Glutathione, glutathione peroxidase and some hematological parameters of HIV-seropositive subjects attending clinic in University of Calabar teaching hospital, Calabar, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: Despite the numerous intervention programmes, HIV still remains a public health concern with a high impact in Sub-Saharan Africa region. Oxidative stress has been documented in HIV subjects as viral infection promotes prolonged activation of immune system, hence, production of increased reactive oxygen species. METHODS: We studied 180 subjects. Of these, 60 were HIV-infected on antiretroviral therapy (ART), 40 were ART naïve HIV-infected and 80 were apparent healthy non HIV-infected subjects. The complete blood count was performed by automated hemoanalyzer, the CD4+ T-cell count was performed by cyflow cytometer, while the antioxidant assay was performed using ELISA technique. RESULT: All evaluated parameters; glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), CD4+ T-cell count, haemoglobin (Hb), total white blood cell count (WBC) and platelet count were significantly (P < 0.05) reduced in the HIV-infected subjects. All assessed parameters were found to be significantly (P < 0.5) reduced in the HIV-infected subjects that are ART naive when compared with those on ART. HIV-infected subjects with CD4+ T-cell count < 200 cells/mm3 had significantly (P < 0.05) reduced values in all assessed parameters when compared to those with CD4+ T-cell count ≥200 cells/mm3. GSH and WBC were found to be significantly (P < 0.05) increased in the female HIV-infected subjects when compared with the male counterpart. Anemia prevalence of 74 and 33% were recorded for the HIV-infected and control subjects, respectively. Gender and ART treatment were found to be associated with anemia in HIV. Male HIV-infected subjects on ART were found to be more likely to have anemia. CONCLUSION: Antioxidants; GSH and GPX were found to be significantly reduced in HIV infection. Further probe showed that the antioxidant status was improved in the HIV-infected group on ART.

Spectrophotometry, Physiochemical Properties, and Histological Staining Potential of Aqueous and Ethanol Extracts of Beetroot on Various Tissues of an Albino Rat.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Natural dyes and pigments are nontoxic, ecofriendly alternatives to synthetic counterparts and beetroot is one such natural dye. The red color of beetroot derived from betalain pigments confers great advantage to this plant. In this study, the physiochemical and spectrophotometric characteristics of beetroot as well as the histological staining potential of various tissues were carried out to determine its tissue specificity. METHODS: The aqueous and ethanol extracts of beetroot were prepared using distilled water and 95% ethanol, respectively. Spectrophotometry, pH, and concentration of both extracts were determined before histological staining with 10% neutral-buffered formalin-fixed, paraffin-wax-embedded tissue sections. Stained sections were viewed with a photomicroscope. RESULTS: The aqueous and ethanol extracts of beetroot were slightly acidic and soluble at concentrations of 381.5 mg/100 g and 253.7 mg/100 g fresh beetroot sample, respectively. Both extracts consist of three betalain pigments with absorbances at different spectrophotometric wavelengths, namely betaxanthins (475 nm), betanin (525 nm), and betanidin (575 nm). The maximum absorbance was 0.925 and 0.615 for the aqueous and ethanol extracts, respectively, at a peak wavelength of 525 nm for each extract. Both extracts stained various tissue structures such as muscles, mucins, red blood cells, keratin, and nerve fibers. CONCLUSION: Thus, beetroot stain is slightly acidic, contains betalain pigments, stains basic histological tissue structures, and can be used as an ecofriendly alternative to hematoxylin and eosin.

Effect of ethanolic extract of Chromolaena odorata on the kidneys and intestines of healthy albino rats.

BACKGROUND: The use of plants and plant products for medicinal purposes is an age-long practice in traditional communities and is becoming prominent globally. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of ethanolic extract of Chromolaena odorata on the kidney and intestine of albino rats. METHODS: Twenty growing albino rats with an average weight of 54 g were used in this study. They were grouped into four groups. Groups 1, 2, and 3, known as the test groups, were given 50 mg/kg, 100 mg/kg, and 250 mg/kg ethanolic extract of C. odorata, respectively, while the control group was given distilled water orally. The experiment was performed for 6 weeks. The animals were killed using chloroform suffocation. The kidneys and the intestine were harvested and fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin for histological analysis. Blood samples were collected from the animals by heart puncture for estimation of creatinine and urea levels. RESULTS: The creatinine, urea, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine transaminase, and alkaline phosphatase levels of blood sample from the test group were significantly different when compared with the control (p < 0.05). The histological sections of the kidneys in this study showed no signs of degeneration. Infiltration of inflammatory cells and epithelial erosion were observed in the histology sections of the intestine of all the test groups. CONCLUSION: The results from this study revealed that uncontrolled use of this plant extract has an adverse effect on the kidney function and on the histology of the intestine of the rats used in this study.