Effects of Population Knowledge, Perceptions, Attitudes, and Practices on COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control in NUST.

The global COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on the education sector of most countries. One of the basic CDC prevention guidelines is the implementation of non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) to protect the health of students and staff members to curve the spread of COVID-19. The current study aimed to examine the knowledge, perceptions, attitudes, and practices of students at the Namibia University of Technology toward the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional descriptive survey was conducted using a closed-ended questionnaire. Data were collected from full-time students who were on campus during the COVID-19 pandemic between 29 January to 14 February 2021. The average knowledge about the modes of transmission, protective measures, and clinical symptoms ranged from 78% to 96%. About 31% of student respondents believed the virus was created in a laboratory, and 47% believed the vaccine has negative side effects and therefore, refused to take it. The three main sources of information about COVID-19 were social media (75%), television (63%), and friends and family (50%). The students had an overall positive attitude towards the implementation of NPIs. However, the importance of vaccine safety must be emphasized. Lockdowns should be lifted gradually to reduce the amount of time students are spending on online content. Reopening of classrooms for face-to-face study will bring unquestionable benefits to students and the wider economy.

Women's perception of cervical cancer pap smear screening.

AIM: The study examines limiting factors associated with cervical cancer Pap smear screening among participants of reproductive age attending a healthcare facility in Namibia. DESIGN: A cross-sectional descriptive and exploratory study was conducted. METHODS: The data were collected using a face-to-face interview (qualitative) and a structured questionnaire (quantitative). A total of 49 participants (10 qualitative and 39 quantitative) aged 17-45 years participated in the study. RESULTS: The study revealed that 80% of participants have limited knowledge of cervical cancer, while 49% have never done the test before and 8% were not informed of the screening and risk of the disease. Furthermore, 49% of participants responded that the screening fees are not affordable. Meanwhile, all participants (100%) complained of the long waiting period. Other main barriers for not screening were missed announcements and unsuitable time allocation. Knowledge on cervical cancer and turn-up for Pap smear screening test was low among participants of reproductive age.

Fertility and pregnancy outcome among women undergoing assisted reproductive technology treatment in Windhoek, Namibia.

PURPOSE: Infertility has been defined as a couple's failure to conceive after regular and unprotected coitus for 1 year or six months, depending on the age of the female counterpart. Although infertility can result from both the male and/or the female, often the female partner faces pressure since it is believed in some African cultures that a woman without children is like a tree without leaves. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of successful pregnancy outcomes among infertile women undergoing assisted reproductive technology (ART) treatment at the Cape Windhoek Fertility Clinic. METHODS: This was a prospective and descriptive cross-sectional case reference study encompassing 178 infertile women visiting the Cape Windhoek Fertility Clinic for ART treatment. RESULTS: The vast majority of the participants (81.5%) were married women. From the 178 infertile women, 96 (53.9%) suffered from primary and 82 (46.1%) from secondary infertility. The predominant cause of complications for infertility among the women studied was defective ovulation (28.7%) and the most common ART treatment administered was IVF/ICSI (52.2%). Only a third (33.1%) of the women who received ART treatment eventually fell pregnant. CONCLUSION: The outcome of this study may not give a clear indication of the prevalence of infertility among women in the entire Namibian nation due to the costs involved with ART treatment offered mainly at privately owned hospitals and/or clinics, thereby resulting in those who cannot afford treatment to be left out despite being infertile.

Prevalence of Dyslipidaemia among Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Dyslipidaemia, an irregular aggregate of lipids in the blood is common in diabetes and cardiovascular disease sufferers. A cross-sectional study on the prevalence of dyslipidaemia was performed among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients in the Western Cape, South Africa. Patients (n = 100) that participated in the study were within the age range of 19-68 years, of whom 89% were observed to have serum lipid abnormalities. Out of the 100 patients, 56%, 64%, 61%, and 65% were recorded to have high total cholesterol (TC), hypertriglycemia, increased low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-C), and reduced high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-C), respectively. In male diabetic patients, a marked prevalence of (94%) dyslipidemia was noted, of which 52% were affected by high TC (5.3-7.9 mmol/L), with 70% having a high level of triglyceride (TG) [1.72-7.34 mmol/L], while 60% had a high LDL-C (3.1-5.5 mmol/L), including 78% with low HDL-C (0.7-1.1 mmol/L). In comparison, 84% of diabetic females had dyslipidemia, with high TC (5.1-8.1 mmol/L), hypertriglycemia (1.73-8.63 mmol/L), high LDL-C (3.1-5.6 mmol/L), and low levels of HDL-C (0.8-1.1 mmol/L) affecting 60%, 58%, 62%, and 52% of the patients, respectively. This study showed the importance of screening and the regular surveillance of dyslipidaemia in T2DM patients as there is a paucity of data on it in Africa.

In Vitro Antidiabetic and Antioxidant Effects of Different Extracts of Catharanthus roseus and Its Indole Alkaloid, Vindoline.

The Catharanthus roseus plant has been used traditionally to treat diabetes mellitus. Scientific evidence supporting the antidiabetic effects of this plant's active ingredient-vindoline has not been fully evaluated. In this study, extracts of C. roseus and vindoline were tested for antioxidant activities, alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory activities and insulin secretory effects in pancreatic RIN-5F cell line cultured in the absence of glucose, at low and high glucose concentrations. The methanolic extract of the plant showed the highest antioxidant activities in addition to the high total polyphenolic content (p < 0.05). The HPLC results exhibited increased concentration of vindoline in the dichloromethane and the ethylacetate extracts. Vindoline showed noticeable antioxidant activity when compared to ascorbic acid at p < 0.05 and significantly improved the in vitro insulin secretion. The intracellular reactive oxygen species formation in glucotoxicity-induced cells was significantly reduced following treatment with vindoline, methanolic and the dichloromethane extracts when compared to the high glucose untreated control (p < 0.05). Plant extracts and vindoline showed weaker inhibitory effects on the activities of carbohydrate metabolizing enzymes when compared to acarbose, which inhibited the activities of the enzymes by 80%. The plant extracts also exhibited weak alpha amylase and alpha glucosidase inhibitory effects.

Analysis of Reference Ranges of Total Serum Protein in Namibia: Clinical Implications.

A reference range is an essential part of clinical laboratory test interpretation and patient care. The levels of total serum protein (TSP) are measured in sera to assess nutritional, liver, and kidney disorders. This study determined the TSP reference range with respect to gender, age, and region in Namibia. A retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted to determine the TSP reference range among 78,477 healthy participants within the ages of less than one year to more than 65 yrs in 14 regions of Namibia. The reference range of TSP was 51-91 g/L for females and 51-92 g/L for males. A reduced TSP range of 48.00-85.55 g/L (2.5-97.5 percentiles) was established at <1-5 years and increased towards adolescence. An uttermost range of 54-93 g/L was observed from 36-65 years of age. At the age >65 years; a steady decline in the reference range (51.00-89 g/L) was recorded. An upper TSP range of 53-92 g/L (2.5-97.5 percentiles) was detected in Erongo, Zambezi, Hardap, Kavango East, and a comparable trend was also seen in Omusati with a 54-91 g/L range. Meanwhile; a reduced TSP range of 50-89 g/L was identified in Ohangwena. This study showed that gender, age, and geographical location can impact TSP levels with a significant clinical difference (p < 0.05) between each category.

Vindoline effectively ameliorated diabetes-induced hepatotoxicity by docking oxidative stress, inflammation and hypertriglyceridemia in type 2 diabetes-induced male Wistar rats.

Vindoline, an indole alkaloid present in the leaves of Catharanthus roseus plant, has been recently reported to have insulotropic effects. This present study evaluated the possible hepatoprotective effects of vindoline in a type 2 diabetes mellitus rat model. Diabetes mellitus was induced by exposing rats to 10% fructose water for two weeks followed by a single intraperitoneal injection of 40 mg/kg body weight of streptozotocin (STZ). Rats were randomly divided into six groups (n = 8) and treated daily for 6 weeks with the vehicle via oral gavage, vindoline (20 mg/kg) or glibenclamide (5 mg/kg). Weekly fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels and body weight were measured and recorded. Administration of vindoline significantly (p < 0.05) reduced FBG by 15% when compared to the diabetic controls. Vindoline significantly (p < 0.05) decreased diabetes-induced hepatic injury shown by decreased levels of serum alanine transferase (ALT) (-42%), aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (-42%) and alkaline phosphatase (-62%) compared to the diabetic controls. The oxygen radical absorbance capacity and the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were also improved following treatment with vindoline. The results also showed decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-ɑ by (-41%) and IL-6 (-28%) which may have also contributed to the reduction of serum triglycerides (-65%) in the diabetic group treated with vindoline. Histopathological findings showed improvement of both the hepatic and pancreatic tissues following vindoline treatment. Overall, these findings suggest that vindoline may protect the diabetic hepatic tissue from injury via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-hypertriglyceredemia mechanisms thereby retarding the development of diabetic complications.

Modulation of Inflammatory Cytokines and Islet Morphology as Therapeutic Mechanisms of Basella alba in Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rats.

The mechanism of the previously reported antidiabetic effect of Basella alba is unknown. This study investigated the role of B. alba aqueous leaf extract in the modulation of inflammatory cytokines and islet morphology in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. Forty male Wistar rats, between 8 and 10 weeks old, were randomly divided into four groups (n = 10) and administered the following treatments: Healthy control (H-c) and Diabetic control (D-c) animals received normal saline 0.5 mL/100 g body weight daily, while Healthy Treatment (H-Ba) and Diabetic Treatment (D-Ba) rats received the plant extract 200 mg/kg body weight daily. All treatments were administered by oral gavage. Diabetes was induced in D-c and D-Ba rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg body). The body weight and fasting blood sugar (FBS) levels were recorded every week for 4 weeks, after which the rats were euthanized and samples collected for further analysis. After the experiment, FBS level was significantly reduced (p < 0.0001) in rats in the D-Ba group, but increased (p < 0.001) in rats in the D-c group. The absolute (H-c and H-Ba vs D-c, p < 0.05) and relative (D-Ba vs H-c, p < 0.05; D-Ba vs H-Ba, p < 0.005) weights of the pancreases were significantly higher after the experiment. The rats in the D-c group had significantly higher levels of serum interleukin-1ß (p < 0.001 vs H-c; p < 0.05 vs H-Ba and D-Ba) and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (p < 0.0001), but lower levels of interleukin-10 (p < 0.05) in comparison with the other groups. Histopathological examination revealed severe interstitial congestion, reduced islet area (p < 0.0001), and increased islet cell density in the D-c group compared with those in the D-Ba group. From these findings, it was concluded that the aqueous extract of B. alba stimulates the recovery of beta-islet morphology in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats by modulating the peripheral production of inflammatory cytokines.

Hepatoprotective, Antihyperlipidemic, and Anti-inflammatory Activity of Moringa oleifera in Diabetic-induced Damage in Male Wistar Rats.

BACKGROUND: The number of individuals with diabetes is increasing daily, and diabetes is presently estimated to affect about 422 million adults worldwide. Conventional drugs used to treat diabetes are not without severe side effects, accessibility, and affordability. This study elucidates the potential effects of Moringa oleifera (MO) leaves extract to manage and treat diabetes induced in male Wistar rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Adult male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (n = 12/group): NC - nondiabetic rats (positive control), MO - nondiabetic-treated rats, DM - diabetic rats (negative control), DM + MO - diabetic-treated rats. Hepatic enzymes and biochemical parameters as well as antioxidant capacity and inflammatory cytokine levels were assessed. Levels of low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and total cholesterol were evaluated. RESULTS: Oral administration of methanolic extract of MO (250 mg/kg) to diabetic rats for 42 days showed a significant reduction in hepatic enzyme markers and normalized lipid profile parameters in the serum compared to normal control group. Treatment also increased the level of antioxidant capacity and alleviated inflammatory biomarkers of the liver. Histology sections of the liver tissue showed protective effect of MO in treated rats. CONCLUSIONS: MO showed hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and lipid-lowering effects against streptozotocin-induced hepatotoxicity. Histological section demonstrated specific alterations in the liver of the diabetic and nondiabetic male Wistar rats while MO treatment revealed improvement in liver alterations.Abbreviations Used: IL 1: Interleukin 1, IL 6: Interleukin 16, MCP-1: Monocyte chemotactic protein, TNF-α: Tumor Necrotic factor alpha, ROS: Reactive oxygen species, MO: Moringa oleifera, STZ: Streptozotocin, SRC: Standard rat chow, ALP: Alkaline phosphatase, AST: Aspartate aminotransferase, ALT: Alanine aminotransferase, ORAC: Oxygen radical absorbance capacity, LDL: Low density lipoprotein, HDL: High density lipoprotein, CHOL: Total cholesterol.

Assessment of the Anti-Hyperglycaemic, Anti-Inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of the Methanol Extract of Moringa Oleifera in Diabetes-Induced Nephrotoxic Male Wistar Rats.

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease of multiple aetiologies in insulin secretion. A deficiency in insulin results in hyperglycemia with metabolic disturbances of biomolecules. Moringa oleifera (MO) is endemic in the tropics with a variety of ethnomedicinal importance. The leaf of this plant has been reported to possess antioxidant and medicinal properties that may be helpful in the treatment and management of diabetes and its associated complications. Diabetes was induced intraperitoneally in rats by a single dose of streptozotocin (55 mg/kg) and treated with methanolic extract of Moringa oleifera (250 mg/kg b.wt) for six weeks. Forty-eight (48) adult male Wistar strain rats were randomly divided into four groups: normal control (NC), Moringa oleifera treated control rats (NC + MO), diabetic rats (DM) and Moringa oleifera treated diabetic rats (DM + MO). Estimation of antioxidant capacity, total polyphenols, flavonoids and flavonols content of Moringa oleifera extract was performed and serum biochemical markers were evaluated. Antioxidants such as catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), superoxide dismutase (SOD) activities, glutathione (GSH) and inflammatory biomarkers were determined in the kidney. Results showed high antioxidant capacities of MO extract and improved serum biochemical markers, whilst lipid peroxidation (MDA) levels were reduced in non-diabetic and diabetic rats after MO treatment when compared to normal control. Subsequent administration of MO led to an increased concentration of serum albumin, globulin and total protein with a decrease in the level of MDA, and improvements in CAT, SOD, GSH, GPx, (tumour necrosis factor-alpha)TNF-α and (interleukin-6)IL-6. MO contains potent phytochemical constituents that offer protective action against diabetic-induced renal damage, reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inflammation and could therefore play a role in reducing diabetic complications, particularly in developing countries such as in Africa where the majority cannot afford orthodox medicine.

Hypoxis hemerocallidea Significantly Reduced Hyperglycaemia and Hyperglycaemic-Induced Oxidative Stress in the Liver and Kidney Tissues of Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Male Wistar Rats.

Background. Hypoxis hemerocallidea is a native plant that grows in the Southern African regions and is well known for its beneficial medicinal effects in the treatment of diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. Aim. This study evaluated the effects of Hypoxis hemerocallidea on oxidative stress biomarkers, hepatic injury, and other selected biomarkers in the liver and kidneys of healthy nondiabetic and streptozotocin- (STZ-) induced diabetic male Wistar rats. Materials and Methods. Rats were injected intraperitoneally with 50 mg/kg of STZ to induce diabetes. The plant extract-Hypoxis hemerocallidea (200 mg/kg or 800 mg/kg) aqueous solution was administered (daily) orally for 6 weeks. Antioxidant activities were analysed using a Multiskan Spectrum plate reader while other serum biomarkers were measured using the RANDOX chemistry analyser. Results. Both dosages (200 mg/kg and 800 mg/kg) of Hypoxis hemerocallidea significantly reduced the blood glucose levels in STZ-induced diabetic groups. Activities of liver enzymes were increased in the diabetic control and in the diabetic group treated with 800 mg/kg, whereas the 200 mg/kg dosage ameliorated hepatic injury. In the hepatic tissue, the oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), catalase, and total glutathione were reduced in the diabetic control group. However treatment with both doses improved the antioxidant status. The FRAP and the catalase activities in the kidney were elevated in the STZ-induced diabetic group treated with 800 mg/kg of the extract possibly due to compensatory responses. Conclusion. Hypoxis hemerocallidea demonstrated antihyperglycemic and antioxidant effects especially in the liver tissue.

Effects of red palm oil and rooibos on sperm motility parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats.

BACKGROUND: Diabetes mellitus characterized by hyperglycaemia could affect sperm quality as a result of increased oxidative stress. This study was performed to investigate the effects of red palm oil (RPO), aqueous rooibos tea extracts (RTE) as well as their combination (RPO + RTE) on sperm motility parameters in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Diabetes was induced by a single administration of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg) and the rats were treated with red palm oil (2 ml/day) and / or aqueous rooibos tea extract (2%) for 7 weeks. Sperm motility parameters were measured using Computer Assisted Sperm Analyzer (CASA). RESULTS: Hyperglycaemia negatively affected the sperm progressive motility significantly at p<0.05. There was a significant decrease (p<0.05) in sperm linearity (LIN) in the diabetic group when compared with the normal control group. RPO supplemented diabetic rats exhibited increased progressive sperm motility, sperm linearity (LIN) and wobble (WOB). Significant decreases (p<0.05) in straight line velocity (VSL) and average path velocity (VAP) of the sperms were observed in all the diabetic groups when compared to the control group. Significant (p<0.05) elevated levels of WOB and LIN were observed following RTE treatment and co-administration with RPO respectively. CONCLUSION: The present study suggests that red palm oil and / or rooibos administration exhibited no adverse effects on sperm motility parameters but rather showed some beneficial effects.