Suicidal behaviour among patients with congestive cardiac failure in a Nigerian teaching hospital.

Background: Suicidal behaviour is an established psychiatric complication of congestive cardiac failure (CCF), contributing significantly to morbidity and death by suicide. The magnitude and risk factors for suicidal behaviour among patients with CCF are yet to be unpacked, especially in developing nations such as Nigeria. Aim: To determine the prevalence of suicidal behaviour and the risk factors associated with suicidal behaviour, among patients with CCF in Nigeria. Setting: Cardiology outpatient clinic of Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 98 randomly selected patients with a diagnosis of CCF. Participants were assessed with a socio-demographic and clinical factors questionnaire and Beck Scale of Suicidal Ideation. Chi-square test, t-test and logistic regression were used to analyse data. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicidal attempt among patients with CCF was 52% and 1%, respectively. No socio-demographic factor was significantly associated with suicidal ideation. Clinical factors associated with suicidal ideation were age at diagnosis (p = 0.042), aetiology of CCF (p = 0.001) and severity of CCF (p = 0.032). Only the severity of CCF (odds ratio [OR] = 20.557, p = 0.014) predicted suicidal ideation among patients with CCF. Conclusion: Suicidal behaviour constitutes a huge burden among the outpatient CCF population. The identification of clinical risk factors for suicidal ideation (age at diagnosis, aetiology and severity of CCF) further illuminates a pathway to mortality among patients with CCF. Contribution: The findings lend a voice to the need for screening for suicidal behaviour, suicide prevention programmes, surveillance systems and government policies that support mental health for patients with CCF.

African Suid Genomes Provide Insights into the Local Adaptation to Diverse African Environments.

African wild suids consist of several endemic species that represent ancient members of the family Suidae and have colonized diverse habitats on the African continent. However, limited genomic resources for African wild suids hinder our understanding of their evolution and genetic diversity. In this study, we assembled high-quality genomes of a common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus), a red river hog (Potamochoerus porcus), as well as an East Asian Diannan small-ear pig (Sus scrofa). Phylogenetic analysis showed that common warthog and red river hog diverged from their common ancestor around the Miocene/Pliocene boundary, putatively predating their entry into Africa. We detected species-specific selective signals associated with sensory perception and interferon signaling pathways in common warthog and red river hog, respectively, which contributed to their local adaptation to savannah and tropical rainforest environments, respectively. The structural variation and evolving signals in genes involved in T-cell immunity, viral infection, and lymphoid development were identified in their ancestral lineage. Our results provide new insights into the evolutionary histories and divergent genetic adaptations of African suids.

Neurotoxic and behavioral deficit in Drosophila melanogaster co-exposed to rotenone and iron.

Exposure to environmental toxicants has been linked with the onset of different neurodegenerative diseases in animals and humans. Here, we evaluated the toxic effects of co-exposure to iron and rotenone at low concentrations in Drosophila melanogaster. Adult wild-type flies were orally exposed to rotenone (50.0 µM) and ferrous sulfate (FeSO4; 1.0 and 10.0 µM) through the diet for 10 days. Thereafter, we evaluated markers of oxidative damage (Hydrogen Peroxide (H2O2), Nitric Oxide (NO), Protein Carbonyl, and malondialdehyde (MDA)), antioxidant status (catalase, Glutathione S-Transferase (GST), Total Thiol (T-SH) and Non-protein Thiol (NPSH), neurotransmission (monoamine oxidase; MAO and acetylcholinesterase, AChE) and mitochondrial respiration. The results indicated that flies fed rotenone and FeSO4 had impaired locomotion, reduced survival rate, and AChE activity with a corresponding increase in MAO activity when compared with the control (p < 0.05). Furthermore, rotenone and FeSO4 significantly decreased the antioxidant status with a concurrent accumulation of NO, MDA, and H2O2. Additionally, the activity of complex 1 and mitochondria bioenergetic capacity was compromised in the flies. These findings suggest that the combination of rotenone and FeSO4 elicited a possible synergistic toxic response in the flies and therefore provided further insights on the use of D. melanogaster in toxicological studies.

Evaluation of the utilisation of energy and phosphorus in field peas fed to broiler chickens.

1. The regression method was used to estimate the utilisation of energy (Experiment 1) and phosphorus (Experiments 2 and 3) in two field peas (FP) cultivars fed to broiler chickens.2. On d 17 post hatching, 240 birds were assigned to one of five experimental diets in a randomised complete block design with body weight (BW) as a blocking factor in Experiment 1. Whereas, 192 birds were allotted to one of three experimental diets on d 19 post-hatching in Experiments 2 and 3. There were eight replicate cages per diet, with six birds per cage in Experiment 1 and eight birds per cage in Experiments 2 and 3.3. Field pea cultivars Hampton (FPH) or 4010 (FP4) was incorporated at either 150 or 300 g/kg into a maize-soybean meal-based reference diet in Experiment 1. Using semi-purified diets, FPH was included at 200, 400, or 600 g/kg in Experiment 2, whereas FP4 was included at 215, 430 or 645 g/kg in Experiment 3.4. In Experiment 1 a linear decrease (P < 0.01) was observed in metabolisable energy (ME) and nitrogen-corrected ME (MEn) with inclusion of FPH in the diets, whereas both linear and quadratic effects (P < 0.05) were observed with inclusion of FP4. The regression-determined ileal digestible energy, ME and MEn were 13.70, 12.69 and 11.93 MJ/kg DM in FPH and 12.63, 13.20 and 12.52 MJ/kg DM in FP4, respectively. The ileal digestible and retainable P intakes were linearly increased (P < 0.01) with higher inclusion of FPH and FP4 in Experiments 2 and 3, respectively. The respective true ileal digestibility and true total tract utilisation of P in FPH were 74.6% and 68.3% and for FP4 were 74.3% and 61.7%, respectively. In conclusion, the estimated energy and P utilisation values could be used in diet formulations.

Metabolomics and cytokine profiling of mesenchymal stromal cells identify markers predictive of T-cell suppression.

BACKGROUND AIMS: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have shown great promise in the field of regenerative medicine, as many studies have shown that MSCs possess immunomodulatory function. Despite this promise, no MSC therapies have been licensed by the Food and Drug Administration. This lack of successful clinical translation is due in part to MSC heterogeneity and a lack of critical quality attributes. Although MSC indoleamine 2,3-dioxygnease (IDO) activity has been shown to correlate with MSC function, multiple predictive markers may be needed to better predict MSC function. METHODS: Three MSC lines (two bone marrow-derived, one induced pluripotent stem cell-derived) were expanded to three passages. At the time of harvest for each passage, cell pellets were collected for nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and ultra-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (MS), and media were collected for cytokine profiling. Harvested cells were also cryopreserved for assessing function using T-cell proliferation and IDO activity assays. Linear regression was performed on functional data against NMR, MS and cytokines to reduce the number of important features, and partial least squares regression (PLSR) was used to obtain predictive markers of T-cell suppression based on variable importance in projection scores. RESULTS: Significant functional heterogeneity (in terms of T-cell suppression and IDO activity) was observed between the three MSC lines, as were donor-dependent differences based on passage. Omics characterization revealed distinct differences between cell lines using principal component analysis. Cell lines separated along principal component one based on tissue source (bone marrow-derived versus induced pluripotent stem cell-derived) for NMR, MS and cytokine profiles. PLSR modeling of important features predicted MSC functional capacity with NMR (R2 = 0.86), MS (R2 = 0.83), cytokines (R2 = 0.70) and a combination of all features (R2 = 0.88). CONCLUSIONS: The work described here provides a platform for identifying markers for predicting MSC functional capacity using PLSR modeling that could be used as release criteria and guide future manufacturing strategies for MSCs and other cell therapies.

Sub-specialization among Nigerian ophthalmologists: status, disposition and barriers.

PURPOSE: To determine the status of sub-specialization among Nigerian ophthalmologists as well as their dispositions and barriers against sub-specialization with a view to providing valuable information for the purpose of human resources for eye care planning thereby providing useful insight into the future of ophthalmic practice in Nigeria. METHODS: This was a web-based, cross-sectional study conducted among ophthalmologists in Nigeria. An online questionnaire was distributed through e-mails using Qualtrics software (Qualtrics, Provo, UT, USA). Information concerning socio-demographic characteristics, type of practice, location of practice, years of practice, status and disposition to sub-specialization as well as barriers to sub-specialization were obtained through the questionnaire. RESULTS: Two hundred and four Nigerian ophthalmologists participated in the study out of which 118 (57.8%) were females. One hundred and ten (54.0%) respondents had undergone sub-specialty training. The sub-specialties with the highest number of patronage was Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (14.2%). Respondents who had practised for more than 7 years were three times more likely to have undergone sub-specialty training compared to respondents who had practised for 7 years and below [odds ratio (OR) = 3.01, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.33-6.83, p = 0.01]. The main barriers to the availability and uptake of sub-specialty services as well as the challenges of sub-specialty services at the centres with established sub-specialty practice were non-availability/inadequate trained specialist and inadequate equipment. CONCLUSION: Nigerian ophthalmologists are well disposed to sub-specialization although the extent of sub-specialization among them was a little above average. The main barriers to the availability and uptake of sub-specialty services as well as the challenges of sub-specialty services at the centres with established sub-specialty practice in this study were non-availability/inadequate trained specialist and inadequate equipment.

Additivity of apparent and standardised ileal digestibility of phosphorus in corn and canola meal mixed diets; basal endogenous loss of phosphorus responses to phytase and age in broiler chickens.

1. The additivity of apparent ileal digestibility (AID) and standardised ileal digestibility (SID) of phosphorus (P) in mixed diets containing corn and canola meal (CCM) with or without phytase supplementation and the impact of age on the basal ileal endogenous loss (BEL) of P were investigated in broiler chickens.2. Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 3 × 2 factorial with two ages (13 d or 21 d post hatching), three diets (corn, canola meal, or CCM), and two phytase levels (0 or 1,000 FYT/kg diet) in a randomised complete block design. There were eight or six birds per cage at 13 d and 21 d of age, respectively, and six replicate cages per treatment, with a total of 588 birds. A P-free diet (PFD) treatment was included at each age to determine the basal endogenous loss (BEL) of P.3. Birds were fed a commercial starter diet from d 1 to d 10 or d 18 and then fed the experimental diets for 3 d until d 13 or d 21, respectively. Predicted digestibility values calculated from the individual feed ingredients were used to test additivity in the mixed diets. Chromium oxide was included in diets as an indigestible marker.4. The ileal digesta, collected from birds at d 13 or d 21, was used to determine nutrient digestibility.5. The AID and SID of P at d 13 was higher (P < 0.01) when compared with older birds at d 21, regardless of dietary phytase supplementation. Regardless of age or phytase supplementation, AID and SID of P were additive, as there were no differences between predicted and determined values in the mixed diets. The BEL of P (g/kg DM intake) in birds at d 13 was higher (P < 0.05) than birds at d 21 (0.197 vs. 0.159).6. In conclusion, age had an impact on the BEL of P and the utilisation of minerals in the diets. The apparent and standardised ileal digestibility of P in the mixed diet containing corn and canola meal were additive, regardless of age or phytase supplementation.

Energy value of dry fat and stabilised rice bran for broiler chickens.

1. The ileal digestible energy (IDE), metabolisable energy (ME) and nitrogen-corrected ME (MEn) of dry fat (DF) and stabilised rice bran (SRB) were determined in two experiments with broiler chickens using the regression method.2. Chickens were fed a common broiler starter diet from d 0 to 17 and experimental diets from d 17 to 22 post hatching. Three diets were prepared; a maize-soybean meal reference diet (RD) and two test diets containing either DF at 50 or 100 g/kg replacement (Experiment 1) or SRB at 100 or 200 g/kg replacement (Experiment 2) of the energy-contributing ingredients in the RD. In each experiment, 192 chickens were randomly allocated to one of three dietary treatments in a randomised complete block design, comprising eight replicate cages with eight birds per cage.3. In Experiment 1, the IDE, ME and MEn linearly increased (P < 0.001) with increasing DF concentrations, while in Experiment 2, the IDE, ME and MEn of the diets were not affected by dietary supplemental SRB. The regression-derived IDE concentration for DF and SRB were 25.30 and 14.88 MJ/kg DM, respectively. The respective ME and MEn estimates (MJ/kg DM) were 25.32 and 24.78 for DF; 14.38 and 13.36 for SRB.4. In conclusion, the current data showed that broiler chickens utilised between 77% and 79% and 68% to 76% of the gross energy (GE) in DF and SRB, respectively, and this suggested a strong potential for these ingredients as dietary energy sources for broiler chickens.

Methyl palmitate reversed estradiol benzoate-induced endometrial hyperplasia in female rats.

Early detection and treatment of endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is mandatory for endometrial cancer prevention. Several bioactive agents of plant origin have been shown to elicit their chemotherapeutic effect against tumors and cancer via induction of mitochondrial permeability transition(mPT) pore opening. This research was therefore aimed at evaluating the potential chemopreventive effect of methyl palmitate (MP), on estradiol benzoate(EB)-induced EH, looking at the mitochondrial-mediated pathway and other possible mechanisms of action. Mitochondria were isolated using differential centrifugation. The mPT pore, mitochondrial ATPase (mATPase) activity, lipid peroxidation and cytochrome c release were determined by standard methods using spectrophotometer. Uterine interleukin 1b, MDA levels and SOD, GSH activities, were determined using commercially available kits. The uterine histological and immunohistochemical assessment of estrogen receptor (ERα), IL-1b and caspas-3 were carried out. The fibroblast cell count density was determined using histomorphometry. At all the concentrations of MP used, there was no significant induction of mPT pore opening, neither any enhancement of mATPase activity nor release of cytochrome c when compared to the control. Similar pattern of results were recorded for the in vivo study. However, there was marked increase in the uterine MDA and interleukin 1b levels, with concurrent decrease in SOD and GSH activities, in the EB-treated group, which was significantly reversed by MP co-administration. Endometrial Hyperplasia observed in the EB-treated group was ameliorated by MP co-administration. The immunoexpression of ERα and IL-1b in the EB-treated group was reversed by MP co-administration. This study suggests anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anti-proliferative potential of MP against EB-induced EH.

Case series of retinopathy of prematurity blindness in Nigeria: A wakeup call to policy makers, hospitals, ophthalmologists and paediatricians.

BACKGROUND STATEMENT: Inadequate retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening coverage portends a high risk for increasing the cases of ROP blindness. This study aims to report the clinical profile of pre-term babies who developed ROP blindness, highlight the usefulness in determining screening criteria and the role of private hospitals in ROP blindness prevention. CASE SERIES REPORT: Online Google form and telephone survey was conducted from May to December 2020 among paediatric ophthalmologists who provided the clinical details of ROP blind children seen between 2016 and 2020. The main outcome measured included type of the hospital of birth, gestational age, birth weight, ROP Screening and treatment, and blinding ROP Stage among children born premature. The SPSS-IBM version 26 was used for the analysis. Eighteen children blind from ROP with an equal male-to-female ratio were reported. Mean gestational age was 28.4 ± 2.2 weeks (range 26 - 34 weeks, median was 28.0 weeks). Mean birth weight was 1173.7 ± 317.9 grams (range 776 - 2100 grams, median 1125 grams). Six (33.3%) babies were born in private hospitals between 28 and 32 weeks. Sixteen (88.9%) children never had ROP screening. Fifteen (83.3%) were blind in both eyes. Six (33.3%) had Stage IVb and 12 (66.7%) Stage V. CONCLUSION: About 90% of the babies who became blind did not undergo ROP screening. It is crucial that all babies born at 34 weeks or earlier and have birth weight of < 1500 grams in public/private hospitals be screened for ROP to prevent this avoidable blindness in Nigeria.

ß-Catenin and Yes-Associated Protein 1 Cooperate in Hepatoblastoma Pathogenesis.

Hepatoblastoma (HB), the most common pediatric primary liver neoplasm, shows nuclear localization of ß-catenin and yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) in almost 80% of the cases. Co-expression of constitutively active S127A-YAP1 and ΔN90 deletion-mutant ß-catenin (YAP1-ΔN90-ß-catenin) causes HB in mice. Because heterogeneity in downstream signaling is being identified owing to mutational differences even in the ß-catenin gene alone, we investigated if co-expression of point mutants of ß-catenin (S33Y or S45Y) with S127A-YAP1 led to similar tumors as YAP1-ΔN90-ß-catenin. Co-expression of S33Y/S45Y-ß-catenin and S127A-YAP1 led to activation of Yap and Wnt signaling and development of HB, with 100% mortality by 13 to 14 weeks. Co-expression with YAP1-S45Y/S33Y-ß-catenin of the dominant-negative T-cell factor 4 or dominant-negative transcriptional enhanced associate domain 2, the respective surrogate transcription factors, prevented HB development. Although histologically similar, HB in YAP1-S45Y/S33Y-ß-catenin, unlike YAP1-ΔN90-ß-catenin HB, was glutamine synthetase (GS) positive. However, both ΔN90-ß-catenin and point-mutant ß-catenin comparably induced GS-luciferase reporter in vitro. Finally, using a previously reported 16-gene signature, it was shown that YAP1-ΔN90-ß-catenin HB tumors exhibited genetic similarities with more proliferative, less differentiated, GS-negative HB patient tumors, whereas YAP1-S33Y/S45Y-ß-catenin HB exhibited heterogeneity and clustered with both well-differentiated GS-positive and proliferative GS-negative patient tumors. Thus, we demonstrate that ß-catenin point mutants can also collaborate with YAP1 in HB development, albeit with a distinct molecular profile from the deletion mutant, which may have implications in both biology and therapy.

Correlation between clinical and cytological parameters of dry eye among diabetics in a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

PURPOSE: To correlate the clinico-cytological features of dry eye among diabetic patients attending Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, comparative study among 104 diabetic and 104 age-/sex-matched non-diabetic participants. Demographics were obtained using interviewer-administered questionnaire. Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) questionnaire was used for subjective assessment of dry eye. All participants underwent ocular examination and dry eye assessment including Schirmer I test, tear film break-up time (TBUT) and ocular surface staining. In addition, conjunctival impression cytology (CIC) samples were taken for histological assessment. Data were analysed using IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY USA). RESULTS: The mean age was 58.5 ± 10.05 years and 58.32 ± 10.48 years among the diabetics and non-diabetics, respectively (p = 0.856). The male/female ratio was 1:1.4. Three hundred and ninety-seven (199 diabetic and 198 non-diabetic) eyes were assessed. Diabetics had a significantly higher median OSDI score and ocular surface staining grade compared to non-diabetics (p = 0.002 and 0.005, respectively). The TBUT was slightly lower, while the Schirmer test was slightly higher among the diabetics, but not significant (p = 0.058 and 0.033, respectively). The diabetics had a significantly higher CIC grade (p < 0.001). There was a moderate positive correlation between conjunctival cytology and ocular surface staining (r = 0.50, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates worse ocular surface damage among diabetics characterised by ocular surface staining and abnormal CIC. Furthermore, it shows a positive correlation between ocular surface staining and CIC. Dry eye assessment should be incorporated in routine diabetic eye screening.

Is primary open-angle glaucoma a risk factor for diabetic retinopathy?

PURPOSE: To compare the prevalences of diabetic retinopathy in diabetes mellitus patients, with and without primary open-angle glaucoma, with a view to determine if glaucoma is a risk factor for the development of diabetic retinopathy. METHODS: Cross-sectional, comparative study consisting of 86 diabetic patients with glaucoma matched with 86 diabetic patients without glaucoma. The two groups were matched by age, sex and duration of diabetes mellitus. Demographic data were obtained via patient medical records and self-administered questionnaires. Participants underwent a standardized examination protocol including blood pressure measurement and ocular examination. Main outcome measure was the presence of diabetic retinopathy. RESULTS: Two hundred and ninety-two eyes (144 glaucomatous eyes and 148 non-glaucomatous eyes) of 172 participants with diabetes mellitus were assessed. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy among 86 participants with glaucoma comorbidity was 23.6%, while the prevalence among 86 non-glaucomatous participants was 33.8% (p = 0.06). After the regression analysis, controlling for systemic and ocular risk factors for diabetic retinopathy, the odds of developing diabetic retinopathy were significantly higher in the glaucomatous eyes compared with eyes without glaucoma (OR: 2.75; p = 0.03; 95% CI: 1.10-6.87). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that glaucomatous diabetic eyes were almost three times more likely to develop diabetic retinopathy compared to non-glaucomatous diabetic eyes. Prospective studies may be required to establish a risk-cause relationship. Ocular perfusion pressure control should be considered in patients with diabetes mellitus and glaucoma.

Impact of dietary chitosan oligosaccharide and its effects on coccidia challenge in broiler chickens.

1. Two experiments were conducted, the first to determine the optimum inclusion of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) in broiler diets to support growth performance, digestive functions, intestinal morphology, and immune organs. The second experiment evaluated the immune-protective properties of COS on broiler chickens during coccidia challenge (CC).2. Experiment 1 investigated the effect of graded dietary concentration of COS in the diets of broiler chickens using eight cage replicates for each of the six diets. A corn-soybean meal-based diet was used as the basal diet and supplemented with 0.0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0, or 2.5 g of COS/kg feed to form the six treatments.3. The diet supplemented with 1.0 g COS/kg of feed provided the optimal inclusion level for broiler chickens regarding body weight (BW) gain, jejunal villus height, villus height to crypt depth ratio, and ileal energy digestibility at d 22 of age.4. Experiment 2 investigated the immune-protective properties of COS in broiler chickens during CC. A total of 224 male broiler chicks were randomly assigned to eight replicate cages in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement of treatments with two COS concentrations (0 or 1 g of COS/kg of diet), with or without CC.5. On d 18 of age, birds in the CC group received twice the recommended coccidia vaccine dose of 30 doses/kg BW.6. Coccidia challenge reduced (P < 0.05) and dietary COS increased (P < 0.05) BW gain, and feed intake. Dietary COS mitigated (P < 0.05) the CC-induced effects on gain:feed. Dietary COS supplementation attenuated the CC-induced effects (P < 0.05) on the expression of occludin genes.7. In conclusion, dietary COS improved performance, and the immune-related beneficial impact of COS supplementation was associated with reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine genes.

Ocular manifestations of leukaemia: A teaching hospital experience.

BACKGROUND: Knowledge of the ophthalmic manifestations of leukaemia is important not only because of the frequency with which changes are seen but because the eye often reflects the disease state of the illness, and once identified, prompt referral, early treatment can be instigated, blindness can be averted and a life may be saved. These manifestations are often overlooked because of the underestimation of the magnitude of the ocular sequelae which may be blinding. AIM: This study aims to describe the ophthalmic findings in adult leukaemic patients at two teaching hospitals in Lagos, Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This was a clinic-based, comparison multicentre study conducted at Lagos University Teaching Hospital and Lagos State University Teaching Hospital over a 9-month period of May 2012-January 2013. The cases were newly diagnosed leukaemic patients (acute and chronic) from the haematology clinics. Controls were escorts of apparently normal patients. Detailed ocular examination was carried out after written informed consent was obtained. Analysis was done using SPSS 17. RESULTS: A total of 160 eyes in 80 individuals examined comprised forty cases and forty controls. The results of the cases were compared with the age- and sex-matched controls. Leukaemic-related ophthalmic manifestations were present in 56 eyes (70.0%) of the cases studied. Findings in cases were periorbital oedema in 8 eyes (10%), subconjunctival haemorrhage in four eyes (5%), intraretinal haemorrhage as found in 25 eyes (31.3%), retinal venous tortuosity in 21 eyes (26.3%), Roth spots in 19 eyes (23.8%) and retinal infiltrates in 17 eyes (21.3%). CONCLUSION: Ophthalmic disorders occur in adult patients living with leukaemia. Prompt initial and periodic ophthalmic evaluation is recommended in all leukaemic patients.

Drug treatment presentations at a treatment centre in southern Nigeria (2015-2018): Findings and implications for policy and practice.

INTRODUCTION: Recent evidence suggests that rates of drug use and abuse in Nigeria exceed the global average. There is a strong treatment demand for psychoactive drug use disorders in Nigeria; however, it is not known whether available treatment facilities are attending to the array of treatment needs. This audit compares the pattern of presentations at a tertiary facility with a community-based survey. METHODS: A review of cases (n = 212) seen at a regional drug treatment facility over a 4-year period, using local data retrieved from the Nigerian Epidemiological Network of Drug Use (NENDU) and comparison with data from the recently published national drug use survey. RESULTS: Nine out of ten clients seen were male (93.4%). About half (49.5%) of the clients used psychoactive substances for the first time between ages 10 and 19 years. Cannabis was the primary drug of use overall and also among males, while females were more likely to present with opiate abuse. Over half had a co-occurring physical or mental disorder, and a minority had received testing for hepatitis C in the past 12 months. CONCLUSION: Although patterns of drug abuse presentations were consistent with findings from a national community-based survey, there was an under-representation of females in treatment. Implications for policy development and practice are discussed.

Resveratrol prolongs lifespan and improves 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine-induced oxidative damage and behavioural deficits in Drosophila melanogaster.

1-Methyl-4-Phenyl-1,2,3,6-Tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) is a neurotoxin that causes Parkinson's disease in animals via mechanisms linked with oxidative stress and inflammation. Resveratrol is a natural polyphenol and a phytoalexin with antioxidative and antiinflammatory properties. Here, we investigated the rescue role of resveratrol on MPTP-triggered toxicity in Drosophila melanogaster for the first time. D. melanogaster (Harwich strain, 1-to 3- days old) were first orally exposed to resveratrol (0, 7.5, 15, 30, 60 and 120 mg/kg diet) and MPTP (0, 250, 500, 1000, 2000, and 3000 µM) for longevity and 7 days survival assays respectively. Consequently, we selected resveratrol (30 and 60 mg/kg diet) to evaluate its rescue role on MPTP (250 and 500 µM)-induced toxicity in D. melanogaster after 3 days of oral treatment. Specifically, we evaluated markers of neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase and negative geotaxis), inflammation (nitric oxide), oxidative stress-antioxidant status (hydrogen peroxide, total thiol, catalase and glutathione-S-transferase), cell viability and fecundity. The data showed that resveratrol increased lifespan of D. melanogaster in a dose-dependent manner up to 60 mg/kg diet. Further, resveratrol restored MPTP-induced inhibition of catalase, glutathione-S-transferase and acetylcholinesterase activities in D. melanogaster. Moreover, resveratrol ameliorated MPTP-triggered cell death, histological alterations, behavioural deficits and accumulation of nitric oxide and hydrogen peroxide levels in flies (p < 0.05). Conclusively, the lifespan extension effects of resveratrol and its rescue role on MPTP- mediated toxicity in the flies may be due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Effect on Rendement Napole genotype on metabolic markers in Ossabaw pigs fed different levels of fat.

We investigated effects of Rendement Napole (RN) genotype on metabolic markers in Ossabaw pigs fed diets with different levels of dietary fat. Thirty-two pigs, belonging to either the wild-type (WT, rn+ /rn+ ) or carrier (CAR, RN- /rn+ ) genotypes (n = 16/genotype), were divided into two dietary groups, (high fat [HF] or low fat [LF]) diets, for 12 weeks (n = 8 pigs/genotype/diet) after which pigs were killed for gene expression analysis by RT-PCR. Feeding HF diet caused increased daily gain (ADG, p < .05) and final body weight (BW) (p < .05) in comparison with the LF diet (p < .05). Feed efficiency (gain:feed) was higher (p < .05) in pigs on the HF and was higher (p < .05) in CAR pigs compared to WT. There was genotype × diet interaction (p = .05) on final BW such that CAR animals on LF diet had the same final BW as animals of both genotypes on HF diet. Carrier pigs on LF diet had higher (p < .05) average daily gain and gain:feed than WT pigs. There was a trend (p < .08) for a higher feed consumption in pigs on the LF diet. Backfat thickness was higher (p < .01) in pigs on the HF diet. Serum triglyceride was higher (0.62 vs. 0.33 mg/dl, p < .01) in pigs on HF diet. Serum insulin was higher (p < .05) in CAR versus WT pigs (0.40 vs. 0.015 µg/ml). Pigs on the HF diet had a higher (p < .05) serum insulin compared to those on the LF diet (0.032 vs. 0.023 µg/ml). Carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1-alpha was higher (p < .05) in the longissimus dorsi and semitendinosus muscles of pigs on HF diet. Acyl-CoA oxidase I was elevated (p < .05) in the liver of pigs on HF diet. Fatty acid synthase was lower in the longissimus dorsi muscle, liver and mesenteric fat (p < .05) of carrier pigs. The RN gene regulates specific metabolic markers in the Ossabaw pigs.

Visual impairment and ocular morbidities among schoolchildren in Southwest, Nigeria.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of visual impairment and ocular morbidities among primary and secondary schoolchildren aged 5 years to

Isotopically nonstationary 13C flux analysis of cyanobacterial isobutyraldehyde production.

We applied isotopically nonstationary 13C metabolic flux analysis (INST-MFA) to compare the pathway fluxes of wild-type (WT) Synechococcus elongatus PCC 7942 to an engineered strain (SA590) that produces isobutyraldehyde (IBA). The flux maps revealed a potential bottleneck at the pyruvate kinase (PK) reaction step that was associated with diversion of flux into a three-step PK bypass pathway involving the enzymes PEP carboxylase (PEPC), malate dehydrogenase (MDH), and malic enzyme (ME). Overexpression of pk in SA590 led to a significant improvement in IBA specific productivity. Single-gene overexpression of the three enzymes in the proposed PK bypass pathway also led to improvements in IBA production, although to a lesser extent than pk overexpression. Combinatorial overexpression of two of the three genes in the proposed PK bypass pathway (mdh and me) led to improvements in specific productivity that were similar to those achieved by single-gene pk overexpression. Our work demonstrates how 13C flux analysis can be used to identify potential metabolic bottlenecks and novel metabolic routes, and how these findings can guide rational metabolic engineering of cyanobacteria for increased production of desired molecules.