The Carrying Angle of the Ibo and Yoruba Ethnic Groups of Nigeria and its Relationship with the Height of Individuals

The  carrying angle of  five  hundred and four students (275 males and 229 females) of the Ibo and  Yoruba  ethnic group of Nigeria were measured  using an improvised  goniometer. The age range of the subjects was  between 18 and 35 years so as to minimize changes  due to aging. Carrying angle was measured  from both upper limbs, right and left. Height was measured  using a mechanical measuring  rod. Results showed a mean carrying  angle 17.630± 0.25 and 15.050 ± 0.24 for right and left sides respectively  in males and  18.670 ±0.35 and 16.640 ± 0.33 for right and left sides respectively  in females of  Ibo ethnicity. The mean carrying angle for the Yoruba ethnic group is 15.350 ± 0.35 and 13.250 ± 0.35 for right and left sides respectively for the males and 17.570 ± 0.39 and 15.550 ± 0.37 for right and left sides respectively  for the females.  There were significant differences   between the different sides of the upper limb, between the two ethnic groups and also between  the two sexes at P< 0.05. The Ibo ethnic group had higher carrying angles than the Yoruba ethnic  group. The carrying angle  of the right upper limb was significantly higher  than the left upper limb at p<0.05 and the females had significantly  higher carrying angles  at P<0.05 than their male  counterparts. The mean height for the Ibo males and females is 1.71m ± 0.01 and 1.62m ± 0.01 respectively and for the Yoruba males and females, 1.69m ± 0.01 and 1.59m ± 0.01 respectively. There was no particular relation between the height of an individual and the carrying angle. Keywords: Carrying angle, height, gender, ethnic group.

Extract of Sesamum Indicum Seeds on the Glycogen Profile of the Liver of Adult Wistar Rat

The aim of this work was to evaluate the effect of seeds extract of Sesamum indicum on the histology liver of adult Wistar rats. Thirty Wistar rats weighing between 150-180g were divided into three groups of ten each; control group A received distilled water, experimental B and C received 200mg/kg and 400mg/kg of the seed extracts respectively. The extracts were administered for two weeks, at the end of which the animals were sacrificed; livers were removed and processed for Haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) paraffin sectioning and staining method while the serum was used for liver enzyme assay. From the results obtained, the administration of ethanolic seed extract of Sesamum indicum caused no obvious structural derangement in the organ There were no adverse effects on glycogen distribution. Keywords: Liver, Wistar rats, Sesamum indicum, glycoge

Extract of Ginger (Zingiber Officinale) on the Histology of the Spleen Using Adult Male Rats

Usage of botanical medicine is ancient and plant chemicals are still the backbone of our pharmacopoeia because more than 50% of drugs used in Western pharmacopoeia are isolated from herbs or derived from modification of chemicals first found in plants. Zingiber officinale is one of the most widely used herbs and food flavouring agent and commonly known as ginger. This study was done to evaluate the possible histological effect(s) of ethanolic extract of Zingiber offinale on the liver of adult male albino rats. Twenty five (25) adult wistar rats weighing between 125-200g were divided into five groups of five (5) rats each. Group C, D and E served as experimental groups while group A and B served as the control groups. Group C was administered a dose of 100mg/kg of the extract, group D was given oral dose of 250mg/kg of the extract while group E was given oral dose of 500mg/kg of Zingiber officinale extract. Administration of extract lasted for fourteen days at the end of which the animals were sacrificed using chloroform-inhalation method. The spleen was harvested as tissue samples from sacrificed animals for pathological examination using routine histological procedure and stained with the haematoxylin and eosin stains. Histological examinations of spleen showed that after treatment with low and medium doses (100, 250mg/kg) the ginger extract produced little damaging effects on the spleen histology, indicating moderate lymphoid hyperplasia in the splenic cells. But at higher dosage (500mg/kg), reactive lymphoid hyperplasia in the splenic cells was extensive. Therefore, Zingerber officinale should be used with caution because it may have harmful effects on the spleen cells at high doses. Keywords: Ginger, Histology, Ethanolic extract, Spleen, Wistar rat

Trans-orbital sonographic assessment of optic nerve diameter in a sampled Nigerian population

Background: Studies have reported variants in the dimensions of optic nerve diameter among different ethnic groups, just as other body anatomy differs from regions to regions.Aim: To establish normal range of optic nerve diameter in a sampled Nigerian population, sonographically.Materials and Method: A total of 725 apparently healthy adult subjects (362 males aged 32 to 65 years and 363 females aged 30 to 68 years) were recruited from the South South and South Eastern parts of Nigeria for this prospective descriptive study. The optic nerve diameter (OND) was measured using a high-resolution digital dedicated small-parts real time ultrasound machine (Sonoace 5500; Medicol, Medison, Miami, FL, USA) with a high frequency (10-MHz) linear array transducer. Subjects were in supine position and were asked to keep their eyes closed and still. Coupling gel was placed on the closed eye lid with the transducer softly placed over the upper temporal eyelid in an axial plane. The OND was measured perpendicular to the vertical axis of the scanning plane as a horizontal distance between the two walls of the nerve sheath. The height and weight of the subjects were determined using a meter rule and a weighing scale.Results: The mean optic nerve sheath diameter of males and females was 4.2 ± 0.13 mm. It ranged from 4.0 to 4.45 mm. The optic nerve sheath diameter of males was not significantly different from that of females (p = 0.345). No significant difference between the mean OND of both eyes (p = 0.345). Body mass index and age did not have any association with OND (r = 0.017, 0.034), the data were normally distributed.Conclusion: Optic nerve diameter of apparently normal Nigerian adults ranges from 4.0 to 4.5 mm. Values outside this range may demand further evaluation in the study population

Effect of Ethanolic Extract of Ginger on the Micro Anatomy of the Testis of Adult Wistar Rats

Ginger rhizome (Zingiber Officinale Rosco, family: Zingiberaceae) is used medicinally, it is known to have both nutritional and medicinal value. This study is to determine the effect of ethanolic extra of the rhizome of ginger on the microanatomy of the testis. Twenty five male Wistar rats were selected and randomly divided into control group and experimental group. The control group was further divided into two groups (A & B) with group A as normal control and group B as vehicle control. Group A took distilled water and feed and group B took distilled water, feed and 2mls of olive oil (as vehicle). The experimental group was divided into three groups (C, D & E) and received 100mg/kg, 250mg/kg and 500mg/kg daily according to their body weight for 14days in the 15th day the animals of all groups were sacrificed and the testes harvested and processed for histological observations. Histological sections of the experimental groups showed distortion of germinal and supporting cells, disintegration of matured sperm cells in the lumen, distortion of seminiferious tubules, widened interstitial spaces indicating shrinkage of tubules and destruction of leydig cells while sections of control groups showed normal histological architecture of the testes with all cells arranged orderly. There was significant damage to the testis in general.  Hence, the usage of ginger by the males should be moderate, as high consumption may have some side effects on male fertility. Keywords: Wistar rat, Ginger, Microanatomy, Testi