Community-based Investigation of the Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in Ibadan and suburbs (COMBAT-CVDs): Design and Methods.

Africa is gradually becoming the epicentre for the burden of cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) worldwide, and community-based data alluding to the pattern and dynamics of escalating epidemiological thresholds of CVDs among indigenous Africans are limited. This manuscript focuses on the design and methods of Community-based Investigation of the Risk Factors for Cardiovascular Diseases in Ibadan and suburbs (COMBAT-CVDs), an ongoing community-based door-to-door study assessing the profile, burden and dynamics of CVDs risk factors among residents of Ibadan and suburbs. COMBAT-CVDs is a cohort of community-dwelling indigenous Africans, males and females, ≥18years from ten communities in Ibadan, Nigeria. The recruitment of participants for the first wave (W0) started in 2020, covering; questionnaire administration and physical examination. The World Health Organization's STEPS Instrument for Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance was used for data collection. Data were collected on sociodemographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle-related characteristics, history of CVDs, stress, depression and sleep quality. Also, anthropometric and blood pressure measures were conducted by trained personnel using standard operating procedures and instruments. Data collection for the second wave is underway, and the collection of blood and other biological samples for genetic epidemiology is planned, subject to availability of funds. For the W0 recruitment, a total of 3638 community-dwelling adults (males - 54.6% and females - 45.4%) participated with a ≥99.7% response rate. The COMBAT-CVDs will likely provide novel data, insightful characterization of CVDs risk factors and evidence for context-specific and culturally relevant interventions for the community-based prevention and management of CVDs among Africans in this setting.

Prevalence, Factors, and Outcome of Physical Violence against Mental Health Professionals at a Nigerian Psychiatric Hospital.

OBJECTIVES: This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the prevalence, factors, and consequences of physical violence by mentally ill patients against mental health professionals. METHODS: 124 of 145 mental health professionals at a Nigerian neuropsychiatric hospital satisfactorily completed a questionnaire on their experiences with physical assault. RESULTS: 77 (62.1%) staff had been assaulted during their whole career; 38 (30.6%) of them were assaulted in the past 12 months. The most common type of assault was pushing (32.9%). The most common antecedent event to assault was calming an aggressive patient (44.1%). In their whole career, 22.1% of assaulted staff sustained injuries that required medical attention; 42.4% of assaulted staff sometimes or frequently/always experienced posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms. Physical assault in the whole career was associated with older age (p = 0.04), longer years of practice (p = 0.01), and job dissatisfaction (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Physical violence encountered by mental health professionals at a Nigerian neuropsychiatric hospital is substantial. Policy review of staff safety, training, and support is recommended.

Changes in the brain antioxidant profile after chronic vanadium administration in mice.

Vanadium is known to induce reactive oxygen species (ROS) in biological systems. Exposure to vanadium has been linked to neurological defects affecting the central nervous system (CNS) early in life and culminates later to neurodegeneration. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of chronic vanadium exposure on antioxidant profile in mice, and progressive changes after withdrawal from treatment. A total of 85 male BALB/c mice (4 weeks old) were used for the experiment and were divided into three groups of vanadium exposed (3 mg/kg i.p at 3-18 months treatment), matched controls, and animals exposed to vanadium for three months and thereafter vanadium was withdrawn. Vanadium exposure caused significant increases (p<0.05) in levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) generation and nitric oxide with a concomitant decrease (p<0.05) in the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione-S-transferase and a decline in the level of reduced glutathione (GSH) after 6 months of vanadium exposure in the brain. This trend continued in all vanadium-exposed groups (9, 12, 15 and 18 months) relative to the matched controls. Withdrawal after 3 months of vanadium exposure significantly reversed oxidative stress in intoxicated mice from 9 to 15 months after vanadium withdrawal. We have shown that chronic administration of vanadium led to oxidative stress in the brain which is reversible only after a long period of vanadium withdrawal.

Protective effects of Artocarpus altilis (Moraceae) on cadmium-induced changes in sperm characteristics and testicular oxidative damage in rats.

Cadmium (Cd) is a major environmental toxicant and an endocrine disruptor. We investigated the protective effects of methanol extract of Artocarpus altilis (AA) against Cd-induced testicular damage in rats while quercetin (Que) served as standard. The total flavonoids and phenolic contents (TFC and TPC), 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and hydroxyl (OH) radicals scavenging activities of AA were determined. In vivo, thirty male Wistar rats were assigned to six groups and orally treated with corn oil (control), Cd alone, Cd+Que, Cd+AA, Que and AA alone. Que and AA were given at doses of 25 and 200 mg kg(-1), respectively, for 3 weeks and challenged with two doses of Cd (1.5 mg kg(-1)). Results showed that TFC and TPC of AA increased with increase in concentration. AA scavenged DPPH and OH radicals in a dose-dependent manner. Administration of Cd significantly increased the relative weight of testis of rats. Lipid peroxidation was significantly increased while antioxidant parameters decreased in testis of Cd-treated rats. Also, Cd-treated rats had significantly reduced sperm count, motility, sialic acid, luteinising hormone and testosterone relative to controls. Pre-treatment with AA or Que significantly attenuated the biochemical alterations observed in Cd-treated rats. Overall, AA protects against Cd-induced testicular damage via antioxidative mechanism.