Prevention of Carbon Tetrachloride-induced Hepatic Steatosis and Cellular Damage by Aqueous Extract of Dacryodes edulis Seeds in Wistar Rats

The protective effect of the aqueous extract of Dacryodes edulis seeds on the liver of rats exposed to carbon tetrachloride was investigated. Thirty female albino rats of Wistar strain were randomly allocated to six groups consisting of five rats each. Group A served as control. Groups B-D were given increasing oral doses (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg body weight respectively) of Dacryodes edulis extract daily for two weeks prior to the administration of a single dose of CCl4 (3 ml/kg body weight) on the fourteenth day. Group E was given only Dacryodes edulis extract (1000 mg/kg body weight) daily for two weeks, while group F received only a single dose of CCl4 on day 14. The extract was found to possess hepatoprotective properties as seen in the significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the activities of the enzymes alanine transaminase, aspartate transaminase and alkaline phosphatase in the plasma of the animals treated with the plant extract when compared to the group administered CCl4 only. The extract also inhibited cholesterol and triacylglycerol accumulation in the liver. The hepatoprotective properties of Dacryodes edulis observed in this study may be related to its high content of antioxidant compounds such as flavonoids and alkaloids previously reported. The study represents a novel attempt at exploring the medicinal potential of the seeds of D. edulis which are typically discarded after eating the fleshy pulp.Key words: Dacryodes edulis, CCl4, Triacylglycerols, Hepatotoxicity, Steatosis

The Bishop score as a determinant of labour induction success: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PURPOSE: To evaluate the association between the Bishop Score and successful induction. STUDY STRATEGY AND SELECTION CRITERIA: We searched the PubMed and the lists of references of relevant studies to identify reports on the association between Bishop Score and achieving active phase of labour or vaginal delivery. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We abstracted crude or adjusted measures of association from studies. Summary odds ratio (OR) and summary hazard ratio (HR), and 95 % confidence interval (95 % CI) were obtained by random effects meta-analysis. Study heterogeneity was assessed using the I (2) test. RESULTS: Fifty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Analyses with crude ORs showed that women with higher versus lower Bishop Score were more likely to achieve vaginal delivery either with no time limit for this to occur, or within a certain time interval; the summary ORs according to the Bishop Score cutoff ranged from 1.98 (95 % CI: 1.58-2.48; I (2) = 36.6 %) to 5.48 (95 % CI: 1.67-17.96; I (2) = 0.0 %) and from 2.15 (95 % CI: 1.36-3.40; I (2) = 0.0 %) to 4.22 (95 % CI: 2.48-7.17; I (2) = 11.0 %), respectively. Summary estimates per unit increase in the Bishop Score, based on adjusted ORs, showed a positive association with achieving vaginal delivery, either with no time limit (OR(summary) = 1.33; 95 % CI: 1.13-1.56; I (2) = 66.1 %) or within a certain time interval (OR(summary) = 1.52; 95 % CI: 1.37-1.70; I (2) = 42.4 %). Summary HRs per unit increase in Bishop Score showed an association with induction to vaginal delivery (HR(summary) = 1.28; 95 % CI: 1.21-1.36; I (2) = 0.0 %), but not with induction to active phase (HR(summary) = 1.21; 95 % CI: 0.88-1.68; I (2) = 70.7 %) time interval. CONCLUSIONS: Bishop Score seems be a determinant of achieving vaginal delivery and is associated with induction-to-vaginal delivery time interval