Effects of 4-phenylbutyric acid on the development of diabetic retinopathy in diabetic rats: regulation of endoplasmic reticulum stress-oxidative activation.

There are good evidences suggesting that endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress can be one of the contributing factors in the development of diabetic retinopathy. The present study was designed to investigate the effect of chemical chaperone 4-phenylbutyric acid (4-PBA) in alleviating the ER stress, and diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetic rats. Treatment of diabetic rats with 4-PBA, increased the antioxidant capacity, reduced the levels of lipid peroxidation, organised the state of apoptosis and regulated the ER stress - oxidative activation in retinal tissue. Also there was an improvement in the histological picture of retinal specimens compared to untreated diabetic rats. It was concluded that 4-PBA is a promising therapeutic agent for ER stress diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

Malaria frontline project: pre-intervention Malaria baseline assessment in Kano and Zamfara States, August 2016.

Introduction: In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Government of Nigeria initiated the Malaria Frontline Project in Kano and Zamfara States. The project goal is to improve the quality and coverages of malaria interventions adapting polio program strategy. We conducted a baseline assessment of malaria interventions. Methods: Twenty-four primary health centers per State were selected using probability sampling. Health workers (HW) were purposively sampled to assess their knowledge of national malaria control guidelines. Clients were selected for exit interview to assess health workers´ adherence to the national guidelines. WHO cluster methodology was used to survey heads of household and women of reproductive age on knowledge of malaria prevention, Long Lasting Insecticidal Net (LLIN) ownership and use. Results: Of the 158 HW interviewed, 94.3% knew the correct criteria for malaria diagnosis, 86.1% reported using artemisinin-based therapy to treat uncomplicated malaria. About 45% of HW reported prescribing artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) for uncomplicated malaria in first trimester of pregnancy and 39% prescribed quinine. Only 73.9% of fever cases were referred to laboratory as recommended by the national guideline. Households with one LLIN per 2 persons (Kano: 27.1%; Zamfara: 30.0%), LLIN use (Kano: 70.8%; Zamfara: 81.6%) and IPTp1 (Kano: 38.6%; Zamfara: 33.3%). Conclusion: most clinicians have knowledge of national guidelines, but fewer adhere to guidelines in practice. Population LLIN ownership, LLIN use among pregnant women and IPTp are lower than the national targets of 58%, 83% and 75% respectively for 2016. We recommend improving health workers´ technical capacity and adherence to national malaria guidelines.