Jobelyn suppresses hippocampal neuronal apoptosis and necrosis in experimental alcohol-induced brain stress.

Neurodegeneration in the hippocampus is a consequence of alcohol abuse which compromises the survival of the CNS tissue and its self-renewal capacity. So far, conventional drugs have not been clinically satisfactory in ameliorating neurodegeneration, therefore there has been a surge towards exploring the potentials of nutraceuticals since they mediate their action in a multi-mechanism fashion and may have high therapeutic potentials in CNS diseases. This study, therefore, evaluated the effect of Jobelyn® supplementation in ethanol-induced neurodegeneration of the hippocampus. Adult male rats received a regimen of ethanol or ethanol plus Jobelyn®, three times daily over four days. Histological results show that Jobelyn® supplementation significantly lowered neurodegeneration in the dentate gyrus, CA1 and CA3 areas. Furthermore, IHC studies show that Jobelyn® triggered an increased expression of p53 proteins in neurons of areas CA1 and CA3, with a reduction of p53 expression in the DG and also caused reduced expression of ɤ-enolase protein in these regions. These findings suggest that Jobelyn® may be able to help to maintain neuronal survival via control of tumor antigen p53 and ɤ-enolase regulated apoptotic and necrotic processes.

Excruciating effect of formaldehyde exposure to students in gross anatomy dissection laboratory.

BACKGROUND: Formaldehyde is extensively used for preservation of cadavers in departments of anatomy. However, it is a noxious chemical which may cause serious health problems. OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of exposure of medical students to formaldehyde at the Department of Anatomy, Niger Delta University, Nigeria. METHODS: In a questionnaire-based study, 93 second-year medical students were surveyed at the Department of Human Anatomy, Niger Delta University, Nigeria. The average duration of exposure for each student in the dissection hall was 6 hr/wk. Participants with history of cough, respiratory or skin diseases were excluded from the study. RESULTS: Out of 93 questionnaires distributed, 75 were completed and returned (response rate: 81%). Of 75 students, 58 (77%) were strongly affected by unpleasant smell of formaldehyde. It was followed by "runny or congested nose" and "redness of the eyes." "Skin-related diseases" was identified as the least ranked effect of formaldehyde. CONCLUSION: Due to the numerous health challenges that formaldehyde causes to students in the gross anatomy dissection laboratories, it cannot be considered as a suitable chemical for embalmment of cadaver for dissection.

Palmar and digital dermatoglyphic patterns in the Ndokwas of Delta State, Nigeria.

We determined asymmetry, complexity and pattern polarization of dermal ridges and palmar variables of atd angle, a - b ridge count and total finger ridge count of dermal ridges among the Ndokwa people of Nigeria. 400 healthy students who are Ndokwas were studied. Ink prints of their fingers and palms were obtained. Counting and classifying of Palmar and digital ridge pattern configurations of arches, loops and whorls was based on standard techniques. Ulnar loops polarized preferentially to digits III, IV and V and radial loops to digit II. Female subjects had higher counts of radial loops (p < 0.001) than the males. Male subjects had a higher whorl count than the females (p < 0.05). Our findings form useful baseline data for subsequent longitudinal cytogenetic studies on the Ndokwa people.

Estudios en los efectos de fijadores en la capacidad de tinción de los extractos de morinda lucida en secciones de tejidos / Studies on the effects of fixatives on the staining ability of morinda lucida extracts on tissue sections

The objective of the study was to determine the best fixative for tissue sections, which were to be stained with the dye extracts oí Morinda lucida, a stain for collagen fibres and muscle fibres. The effects of 10 percent formalin saline, Carnoy's fluid, Zenker's fluid, Helly's fluid and Bouin's fluid on the staining ability of the dye extracted from Morinda lucida on tissue sections were studied. Human tissues were fixed in the afore mentioned fixatives and the sections stained with acidified alcoholic solution of Morinda lucida extract. No visible difference in the staining reactions was observed when the stained slides from the different fixatives were compared. The colour, staining time and staining intensity were the same in all the sections studied.

El objetivo del estudio fue determinar el mejor fijador para secciones de tejidos, los cuales fueron teñidos con el extracto de Morinda lucida, una tinción para fibras colágenas y musculares. Fueron estudiados los efectos de formalina salina al 10 por ciento, líquido de Carnoy, líquido de Zenker, líquido de Helly y líquido de Bouin en la capacidad de tinción de los extractos de Morinda lucida sobre los tejidos. Fueron fijados tejidos humanos en los fijadores antes mencionados y las secciones teñidas con solución alcohólica acidificada de extracto de Morinda lucida. No se observaron diferencias visibles en las tinciones cuando fueron comparadas con los diferentes fijadores. El color, tiempo de tinción e intensidad de tinción fueron iguales en todas las secciones estudiadas.

Curcuma longa extract as a histological dye for collagen fibres and red blood cells.

Crude ethanolic extract and column chromatographic fractions of the Allepey cultivar of Curcuma longa Roxb, commonly called turmeric (tumeric) in commerce, were used as a stain for tissue sections. Staining was carried out under basic, acidic and neutral media conditions. Inorganic and organic dissolution solvents were used. The stain was used as a counterstain after alum and iron haematoxylins. C. longa stained collagen fibres, cytoplasm, red blood cells and muscle cells yellow. It also stained in a fashion similar to eosin, except for its intense yellow colour. Preliminary phytochemical evaluation of the active column fraction revealed that it contained flavonoids, free anthraquinone and deoxy sugar. A cheap, natural dye can thus be obtained from C. longa.

Reduction of hippocampal CA 1 neurons in Wistar rats following the administration of phenytoin for seven days.

This study evaluated the neurotoxic effect of parenteral Phenytoin on the Cornu Ammonis 1 (CA 1) region of the Hippocampus in Wistar rats.Twenty wistar rats were randomized into two groups of ten animals each with the experimental group receiving intraperitoneal Phenytoin at a dose of 25 mg/kg body weight per day for seven days while the control group had sham injection of normal saline at equivalent volume for the same period. Hippocampal sections were processed for histology using routine paraffin sectioning followed by Heamatoxylin and Eosin staining. There was a statistically significant reduction in the mean body weight of the experimental group compared to the control group. The cell density in the stratum pyramidale (per 0.11 mm2 area of the CA 1 region of the Hippocampus) was reduced in the experimental group when compared to the control group. (P<0.05). The mean brain weight in both groups did not differ significantly. Our findings reveal that the administration of parenteral phenytoin at a dose of 25mg/kg body weight per day for seven days in Wistar rats resulted in reduction of the cell density in the stratum pyramidale of the CA 1 subfield of the Hippocampus in Wistar rats and a reduction in the mean body weight.

Neuroprotective effect of dexamethasone on the morphology of the Irradiated post natal developing cerebellum of wistar rat (Rattus norvegicus)

RESUMEN: Se estudió el efecto neuroprotector de la dexametasona, sobre el cerebelo post-natal en desarrollo irradiado de ratas Wistar. 75 neonatos de 1 día de edad fueron separados en 3 grupos; el grupo control no recibió ni drogas ni irradiación, un grupo irradiado y el otro irradiado con aplicación de dexametasona. Esta droga fue administrada una hora antes de la exposición de 5Gray (5Gy) de rayos gamma. El tejido cerebelar de cada grupo con 5, 9, 14, 21 y 25 días fueron procesados para estudios histológicos e histomorfométricos. El resultado del estudio demostró que la sola irradiación redujo significativamente el grosor de la capa granular externa, en los grupos con 5 y 14 día,s con un p0,05; la capa molecular en los ejemplares de 5, 9, 14 y 21 días con un p0,05 y la capa granular en las ratas de 5,9,14 y 25 días, con un p0,05. Cuando se combinó la dexametasona con irradiación, se observó un grosor significativamente diferente en la capa granular externa, en especímenes con 5, 9 y 14 días; en la capa molecular en los animales de 5, 14 y 21 días y en la capa granular en los que tenían 5 y 14 días, al compararlos con el grupo irradiado, con un p>0,05. El diámetro de las células de Purkinje (capa de Purkinje) aunque fue significativamente reducido en el grupo irradiado de 14 y 21 días, no fue significativamente diferente cuandos se administró dexametasona a los animales irradiados de 5, 9, 14, 21 y 25 días con un p0,05. Histológicamente, las células de la capa molecular, en el grupo irradiado de 9 y 14 días, fueron marcadamente gliosadas comparadas con las medianamente marcadas en los grupos control e irradiados-dexametasona. Hubo distorsión de la monocapa de Purkinje, con algunas células encontradas en la capa molecular o en la capa de Purkinje, en el grupo irradiado de 5, 9, 14 y 25 días. De los resultados de este estudio, se puede afirmar que la administración de 0,005 ml de dexametasona intraperitonealmente, una hora antes de una exposición a una irradiación, parece proteger el desarrollo del cerebelo de la rata, de lesiones producidas por irradiación.

Collagen and muscle stain obtained from Sorghum bicolor.

Crude ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Sorghum bicolor L. Moench were used as stains for tissue sections. The alkaline mixtures did not stain any of the tissues used but the acidic and neutral alcoholic mixtures stained collagen fibres, muscles and red blood cells in shades of pinkish-yellow. Good contrast was obtained when nuclei were pre-stained with Weigert's haematoxylin. The ethanolic extract of S. bicolor was run through a column using silica gel (60-120 mesh) as the stationary phase and various dilutions of hexane, chloroform and ethanol as the mobile phase. Eight major fractions monitored with thin-layer chromatography were obtained but the staining compound was contained in the reddish-brown compound. Re-chromatography of this fraction showed a pure dye, which was used as a stain and subsequently eluted from the sections. Phytochemical screening of the eluted compound revealed that this is a flavonoid, previously described as apigeninidin, (3-deoxypelargonidin).