Effects of maternal dexamethasone exposure on hematological indices in the male offspring

Maternal treatment with dexamethasone in threatening preterm delivery leads to high basal corticosterone level in the offspring. Excess  glucocorticoids may inhibit the production of interleukin. This study examined the effects of prenatal and lactational dexamethasone exposure on hematological parameter in male offspring. The rats were divided into 9 groups. Group1 was administered 0.02 ml/100gbw/day normal saline throughout pregnancy. Group 2, 3, 4 and 5 were administered 100 ìg/kgbw/day dexamethasone through gestation day (GD) 1-7, 8-14, 15-21 and 1-21 respectively. Group 6 was administered 0.02 ml/100gbw/day normal saline at Lactational day (LD) 1-21. Group 7, 8 and 9 were  administered 100 ìg/kgbw/day dexamethasone at LD 1-7, 1-14 and 1-21 respectively. The male offspring were sacrificed at 12 weeks of age for the evaluation of hematological indices. Results show that dexamethasone exposure at GD 1-7, 8-14 and 1-21 significantly (P<0.05) reduced PCV, hemoglobin concentration, RBC, platelet and neutrophil differential counts, raised eosinophil differential count relative to control. Exposure to  dexamethasone at LD 1-14 and 1-21 significantly (P<0.05) reduced RBC and platelet counts but it raised MCV and MCH relative to control. This study suggests that prenatal and lactational dexamethasone   administration may affect the hematological indices in the male offspring.Keywords: Dexamethasone, prenatal, lactational, hematological indices, fetal, corticosterone

Platelet function, anthropometric and metabolic variables in Nigerian Type 2 Diabetic patients

This study examined the effects of anthropometric variables and metabolic imbalance on platelet aggregation in diabetic patients. A total of 109 volunteer were used; 58 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients (28 males and 30 females) who were receiving treatment at the University College Hospital Ibadan and 51 non diabetic control recruited from residents of Agbowo and Teachers of some secondary schools within the University of Ibadan. Body mass index (BMI)  and body surface area (BSA) were assessed as indices of anthropometry, fasting blood sugar (FBS), plasma cholesterol and triglycerides (TAG)  were determined using standard method and platelet aggregation test was done on the whole blood. Platelet aggregation ratio was higher in non diabetic compared to the diabetic subjects (P<0.001). The mean platelet aggregation ratio was also significantly higher in the male diabetic when compared to the female diabetic group (P<0.001). There was a significant linear relationship between platelet aggregation ratio and BMI (P<0.01), age (P0.05), FBS (P< 0.01), plasma cholesterol (P<0.01) and plasma TAG (P<0.05). However, the correlation coefficient between platelet aggregation ratio and BSA is not significant. In the non diabetic control subjects the correlation coefficient is not significant. Findings from this study suggest that, the increased platelet aggregation found in diabetic patients increased significantly with increased BMI but decrease with age. The mean platelet aggregation is also increased significantly with increase metabolic imbalance.Keyword: Platelet aggregation, anthropometry, diabetes mellitus, Body mass index (BMI), fasting blood sugar (FBS).African Journal of Biotechnology Vol 13(29) 2985-299