Rauvolfia vomitoria Afzel. disrupts dentate gyrus cells

88-94Herbal remedy for neurological problems may have adverse effects, and could prove detrimental if not regulated properly. Rauvolfia vomitoria (RV) is a herb commonly associated with psychiatry management because of its antipsychotic and sedative properties. Here, we studied the effects of the root bark extract of R. vomitoria on the dentate gyrus of adult Wistar rats. Twenty four adult Wistar rats (220 g average) were divided into four groups (n=6); control (placebo), 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg RV root bark extract, respectively for 7 days. The animals were sacrificed 24 h after last administration, and the brains were processed for histology and immunoreactivity. Results showed hypertrophy and atrophy of granule cells in all 200, 300 and 400 mg/kg RV groups, respectively. There was increased neuron specific enolase and glial fibrillary acidic protein expressions in the 200 and 300 mg/kg RV groups, while these proteins expression were decreased in the 400 mg/kg RV group. These results suggest that RV cause dentate gyrus cell injury in a dose-dependent pattern, and may lead to degeneration and disruption of functions

A decade study of the incidence and clinical analysis of ectopic pregnancy at a tertiary hospital in Eastern Nigeria

Background: Ectopic pregnancy (EP), a condition where a fertilized egg grows outside a woman’s uterus, is a fertility- and life-threatening gynecological condition. This study aimed at determining the incidence of EP, clinical presentation, gestational age at presentation, risk factors and treatment modalities.Methods: This study was conducted at St. Charles Borromeo specialist hospital, Onitsha, Nigeria (January 2009 to December 2018). Information were obtained from the hospital’s medical records as retrieved from various wards. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS, version 23, then presented as percentage in tables and figure.Results: Out of 13,402 pregnancies recorded in this study, 119 were EPs giving an incidence of 0.89%. 105 case notes were included in this study since they met the inclusion criteria. Majority of the women belonged to the age group of 26-30 years. Patients with EP presented more between 7-8 weeks of gestational age (40%), though 7.6% were unsure of their last menstrual period. 80 EP cases (76.2%) were ruptured while 25 (23.8%) were unruptured. The ectopic gestation occurred most at the ampulla (51.4%) and more at the right side (66.6%) than the left (33.4%). Pelvic inflammatory disease (30.4%) followed by prior abortion (20.0%) were major predisposing risk factors. The most common clinical presentations were abdominal pain (92.38%), amenorrhea (57.14%) and vaginal bleeding (51.42%). 85.7% had salpingectomy, 9.5% were medically managed.Conclusions: EP remains a major gynecological emergency. Diagnosis before rupture could offer an opportunity for a successful medical management, thereby; minimizing morbidity and mortality

Stavudine, an anti‑retroviral drug induces reactive astrocytes in motor cortex of albino mice

Objectives: Anti‑retroviral (ARV) drugs are medications used for the treatment and management of retrovirus infections. Stavudine, one of the commercially available ARVs, is a synthetic ARV agent active against the human immunodeficiency virus type 1. In this study, the effect of stavudine on reactive astrocytes on the motor cortex of albino Wistar mice was investigated. Materials and Methods: Twenty‑four albino mice weighing 30 g on the average were equally assigned into three groups, A, B and C (i.e., eight mice in each group). Group A served as the control, while Groups B and C were the experimental groups. Group B received 0.6 mg/kg of stavudine, while Group C received 1.2 mg/kg of stavudine by orogastric tubes twice a day for 21 days. No treatment was given to the control group, and all the animals received feed and water ad libitum throughout the experimental period. Results: Light microscopic study of the reactive astrocytes in the motor cortex of mice revealed few astrocytes stained black in the control group, Groups B and C revealed a significantly (P < 0.05) higher reactive astrocytes population, with Group C (P < 0.05) having higher reactive astrocytes population compared to Group B. Conclusions: These results revealed that stavudine caused hyperplasia of astrocytes in the motor cortex of albino mice, and this may affect astrocyte activity and consequently impair motor functions. The effect was dose dependent.Key words: Albino mice, astrocytes, motor cortex, stavudin

Teratogenic Effects of Crude Ethanolic Root Bark and Leaf Extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria (Apocynaceae) on the Femur of Albino Wistar Rat Fetuses

Introduction. Rauwolfia vomitoria is a plant used as a sedative and in the treatment of psychotic tendency. This study was on the teratogenic effects of its root bark and leaf extracts on Wistar rat’s fetal femurs. Materials and Methods. Twenty-five female rats weighing between 180 and 200 g were divided into 5 groups, of 5 rats each. Group A was the control, while Groups B, C, D, and E were the experimental. The female rats were mated with mature male rats to allow for pregnancy. Groups B and C animals received orally 150 mg/kg each of the root bark and leaf extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria, respectively, while Groups D and E animals received 250 mg/kg bodyweight each of the root bark and leaf extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria, respectively, from day 7 to day 11 of gestation. On day 20 of gestation, the rats were sacrificed, the fetuses were examined, and their femurs were dissected out and preserved, decalcified, and routinely processed using the Haematoxylin and Eosin staining method. Results. Histological observations of the fetal femur bones showed numerous osteoblast and osteoclast, hypertrophy, and hyperplasia of bone cells compared with the control. Conclusion. Ethanolic root bark and leaf extracts of Rauwolfia vomitoria may lead to advanced skeletal development