Nigerian Journal of Physiological Sciences最新文献

Studies have shown that ABO blood groups and demographic traits influence susceptibility to type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and can be used in combination with insulin therapy to reduce the disease's burden. However, geographical variations exist in the influence of demographic traits and ABO blood groups on susceptibility to diseases and thus require establishing it in every locality. This study determined the influence of demographic traits and ABO blood groups on the prevalence of T1DM in Lagos, Nigeria. A structured checklist was used to collect data from the health records of non-obese 150 type 1 diabetic patients at Ayobo Primary Health Center, Lagos. The results revealed that males, with 88 participants (52.7%), constituted the majority, while females had 62 (41.3%). The age group 40 years and older had the highest proportion of participants with 37 (24.7%), followed by 31-40 years with 32 (21.30%), 21-30 years with 30 (20%), 11-20 years with 27 (18%), and 1-10 years with 24 (16%). Christianity had the highest with 74 participants (49.3%), followed by Islam with 71 participants (47.3%), and traditional religion with 5 participants (3.3%). Eight (5.3%) of the participants were primary school graduates; 34 (22.7%) were secondary school graduates; and 108 (72%) were tertiary school graduates. The Yoruba ethnic group, with 77 participants (51.3%), was the most prevalent, followed by Igbo with 50 (33.3%), and Hausa with 3 (2.0%). ABO blood group A and B (positive and negative) individuals were the most diabetic and expressed the most severe cases, while group O positive and AB negative individuals were the least diabetic. T1DM prevention should be a priority for blood group A and B residents.

The oral microbiota dysbiosis, as well as lifestyle, geographical location, drug consumption, and dietary habits, are involved in the incidence and progression of dementia, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and some diseases such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, preterm birth, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, inflammatory bowel disease, and neurodegenerative disease e.g., Parkinson's Disease (PD) and Alzheimer's Disease (AD). AD is the most common cause of neurodegenerative disorder in the elderly. Also, neuroinflammation is the most common cause of AD pathogenesis. This study investigated the possible relationship between Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) and Alzheimer's Disease. This review is based on research studies indexed in Scopus, Science Direct, PubMed, and Google Scholar databases.  The oral microbiota comprised various microorganisms, such as fungi, archaea, and bacteria. Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis) is one of the microorganisms, it stimulates host immune cells and releases cytokines, lysosomal enzymes, nitric oxide, and reactive oxygen species that lead to cell damage, apoptosis, and inflammation. Therefore, periodontal disease (PerioD) through systemic inflammation leads to some problems like the progression of MCI, production and aggregation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) and tau protein in the brain of the elderly population. In addition, some treatment methods could modulate the adverse effects of P. gingivalis like probiotic dietary supplements, maintaining personal hygiene, as well as gingipain inhibitors which modulate cytokines through blocked Aβ production, ApoE proteolysis, and reduced neuroinflammation. In addition, therapeutic compounds like COR388 and COR286, as gingipain inhibitors, prevent P. gingivalis colonization in the brain and have a beneficial action in some conditions like aspiration pneumonia, low birth rate, rheumatoid arthritis, PerioD and AD.

The parasympathetic vagus nerve supplies the heart and lung. The Parasympathetic activity modifies the heart rate and force of contraction in the heart and  Airway bronchial smooth muscle constriction and hypersecretion of mucus in the lungs. There is a link between these two components. Hence this study is designed to find the association between Spectral analysis of heart rate variability and pulmonary function tests in bronchial asthma patients. In this study, 30 asthmatic patients were recruited from the respiratory medicine outpatient department and 30 healthy volunteers were included. Pulmonary function tests and heart rate variability was recorded in the physiology department. The pulmonary function parameters were found significantly reduced in the asthmatic patient and it shows obstructive lung diseases. Heart rate variability parameters were found a statistically significantly decreased mean HR, VLF ms2, and LF ms2 in the asthmatic patients when compared to controls. HF ms2 was found significantly increased in the asthmatic patient. These HF ms2 were increased to represent parasympathetic hyperactivity. This study concluded there is parasympathetic dominance in asthmatic patients. The parasympathetic activity might be one of the reasons for increases the airway bronchoconstriction and hypersecretion of mucus. There is a negative correlation was found between FEV1 value and  HF ms2. A decrease in the FEV1 value leads to an increase in HF ms2.

The contribution of prefrontal-hippocampal interactions to brain function of people infected with HIV may be aggravated by toxicities due to long-term use of antiretroviral agents. This study was designed to investigate the curative potential of Epigallotatechin gallate (EGCG) in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders as a possible consequence of antiretroviral toxicity. Twenty-four adult male Wistar rats, weighing 80~100g, were divided into four groups and treated as follows: control A (distilled water), B (HAART), C (EGCG 2.5mg/kg), D (EGCG 2.5mg/kg) + HAART) Brain histology, immunohistochemistry, and oxidative stress markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione (GSH),catalase (CAT)  and malondialdehyde (MDA) were examined. The use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) showed extensive architectural deformation with pyknotic neuronal cells and obliterated neurons in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. Expression of inflammasome cells was also evident in this group. MDA levels increased significantly with a significant reduction in the levels of GSH, as well as antioxidant enzyme (SOD and CAT) activities compared to other treatment groups. Treatment with EGCG resulted in partial neuronal restoration of histopathological alterations, and modulation of NLRP3 inflammasome in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. EGCG also showed significant improvements in terms of increased antioxidant levels of SOD, GSH, CAT and a reduced MDA level and well-preserved brain architecture. Epigallocatechin gallate improves brain morphology and function with a reversal of HAART-induced alterations.

This study was designed to investigate the phytochemical composition and protective effects of methanol extract of Parquetina nigrescens leaf (MEPL) in male Wistar rats. Phytochemical screening, in vitro antioxidant assay, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and LD50 were determined. Forty male Wistar rats were grouped into eight and orally treated for 54 days as follows: Group 1 (10% tween 80), Group 2 (3 mg/kg As2O3) Groups 3, 4 and 5 (250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg MEPL) and groups 6, 7 and 8, (250 mg/kg+As2O3, 500 mg/kg+As2O3 and 1000 mg/kg+As2O3). The animals were sacrificed on day 55 under anaesthesia. Blood was collected by cardiac puncture for heamatological studies. Liver concentrations of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine amino transferase (ALT) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities were determined spectrophotometrically. Liver histology was also assessed. Flavonoids, tannin, alkaloids, saponin, and anthraquinone were present in MEPL, also, MEPL scavenged 2,2 diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl hydrate (DPPH) and Azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid radical (ABTS+). The IC50 of MEPL required to chelate metal was also low. The GC-MS revealed the presence of 24 essential oil. The LD50 was > 5000 mg/kg. Packed cell volume and red blood cell count were significantly reduced in 1000 mg/kg MEPL group, white blood cell count and SOD activity reduced (P<0.05) in 3 mg/kg As2O3 when compared with control but increased in groups co-treated with As2O3 and 250, 500 or 1000 mg/kg + As2O3. MDA concentration, AST, ALT and ALP activities increased significantly in 3 mg/kg As2O3 group but decreased (P<0.05) in groups co-treated with As2O3 and 250, 500 or 1000 mg/kg. The methanol extract of Parquetina nigrescens leaf in male Wistar rats has antioxidant, hepatoprotective and white blood cell protective effects.

L-DOPA, the gold standard for managing Parkinson's disease (PD) is fraught by motor fluctuations termed L-Dopa-Induced Dyskinesia (LID). LID has very few therapeutic options. Hence, the need for preclinical screening of new interventions. Cholecalciferol (VD3) treatment reportedly improves motor deficit in experimental Parkinsonism. Therefore, the novel anti-dyskinetic effect of VD3 and its underlying mechanisms in LID was investigated. Dyskinesia was induced by chronic L-DOPA administration in parkinsonian (6-OHDA- lesioned) mice. The experimental groups: Control, Dyskinesia, Dyskinesia/VD3, and Dyskinesia/Amantadine were challenged with L-DOPA to determine the abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) score during 14 days of VD3 (30 mg/kg) or Amantadine (40 mg/kg) treatment. Behavioral Axial, Limb & Orolingual (ALO) AIMs were scored for 1 min at every 20 mins interval, over a duration of 100 mins on days 1,3,7,11 and 14. Using western blot, striatum was assessed for expression of dopamine metabolic enzymes: Tyrosine Hydroxylase (TH) and Monoamine Oxidase-B (MAO-B); CD11b, BAX, P47phox, and IL-1β. Cholecalciferol significantly attenuated AIMs only on days 11 & 14 with maximal reduction of 32.7%. Expression of TH and MAO-B was not altered in VD3 compared with dyskinetic mice. VD3 significantly inhibited oxidative stress (P47phox), apoptosis (BAX), inflammation (IL-1β) and microglial activation (CD11b). VD3 showed anti-dyskinetic effects behaviorally by attenuating abnormal involuntary movements, modulation of striatal oxidative stress, microglial responses, inflammation, and apoptotic signaling; without affecting dopamine metabolic enzymes. Its use in the management of dyskinesia is promising. More studies are required to further evaluate these findings. Keywords: Cholecalciferol; L-DOPA-Induced Dyskinesia; Parkinson's Disease; Microglial; Oxidative stress; Inflammation.

Structure and function go hand in hand for program success. For the training of pharmacologists, this is also true. A component of structure is academic staff strength. We wanted to know the total academic staff strength of programs and departments in American universities that run training programs in pharmacology at post graduate level in order to inform development in Nigerian and other African academia. Through departmental and program webpages, we mined data on academic staff of departments running graduate programs leading to PhD Pharmacology in the USA. All the data were mined within 96 hours of starting the investigation in 2016 and again in 2021 and were studied using descriptive statistics. There were a total of 25 such programs listed by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) website. From the descriptive statistics, the programs were not identical and varied in their staff compositions by numbers. A total of 1,993 academic staff members in 2016 and 2,042 academic staff members in 2021 were serving the 25 graduate pharmacology programs collectively.  Notably more than 25% and less than 50% of the three categories of professorial cadre were non-pharmacology PhD holders. From the composite data of 2016 and 2021, mean staff per program were: 23 professors, 13 associate professors, and 15 assistant professors per program with 2 each of adjunct staff in the categories of professor, associate professors, and assistant professor.  Also composite average per program were 5 joint staff, 3 postdoctoral fellows, 4 emeritus professors, and 11 various researchers. A pattern of top heavy majority of professors was derived from both the 2016 and 2021 investigations. Post docs, miscellaneous researchers, joint staff, and emeritus professors formed a dynamic pool. In totality, staffing of the 25 graduate pharmacology programs in the USA in 2016 and in 2021 were top - heavy experience and expert laden with the professorial cadre, diversified, and depicted dynamism during COVID-19 pandemic. KEY WORDS: academic staff, staff strength, USA universities, Nigerian universities, pharmacology, PhD program.