Background. diabetes self-care is yet to be incorporated into diabetes management policy, hence the need to establish its practice as an essential catalyst for good glycemic control in the management of diabetes patients. Objectives. This study was aimed at determining the role of diabetes self-care education (DSME) and practice in the management of T2DM patients. Material and methods. A hospital-based study was conducted on 120 adults with T2DM who had been presenting at the clinic for at least two months. The study participants were divided into two groups. Group 1 was the test group and had DSME, while group 2 served as the control. Data was collected using a questionnaire, and clinical parameters of glycemic control were measured both preand post-intervention period. Results. A significant relationship was found between diabetes education, diabetes self-care and glycemic control. This was demonstrated by the significant difference in the proportion of those who achieved good FPG from 28.3% pre-intervention to 51.7% post--intervention (p = 0.001); 2HPP from 30% to 46.7% (p = 0.060) and HbA 1c from 53.3% to 85% (p < 0.001) in the test group; while that of the control was FPG 18.3% to 30% (p = 1.355), 2HPP 11.7% to 26.7% (p = 0.369) and HbA 1c 43.3% to 53.3% (p = 0.804). This showed a significant improvement in the glycemic control of the test group compared to the control group. Conclusions. We conclude that good knowledge and practice of diabetes self-care is relevant to the achievement of good glycemic control.

Objective: This study aims at investigating the protective effects of aloe vera gel on aluminum chloride-induced testicular toxicity of adult Wistar rats. Methods: Twenty male Wistar rats were randomly divided into four groups (A, B, C, and D) with five animals per group. Group A serves as the control group and received distilled water (1ml/Kg). Group B received distilled water (1ml/Kg) with 100mg/kg b.wt of aluminum chloride daily. Group C received 100mg/kg b.wt of aluminum chloride with 600mg/kg b.wt of Aloe vera gel daily. Group D received 100mg/kg b.wt of aluminum chloride with 5mg/kg b.wt of vitamin C daily. The animals were fed on standard laboratory animal diet and water ad libitum . Administration was via oral cannula for four weeks. The rats were slaughtered using cervical dislocation. The testes were harvested for seminal, biochemical and histological analysis. Results: The results demonstrate that the administration of aloe vera gel (AVG) is capable of preventing testicular toxicity due to aluminum chloride. Aluminum chloride caused a significant change in the testes and seminal parameters of group B when compared to the control animals. The level of Nitric oxide (NO) increased and the level of Superoxide dismutase (SOD) decreased significantly in rats treated with aluminum chloride. Conclusions: The administration of aloe vera gel showed a preventive response in aluminum-induced testicular toxicity of rats as evidenced by histological and biochemical analysis.

Background: The potential toxicity of clove, Syzygium aromaticum, notwithstanding its beneficial health effect to human health remains a critical issue. Purpose: This study was designed to assess the effects of oil extracts of clove (S. aromaticum) on reproductive parameters in Wistar rats. The ameliorative effect due to co-administration with green tea, Camellia sinensis, was also determined. Methods: Adult rats were exposed via oral gavage to mineral oil (negative control), 5% green tea (GT), 12.5 mg/kg/day chlorpyrifos (CHL, positive control), 360 mg/kg/day clove oil (CO), green tea + chlorpyrifos (GT+CHL), or green tea + clove oil (GT+CO) for 3 weeks, after which the animals were sacrificed and the following sperm parameters: total sperm count, sperm motile count, sperm progressive assessment, and sperm morphology were determined. The serum levels of reproductive hormones, testosterone, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH), were determined. The histological sections of the testes were also performed. Results: The results revealed that S. aromaticum treatment resulted in significant damage to the sperm morphology especially at the neck and tail regions with only a marginal change to the total sperm count, sperm motile count, and sperm progressive assessment. The levels of testosterone, FSH, and LH decreased significantly in rats treated with S. aromaticum. Histopathological analyses revealed significant disruption of normal testes structure in rats that were treated with either clove oil or chlorpyrifos. Conclusion: Overall, the results of this study show that the co-administration with C. sinensis has the potential to ameliorate the clove-induced reproductive toxicity in rats.

Background Highly active antiretroviral drug therapy (HAART) remains the only officially available option for the management of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection at designated medical institutions in Nigeria. This study investigated the impact of HAART on glucose level, lipid profile, blood parameters and growth indices of HIV-infected patients at a tertiary health center in Nigeria. Biochemical and hematologic indices were determined in HIV patients on HAART at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Owo, Nigeria. Plasma glucose and lipid profile were biochemically determined in 140 age-matched individuals divided into three groups: Group I (n = 70) comprised seventy clinically diagnosed and laboratory-confirmed HIV-positive patients before receiving HAART (HIV-positive group); Group II (n = 70) comprised the same set of HIV-positive patients who had received HAART for 1 year (HAART group); and Group III (n = 70) comprised healthy controlled subjects who proved HIV-negative (HIV-negative group). Growth indices were used to monitor the changes in immune response (white blood cell counts) of the HIV-infected patients. Results HAART ameliorated reduced body mass index and disorder in white blood cell counts but not dyslipidemia and hyperglycemia caused by HIV infection. Results confirmed the effectiveness of HAART in preventing the development of full-blown acquired immune deficiency syndrome in HIV-positive patients. However, increases in cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels coupled with increased atherogenic index occasioned by HAART portend the risk of cardiovascular disease. Conclusions HIV infection has a negative impact on the anthropometric, hematologic and biochemical indices of patients. Although HAART is helpful to improve anthropometric and hematological indicators, there is a need to improve drug regimens to reduce or eliminate undesirable metabolic complications.

Study Design: This is an experimental study using an animal model. Objectives: Disk degeneration is a common cause of low back pain. However, few attempts have been made to proffer a medical solution. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of aloe vera gel (AVG) on the histomorphometric changes in the intervertebral disk of annular-punctured rabbits. Methods: A total of 25 rabbits weighing 1.0 to 3.5 kg were used for this study; 20 rabbits were subjected to annular puncture of the L3/L4, L4/L5, and L5/L6 disks using an 18G needle. Five rabbits were randomly assigned to 5 groups (A, B, C, D, and E) of 5 animals per group. Group A was not punctured. Group B was punctured. Groups C, D, and E were punctured and given 600 400, and 200 (mg/kg) of AVG orally, respectively. The disk histology and nucleus pulposus cell count were done 6 weeks after the puncture procedure. Results: The results revealed a gradual reversal of degenerative changes in the treated groups compared with the nontreated groups ( P < .05). The observed changes in the organization of the elastic and collagen content, increase in fibrochondrocyte-like cells of the nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus ( P = .0027), and the degree of degeneration of the disk ( P = .0001) in the treated groups compared with the nontreated groups were statistically significant. Conclusion: Administration of AVG halted and reversed disk degeneration in an annular puncture–induced disk degeneration rabbit model.

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