ABSTRACT
Persea americana (avocado) is widely grown in parts of Southeastern Nigeria and used as a medicinal plant in the treatment of several ailments by alternative medical practitioners but very little research has been carried out on its pharmacotoxicity. This study therefore intends to study the histopathologic effect(s) of Persea americana aqueous leaf extract on the liver and kidneys of rabbits. Fresh leaves of Persea americana were processed using the Soxhlet extraction to obtain the aqueous extract. Three (3) groups of weaner rabbits namely the control, the recommended dose and the high dose groups were given water, 75mg/kg/ and 150mg/kg per day of the extract respectively for 28 days. The animals were sacrificed, the liver and kidney were harvested, fixed in 10 percent buffered formol saline, processed into paraffin wax, sectioned at 5µm and stained by the Haematoxylin and Eosin method and Perl's Prussain Blue method. Slightly better weight gain by the experimental groups suggests that the extract enhances appetite. Histopathology of the liver and kidney of the recommended and high dosage groups were not different from the control group suggesting that the plant extract is beneficial except for the observed loose stool, suggesting increased bowel emptying. This however did not affect weight gain.
La Persea americana (aguacate o palta) crece ampliamente en algunas partes del sudeste de Nigeria y se utiliza como planta medicinal en el tratamiento de varias dolencias por profesionales de la medicina alternativa, pero muy poca investigación se ha llevado a cabo en relación a su toxicidad farmacológica. Este estudio tiene el objetivo de estudiar el efecto histopatológico del extracto acuoso de hojas de Persea americana sobre el hígado y riñones de conejos. Hojas frescas de Persea americana fueron procesadas mediante extracción con Soxhlet para obtener el extracto acuoso. Tres grupos de conejos destetados denominados control, dosis recomendada y dosis alta se les dio agua con 75mg/kg/día y 150mg/kg/día del extracto respectivamente durante 28 días. Los animales fueron sacrificados. Los hígados y riñones fueron recolectados y fijados al 10 por ciento en formol tamponado y luego procesados en parafina. Se tiñeron cortes de 5 um por los métodos de Hematoxilina-Eosina y de Perl (azul de Prusia). Un aumento ligeramente mayor de peso en los grupos experimentales sugiere que el extracto aumenta el apetito de los animales. La histopatología del hígado y riñón en los grupos dosis recomendada y dosis alta no fueron diferentes al grupo control, sugiriendo que el extracto de la planta es beneficioso, excepto por el informe de heces acuosas.
Subject(s)
Animals , Rabbits , Plant Extracts/pharmacology , Liver , Plant Leaves/chemistry , Persea/chemistry , Kidney , Body Temperature , Body Weight , Liver/pathology , Nigeria , Kidney/pathologyABSTRACT
Objectives:The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and reasons for endodontic treatment in patients aged 16 years and below seen at the Paedodontic clinic of the Department of Child Dental Health of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital.Methods: Dental records of patients aged 16 years and below treated for various dental problems at the Paedodontic clinic of the Lagos University Teaching Hospital between January 2006 and December 2007 were reviewed to select cases that received endodontic treatment. The survey was conducted to determine the frequency of endodontic treatment for each tooth in the maxilla and mandible; the reasons for endodontic treatment and type of endodontic treatment performed in each tooth. Data on age; sex; endodontically treated teeth; reasons for endodontic treatment and date of treatment was retrieved from the patients' dental records. Results: A total of 2;376 patients were seen during the period of survey; out of which 260 (11) patients received endodontic treatment of three hundred teeth comprising 194 mandibular teeth and 106 maxillary teeth. The primary lower second molar (26) was the most frequently endodontically treated tooth followed by the permanent lower first molar (22). All the primary and permanent molars were endodontically treated due to caries while 62.5and 60of permanent and primary central incisors respectively were endodontically treated due to caries. The other infrequent reasons for endodontic treatment were trauma (5.3) and failed root canal treatment (1.3). Conclusion: The primary lower second molar was the most frequently (26) treated endodontically and the major reason (93.3) for endodontic treatment was caries. Only 5.3of the endodontically treated teeth were due to trauma