with emerging portable ultrasound. Caution was given that technology could &ldquo;overcomplicate&rdquo; diagnosis and lead to increased tests resulting in increased cost of care. In terms of exposing students to ultrasound, just as the stethoscope requires practice to use effectively, so does the ultrasound and should be introduced as early on as possible. As is the case with the stethoscope, students may not initially appreciate all the finer details on ultrasound; however, continual use would improve skill. Conclusion: The stethoscope should always remain part of the physical examination and &shy;ultrasound should be used in addition to, not replacement of. As technology advances the need&nbsp;for apprenticeship, training increases and students of the medical profession should be exposed to these technologies as early as possible. Hence, it is not yet time to archive the stethoscope. Perhaps never. Keywords: ultrasound technology, stethoscope, gross anatomy, physical examination, clinical skills, medical educatio

Vascular permeability-increasing effect of the leaf essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum Linn as a mechanism for its wound healing property

Persistent microvascular hyperpermeability to plasma proteins is a characteristic feature of normal wound healing. Does the leaf essential oil of Ocimum gratissimum heal wounds by promoting this feature? Evan\'s blue dye (20mg/kg body weight) in normal saline was administered intravenously through marginal ear vein of experimental rabbits (n = 5). Each animal served as its own control. One hour after Evan\'s blue dye administration, 0.1ml each of Ocimum oil, histamine dihydrochloride (30µg/ml) and normal saline were randomly administered by intra-dermal injection at the prepared sites on each of the animals. Increase in vascular permeability was assessed by dye effusion test. Analysis of the differences in vascular permeability between treatment groups showed that, Ocimum oil, in intensity and duration, was significantly (p < 0.05) more effective in increasing cutaneous capillary permeability over a 24h period after treatment. The ability of Ocimum oil in increasing vascular permeability may be one of the factors that contribute to its wound healing property. Key words: Ocimum gratissimum, vascular permeability, mechanism of action Afr. J. Trad. Comp. Alt. Med. Vol.2(3) 2005: 253 - 25

Infant Feeding and Lactational Amenorrhea in Sagamu, Nigeria

Five hundred and twenty educated, breastfeeding women in Sagamu, Nigeria, were observed prospectively in order to describe their infant feeding practices and to determine whether any predictors of the return of menses could be identified. The women remained amenorrheic for seven months. Compared with similarly selected women in other countries, they regularly fed their infants with supplements from a very early age, yet breastfeeding frequency and duration did not decline dramatically. Semi-solid food was introduced at about four months and such supplementation, as well as earlier supplementation with milk/milk-based feedings, was associated with the return of menses. The median duration of abstinence was about four months but the mean may have been much longer. No woman became pregnant until her infant was weaned. (Afr J Reprod Health 2002; 6[2]: 3950) Résumé Lallaitement et laménorrhée qui se rapporte à la lactation à Sagamu, au Nigéria. Cinq cent vingt femmes instruites et allaitant à Sagamu ont été observées prospectivement afin de décrire leurs pratiques dallaitement et pour déterminer sil était possible didentifier quelques indices du retour des règles. Les femmes sont restées aménorrhéiques pendant sept mois. Comparées aux femmes qui ont été selectionnées de la même manière dans dautres pays, elles nourrissaient régulierement leurs enfants du supplément dès leur très jeune âge; pourtant la fréquence de lallaitement et la durée nont pas baissé de façon dramatique. A lâge de presque quatre mois, on a initié les enfants à la nourriture semi-solides. Une telle administration dun supplément aussi bien quune administration antérieure dun supplément du lait et dautres nourritures à base du lait, ont été associées au retour des règles. La durée médiane de labstinence était à peu près quatre mois, mais la moyenne a probablement duré plus longtemps. Aucune femme nest devenue enceinte quaprès avoir sevré lenfant. (Rev Afr Santé Reprod 2002; 6[2]: 3950) Key Words: Breastfeeding, fertility, Nigeria, infant feeding, amenorrhea, Afric

Postpartum Sexual Abstinence and Breastfeeding Pattern in Sagamu, Nigeria

This was a prospective study involving 371 mothers. The mean age of the mothers was 27.5 (.3.6) years with a mean years at school (Educational years) of 11.3 (2.9) years. All the mothers had previously breastfed at one of their infants for at least 6 months, while the mothers also breastfed their last child for an average (mean) of 10.3 (4.0) months. The overall mean of previous live births was 1.9 (0.8). In the first month postpartum, 84.6% of the mothers abstained from sexual intercourse, but by the 4th-5th month the proportion had dropped to 18.1%, with just 2.1% of the study population abstaining from sexual intercourse at 11-15 months post-partum. Forty seven (13.5%), 30 (8.6% ) and 3 (0.9 % ) mothers in social classes 2,3 and 1 respectively have resumed sexual intercourse at 4-5 months, while only 12(3.4%) and 4(1.1%) in social classes 2 and 3 respectively continued with sexual intercourse at 11-15 months. More mothers resumed sexual intercourse from 1 to 15 months post-partum when they breast fed for 6-10 minutes and 11-15 minutes than those who breast fed for 1-5 minutes, 16-20 minutes and 21-25 minutes. Also more mothers within the 25-29 years age group resumed sexual intercourse from the first month to the fifteenth month post-partum than mothers in the other age groupsKeywords: Postpartum, Sexual, Abstinence, Breastfeeding, Sexually Transmitted InfectionsAfrican Journal of Reproductive Health Vol. 12 (1) 2008: pp. 96-10