Histological effects of chronic administration of Phyllanthus amarus on the superior colliculus of adult wistar rats

Effects of administration of Phyllanthus amarus commonly used for the treatment of jaundice, diarrhea, dysentery, urogenital disease and wound on the superior colliculus of adult wistar rats was carefully studied. Rats of both sexes (n = 24), with average weight of 200 g were randomly assigned into two treatments (A and B) and control (C) groups of 8 rats each. The rats in the treatment groups (A and B) received 400 and 800 mg of aqueous extract of P. amarus per kg body weight respectively through theorogastric tube administration daily for thirty days. The control group received equal volume of distilled water daily for thirty days through the same route. The rats were fed with growers marsh obtained from Edo Feeds and Flour mill Limited, Ewu, Edo State, Nigeria and given water liberally. The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on the thirty-one days of the experiment. The superior colliculus was carefully dissected out and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for histological study. The findingsindicate that rats in the treated groups (A and B) showed some cellular degenerative changes, hypertrophy, sparse cellular population and vacuolations in the stroma of the superior colliculus as compared to the control group. Chronic administration of P. amarus may therefore have an adverse effect on the visual and somatosensory motor sensibilities by affecting the microanatomy of the superior colliculus of adult wistar rats. It is recommended for further studies aimed at corroborating these observations

Morphological Effects of Chronic Administration of Zidovudine on the Visual Relay Centres of Adult Wistar Rats

The oxidative stress effects in chronic administration of Zidovudine (ZDV) on vision had also been reported. The objective of this study was to investigate how ZDV induced morphological changes in the tissues. The rats of both sexes (N=40), with an average weight of 200g were equally but simple randomly assigned into treatment and control groups. Each animal in the treatment group received approximately 0.857mg/200g of ZDV twice daily (on the basis of 300mg/70kg body weight dosage). The findings indicated that there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the weight of the treated superior colliculus and decrease in the weight of the treated lateral geniculate body as compared to their corresponding control group. The morphological changes were consistent with previous findings, which include cellular changes such as hypertrophy, unevenly distributed cellularpopulation, and vacuolations in the stroma of the treated tissues as compared to the control group. The toxic effects of ZDV on the morphology of the intracranial visual relay centres of the tested adult wistar rats observed in this experiment may underline some of the possible  neurological symptoms reported concerning ZDV treatments in human.Keywords: Zidovudine, Morphological effects, Superior Colliculus, Lateral Geniculate Body, Wistar Rat

Effects of chronic administration of efavirenz on the nissl substances on the intracranial visual relay centres of adult Wistar rats

The effects of chronic administration of efavirenz commonly used as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) type-1 therapy on the nissl substance of the intracranial visual relay centres namely the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body of adult wistar rats were carefully studied. The rats of both sexes (n=20), with an average weight of 200g were randomly assigned into treatment (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. The rats in the treatment group received 600mg/70kg body weight of efavirenz dissolved in distilled water daily for 30 days through the orogastric tube. The control group received equal volume of distilled water daily for 30 days through the same route. The rats were fed with grower’s mash obtained from Edo Feeds and Flour Mill Limited, Ewu, Edo state, Nigeria and given water liberally. The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation method on the thirty-first day of the experiment. The superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body were carefully dissected out and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for histological study. The histological findings indicated that the treated sections of the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body showed that the nissl substances were less intensely stained as compared to the control. The parenchyme was vacuolated, there were evidence of hypertrophy and more spaces between the axonal mesh around the sparsely distributed neurons as compared to the control group. The treated section of the superior colliculus showed neurons with faintly stained nissl substances of various sizes and with evidence of hypertrophy while that of the lateral geniculate body showed less intense and enlarge nissl substances with characterized microcytic changes. Chronic administration of efavirenz may have an adverse effect on the nissl substances of the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body of adult wistar rats. It is recommended that further studies aimed at corroborating these observations be carried out.Keywords: Efavirenz, Nissl Substance, Superior Colliculus, Lateral Geniculate Body, Wistar Rat

Effects of chronic administration of aqueous alchornea cordifolia leaf on the kidney of adult wistar rats

Effects of chronic administration of aqueous extract of alchornea cordifolia leaf commonly used in the treatment of diarrhoea, cough, gonorrhoea, chest pain and anemia on the kidney of adult wistar rats was investigated. Rats of both sexes (n=20), with an average weight of 200g were randomly assigned into test (n=10) and control (n=10) groups. Rats in the test group were given the aqueous extract of alchornea cordifolia leaf at a single dose of 250mg/kg body weight daily for thirty days through the orogastric tube administration while the control group received equal volume of distilled water through the same route and for the same period. Rats were fed with grower’s mash obtained from Edo Feeds and Flour Mill Limited, Ewu, Edo state, Nigeria. Rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation method on the thirty-first day of the experiment and the kidney was carefully dissected out, dried, weighed, and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for further routine histological study. Findings indicated that the kidney in the test group (group B) showed some level of distortion and disruption of the cytoarchitecture of the renal cortical structure with marked diffuse glomerulonephritis and an enlarged Bowman’s space as compared to the control group. Findings also indicated that there was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in weights (g) of the test kidney as compared to the control group. Chronic administration of aqueous extract of alchornea cordifolia leaf may therefore have an adverse effect on the kidney of adult wistar rats. It is recommended that further studies aimed at corroborating these observations be carried out.Keywords: Morphology effects, Alchornea cordifolia, Kidney, Wistar rats

Histological effects of long term administration of piliostigma thonningii stem bark on the liver of adult Wistar rats

The histological effects of long term administration of piliostigma thonningii commonly used for the treatment of dysentery, fever, respiratory ailments, snake bites, hookworm and skin infections on the liver of adult wistar rats was carefully investigated. The rats of both sexes (N=21), with an average weight of 180g were randomly assigned into two test groups (n1 & n2=14) and control group (n3=7). Animals in the test group A received the extract of Piliostigma thonningii stem barks at a single dose of 200mg/kg body weight daily, animals in test group B received a single dose of 400mg/kg body weight daily for twenty eight days through the orogastric tube administration while the control animals received equal volume of distilled water through the same route and for the same period. The rats were fed with grower’s mash obtained from Edo Feeds and Flour Mill Limited, Ewu, Edo state, Nigeria. The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on the twenty nine day of the experiment and the liver was carefully dissected out and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for further routine histological study. The findings indicated that the liver in the test groups (groups A&B) showed some level of distortion and disruption of the cytoarchitecture with some marked congestion of blood mainly at the central vein of the liver. The presence of perivascular polymorph nuclei cells and congestion of blood in the sinusoidal space of the liver was also observed in the tested groups with that of group B more marked. Long term administration of extract of Piliostigma thonningii stem barks may therefore have an adverse effect on the liver of adult wistar rats.Keywords: Piliostigma thonningii, liver, Wistar rats

Morphological effects of long-term consumption of energy drinks on the intracranial visual relay centres of adult wistar rats.

Morphological effects of long-term consumption of energy drinks on the intracranial visual relay centres namely superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body of adult wistar rats were carefully studied. The study included rats of both sexes (N = 20), with average weight of 200g randomly assigned into treated (n1=10) and control (n2=10) groups. The rats in the treated group received energy drinks and distilled water alternatively on a daily basis for 10hrs and 14hrs liberally in thirty days, while the control group received distilled water liberally for the thirty days. The rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on the thirty-first day of the experiment and the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body were carefully dissected out, weighed using the Mettler Toledo weighing balance, and quickly fixed in 10% formal saline for further histological study. The findings indicated that there was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in the weight (g) and relative weight (%) of the treated superior colliculus and a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the weight (g) and relative weight (%) of the treated lateral geniculate body as compared to their corresponding control group. The microanatomy of the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body of the rats treated with energy drinks revealed cellular degenerative changes, sparse cellular population, hypertrophy, pyknotic nuclei with microcystic changes and vacuolation in the stroma of the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body as compared to the control group. It was therefore concluded that long-term consumption of energy drinks might have an adverse effect on the intra cranial visual sensibilities by affecting the microanatomy of the superior colliculus and lateral geniculate body of adult wistar rats. We therefore recommended that further studies aiming at corroborating these findings be done.Key words: Morphological effects, Energy drink, Superior colliculus, Lateral geniculate body, Wistar rats

Morphological effects of chronic efavirenz administration on the kidney of adult Wistar rats

AbstractEfavirenz is commonly used as part of the highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1. The effects of chronic administration of efavirenz on the kidney of adult Wistar rats were investigated. The rats were divided into two groups, those given efavirenz (treatment) and those given water (control), both for 30 days. The animals were sacrificed by cervical dislocation on Day 31 of the experiment and kidneys were dissected, weighed and quickly fixed in 10% formalin for histological analysis. The findings indicate that there was a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in weight and increase in relative weight of treated right and left kidneys compared to the control group. Kidneys in the treated group showed disruption of the cytoarchitecture of the renal cortical structure, diffuse glomerulonephritis with some cell congestion, and dilation of Bowman’s space compared to the control group. Chronic efavirenz administration may therefore have an adverse effect on the kidney function of adult Wistar rats. Further studies to corroborate these observations should be carried out

Biochemical effects of chronic administration of efavirenz on the intracranial auditory relay centers of adult Wistar rats

AbstractThe biochemical effects of chronic administration of efavirenz, which is commonly used as part of highly active antiretroviral therapy for treatment of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) type 1, on the intracranial auditory relay centers [i.e., the inferior colliculus (IC) and medial geniculate body (MGB)] of adult Wistar rats were carefully studied. Rats of both sexes (n = 30), with an average weight of 200 g, were randomly assigned into treatment (n = 15) and control (n = 15) groups. Rats in the treatment group each received the recommended daily dose of 600 mg/70 kg (1.71 mg/200 g) of body weight of efavirenz daily for 30 days, while the control group rats received an equal volume of distilled water alone daily for 30 days. The rats were sacrificed after 30 days, and the IC and MGB were carefully removed for further biochemical assays. These analyses indicated that levels of malonyldialdehyde (MDA), a non-enzyme biomarker of oxidative stress, were significantly higher (p < 0.05) whereas levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) were significantly lower (p < 0.05) in treated tissues than in control tissues. Chronic administration of efavirenz may therefore have an adverse effect on the auditory sensibilities by affecting the IC and MGB of adult Wistar rats

Effect of Chronic Consumption of Nutmeg on the Stomach of Adult Wistar Rats

Nutmeg is commonly used as a spice in various dishes; it is a component of teas and soft drinks, and can also be mixed in milk and alcohol. In this study, we investigated the effect of chronic consumption of nutmeg on the stomach of adult Wistar rats. Rats of both sexes (n = 24), with an average weight of 200 g, were randomly assigned into two treatment groups (A and B, n = 8 for each group) and one control group (C, n = 8). The rats in the treatment groups received 1 g of nutmeg in group A and 2 g of nutmeg in group B. The nutmeg was thoroughly mixed with feed and given daily for 32 days. Group C received an equal amount of feed daily without nutmeg for 32 days. The rats had free access to water. On day 33 of the experiment, the rats were sacrificed by cervical dislocation. The stomachs were carefully dissected out and immediately fixed in 10% formal saline for histological study. Hematoxylin and eosin staining showed that rats in groups A and B showed varying degrees of distortion in the epithelial cells of the stomach. Obvious signs of proliferation, hyperplasia, and atrophic changes in the treated stomach sections were more marked in group B than in the other groups. These findings indicate that nutmeg may have some deleterious effects on the microanatomy of the stomach of adult Wistar rats