Effect of adrenaline on glucose uptake in the rabbit small intestine.

OBJECTIVES: Previous study had shown that nicotine acts on blood glucose through release of adrenaline. While there are reports on the hyperglyceic effect of adrenaline in rabbits, there is no information on the effect of adrenaline on intestinal glucose uptake of rabbits. The present study was carried out to find out if adrenaline has any effect on glucose uptake in the rabbit small intestine. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Experiments were carried out on fasted anaesthetized male rabbits. Five groups of rabbits (6 rabbits per group) were studied. A vein draining a segment of the upper jejunum was cannulated for blood flow and venous glucose measurements. The left femoral artery and vein were cannulated for arterial blood sampling and drug infusion respectively. Glucose uptake was calculated as a product of jejunal blood flow and the glucose difference between arterial (A) and venous (V) blood. RESULTS: The fasting venous blood glucose levels were 151.8 +/- 4.4mg/dl and 164.0 + 2.3mg/dl in Groups I and V that were not given adrenoceptor blockers. The upper jejunum had a resting (or basal) glucose uptake of 38.3 +/- 1.6mg/min in the control group. When adrenaline (2ug/kg) was injected intravenously, arterial blood glucose rose from a basal value of 245.5 +/- 4.6mg/dl to 307.5+4.7mg/dl at the peak of response while venous glucose rose from 151.8+4.4mg/dl to 275.8 +/- 4.2mg/dl at the peak of response. Glucose uptake increased to 107.4 +/- 2.5mg/ min at the peak of response. The hyperglycaemic response to adrenaline injection was abolished by propranolol but not by prazosin indicating that this effect of adrenaline is mediated through beta adrenoceptor. Both prazosin and propranolol reduced considerably adrenaline-induced increase in blood flow and glucose uptake, prazosin being more potent in flow reduction. CONCLUSION: This study showed that the resting small intestine of rabbits took up large amounts of glucose. The intestinal glucose uptake was markedly increased by adrenaline injection. The response to adrenaline was mediated through alpha and beta adrenoceptors. The responses to adrenaline are different in many respects from those induced by nicotine in rabbits in our earlier study. The reason for the differences is obscure.

Effect of nicotine on glucose uptake in the rabbit small intestine.

A technique for measuring glucose uptake in the small intestine of rabbits was developed. Using this technique, the glucose uptake in the resting jejunum of rabbits and the effect of nicotine infusion on glucose uptake were studied. Experiments were carried out on fasted anaesthetized male rabbits. Four groups of rabbits (6 per group) were studied. A vein draining segment of the upper jejunum was cannulated for blood flow and venous glucose measurements. The left femoral artery and vein were cannulated for arterial blood sampling and drug infusion respectively. Glucose uptake was calculated as a product of jejunal blood flow and the (A-V) glucose difference. The fasting blood glucose levels were 101.0 +/- 8.4 mg/dl and 127.0 +/- 11.3 mg/dl before and after anaesthesia respectively. Basal blood glucose was much higher than this following surgery. The upper jejunum had a resting glucose uptake of 24.1 +/- 7.0 mg/min. When nicotine (50 ug/kg) was infused intravenously, blood glucose rose from a basal value of 253.8 +/- 9.5 mg/dl to 379.8 +/- 20.3 mg/dl at the peak of response. Glucose uptake increased to 73.1 +/- 11.3 mg/min at the peak of response. These effects of nicotine are mediated through both beta and alpha adrenoceptors. Comparison with previous studies in dogs and rats showed that different adrenoceptors are involved in nicotine hyperglycaemia in fasted dogs, rats and rabbits.

Oral anomalies in Nigerian children.

A total of 2203 Nigerian school-age children (10-19 yr) were examined clinically for the presence of oral anomalies. The following prevalence figures were found: commissural lip pits (2.9%), ankyloglossia (0.2%), geographic tongue (0.3%), fissured tongue (0.8%), torus palatinus (4.5%), torus mandibularis (1.9%), snowcap type amelogenesis imperfecta (0.2%), localized enamel hypomaturation (11.7%), missing lateral incisors (0.7%), and peg lateral incisors (1.5%). None of the following conditions was found: cleft chin, cleft lip, double lip, medium rhomboid glossitis, bifid tongue, macroglossia, cleft palate or cleft lip and palate.

Distribution of oral tumors in Nigerian children based on biopsy materials examined over an 11-year period.

A survey of biopsied lesions of patients aged 0-16 yr who presented with oral swellings at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital over a period of 11 yr was conducted to determine the pattern of presentation of these lesions in 203 Nigerian children, 123 boys and 80 girls. 21% of the lesions were fibro-osseous lesions. There were more non-odontogenic than odontogenic tumors and very few salivary gland tumors.

Ectodermal odontogenic tumours: analysis of 197 Nigerian cases.

This article presents a clinico-pathologic analysis of 197 cases of ectodermal odontogenic tumours archived in the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Lagos Nigeria over a 21-year period. They were categorized according to the WHO classification of odontogenic tumours. Of the 197 cases, 182 (92.3%) were benign while 15 (7.6%) were malignant. Central ameloblastoma, which accounted for 88.3% in this series, was the most common benign neoplasm demonstrating predilection for males (58.6%) and the mandible (83.3%). The mean age of occurrence (+/-SD) was 31.00 +/- 13.9 (range 9-82 years). Similarly ameloblastic carcinoma was the most prevalent malignant tumour (5.6%) with a predilection for females (63.6%) and the mandible (81.8%). The mean age of occurrence (+/-SD) was 30.1+/- 20.7 (range 16-85) years. Follicular ameloblastoma was found to be the commonest histologic subtype seen in Nigeria.

A retrospective study of oral cysts in Nigerian children.

A retrospective analysis of oral cysts that were seen over an 11-year period in children at a dental institution in Nigeria was carried out. In general, oral cysts accounted for only 2.6% of the total biopsied lesions during the period under review. The most common oral cysts were the mucous retention cysts, the gingival cysts of infants and the dentigerous cyst. The commonest sites were the maxilla, the mandible and the floor of the mouth respectively and there was no significant difference in sex preference. Most of the cases were seen in the age group 11-16 years while the least was in the group aged 6-10 years.

Anaplastic carcinoma of the parotid gland: a case report of a patient disease free after nine years. Follow-up.

A case of massive anaplastic carcinoma of the left parotid gland in a 29-year old female Nigerian, of Yoruba tribe, for which radical left parotidectomy with external carotid artery ligation and post-operative radiotherapy was performed is presented Nine years post-operatively, no evidence of recurrence or metastasis was found. The patient is in apparent good health, despite the amount of tumour spillage that was experienced intra-operatively. As far as we have been able to check, it is to our knowledge the first of such from Nigeria.

Skinfold thickness in normoglycemic offspring of patients with t2dm on graded exercise

It is uncertain if exercise can influence the occurrence of T2DM in offspring of diabetic parents. Therefore this study was designed to assess the effect of exercise on skinfold thickness of offspring of T2DM parents compared with those of non-diabetic parents. This study involved convenience sampling of 50 offspring of T2DM parents attending University College Hospital, Ibadan and 50 offspring of nondiabetic parents who were undergraduate students of the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. Participants were randomly assigned into four groups using convenience sampling method: 25 Normal-weight Offspring of Non-Diabetic Parents (NONDP), 25 Normal-weight Offspring of Diabetic Parents (NODP), 25 Overweight Offspring of Non-Diabetic Parents (OONDP) and 25 Overweight Offspring of Diabetic Parents (OODP). Each participant followed a protocol of graded exercise using the "Tummy trimmer" everyday spending 30-45 minutes daily for 24 weeks. 4 sites of skinfold thickness (supra-iliac, Biceps, Triceps and sub-scapula) were measured by skinfold caliper. Weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) were estimated using standard methods at baseline, 6 weeks, 12 weeks, 18 weeks and 24 weeks, respectively. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistic and repeated ANOVA with p-value at n less than 0.05. The results indicate that compared to baseline, there were reductions at the four sites of skinfold thickness measurements (supra-iliac, Biceps, Triceps and sub-scapular). At supra-iliac site, skinfold thickness in NONDPreductions was from 7.16 mm ± 2.02 to 6.60 mm ± 4.40. The reduction trend for supra-iliac, Biceps, triceps and subscapular skinfold sites in NONDP were 0.56 mm, 0.79 mm, 1.66 mm and 0.19 mm respectively. While the reduction trend for supra-iliac, Biceps, triceps and subscapular skinfold sites in OODP were 0.56 mm, 1.10 mm, 2.06 mm and 1.52 mm respectively. At subscapular site, the average skinfold thickness reduction trend was 0.19 mm in control group 1.53 mm in test group. Thus, graded exercise reduced skinfold thickness in all the groups. The clinical importance of this in prevention of DM among offspring of diabetic parents is quite promising

Immunohistochemical localization of Epstein-Barr virus receptor on hyperplastic gingiva of kidney allotransplant patient immunocompromised by cyclosporin A.

The strong association between Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) and certain tumours of the oro-maxillo-laryngeal region aroused our present interest. A pre-requisite for the molecular interplay of oncogenesis by EBV is the expression of the EBV receptor on the target cell of the host. As a possible contribution to this concept, we adopted immunohistochemical technique to examine a hyperplastic gingival tissue obtained from a subject on kidney allotransplant immunosuppressed with cyclosporin A (CSA). Our results demonstrate expression of EBV/C3d receptor on the superficial layers of the hyperplastic gingiva but absent in the basal/parabasal layers. It is suggested that the superficial layer expression of EBV/C3d receptor could be due to direct acquisition from the environment of the oral cavity rather than a systemic extension from the deep layers of the same epithelium.

Burkitt's lymphoma of the jaws in Lagos. Ten-year review.

This paper presents a review of Burkitt's lymphoma of the jaws seen at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital. The debate on certain aspects of the disease, particularly the pathogenesis, has also been reviewed, while the experience gained in the management has been included.