Objective:The current study investigated the effects of clomiphene citrate on the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular axis, steroidogenesis, sperm parameters, and testicular antioxidant enzyme activity of male Wistar rats submitted to lead acetate (Pb)-induced reproductive toxicity. Methods:Twenty adult male Wistar rats were divided into four groups of equal size as follows: Control; Clomid (0.35 mg/kg); Pb (10 mg/kg); and Clomid + Pb. Serum levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), testosterone, testicular 17-β hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17-β HSD) activity, androgen receptors, catalase activity, superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), sperm motility, viability, counts and morphology were estimated after oral administration of Clomid and/or lead acetate for 35 consecutive days. Data were analyzed using ANOVA at p<0.05.Results:Lead acetate significantly decreased (p<0.05) serum LH and testosterone levels, testicular 17β-HSD activity, androgen receptor expression, sperm motility, viability, counts, catalase activity, and SOD when compared with controls. Abnormal sperm morphology and MDA were significantly increased (p<0.05) in the Pb group compared with controls. Clomid co-administrated with lead acetate significantly increased (p<0.05) serum LH, testosterone levels, testicular 17β-HSD, androgen receptor expression, sperm motility and viability when compared with the group given lead acetate.Conclusions:The present study suggests that clomiphene citrate may stimulate testicular testosterone synthesis, sperm motility and viability via luteinizing hormone in a context of lead acetate-induced reproductive toxicity.

The practice of herbal medication is as old as the culture of the people and despite the advent of modern medication, many people of south eastern Nigeria, still patronizes herbal medication. Herbal medications are consumed directly and could be contaminated with mycotoxins which are detrimental to human and animal health. This study was therefore, designed to determine the extent of mycotoxin contamination of herbal medications on sale in Ebonyi State, South-Eastern Nigeria. In this regard, a multistage random sampling technique was used to select 19 herbal medication samples from stores and markets in Ebonyi State, Nigeria and evaluated for occurrence of three major mycotoxins- aflatoxins (AFs), ochratoxin A (OTA) and fumonisins (FB). Employing wet extraction procedure, mycotoxin occurrence and levels were determined via lateral flow immunoassay technique. Results showed high prevalence of all three mycotoxins in the samples in the order OTA (89.47%), FB (82.46%) and AF (82.21%). Ochratoxin A was highest in Goodswill herbal (23.66 ± 3.51 ppb) and lowest in Goko mixture (0.00 ± 0.00) while fumonisin was highest in Ukwara (634.33 ± 8.00 ppb) and lowest in Iketo-2 mixture (0.00 ± 0.10). Aflatoxin B1 was highest in African Iba (20.00 ± 2.00 ppb) and lowest in Dunamis and Divine roots herbals (0.00 ± 0.00). Data from the analysis of herbal medication samples showed varying concentrations of mycotoxins AFs (0 – 20 ppb); OTA (0 – 23 ppb); FB (0 – 634 ppb) respectively. In conclusion, mycotoxins concentration determined in the herbal samples were above Nigerian and European Union (EU) set limits for OTA only. The co-occurrence of these mycotoxins in herbal samples analyzed in this study raises further awareness to the health risks consumers of these herbal commodities.Keywords: Mycotoxin, herbal medicine, quality, Nigeria.

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Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the zona fasciculate of the adrenal cortex in response to stress, whereas interleukin-10 is an important immunoregulatory cytokine which increases with exercise. Cortisol most often is viewed as having a counter-productive role in exercise. Therefore, the objective of this study was to establish the critical role of cortisol during exercise. Moreover, the immunoregulatory role of interleukin-10 in limiting host immune response to stress was also investigated. The longitudinal study randomly selected twenty-five young apparently healthy students from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Technology, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, aged 24.3 ± 3 years. The participating male undergraduate students were placed under resting and relaxed conditions for 48 hours prior to the test. Their blood pressures and pulse rates were taken and fasting blood sugar determined as a prerequisite screening before enlisting in the study. The subjects took part in an endurance race using the Bruce treadmill protocol for sub-maximal exercise for a maximum of 21 minutes. The target heart rate on the treadmill was 60 -80 percent of the heart rate reserve. Blood samples were collected from the participants before commencement of the study, at 1 hour, 4 hours and 24 hours post exercise. Serum cortisol (nmol/L), troponin I (ng/ml), creatine kinase MM (ng/ml) was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. Interleukin-10 genes expression patterns were detected using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction method. There was a significant increase in cortisol, troponin and creatine kinase MM level at 1 hour post exhaustive exercise when compared with pre-exercise stage (F = 6.032, P = 0.000), (F = 4.551, P = 0.000) and (F = 10.282, P = 0.000) respectively. The expression patterns of interleukin-10 genes were up-regulated at 4 hours post exercise and sustained till 24 hours post exercise (χ² = 50, P = 0.000). Post exercise stress activates the release of cortisol, and interleukin-10 genes to reinstate homeostasis through modulation of the immune response.

Background: The increasing prevalence and convergence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and active tuberculosis (TB) comorbidity, especially in adults in the lower-and middle-income countries, demand new approaches to control the ‘syndemic’. Consequently, we set out to investigate the possibility of early detection of prediabetes mellitus and/or latent tuberculosis infection using novel method.Methods: This was a case-control study of 105 adults classified into 4 groups: Healthy Community Controls (HCC, n=30); Prediabetes mellitus (PDM, n=25); Latent Tuberculosis Infection (LTBI, n=23); Individuals with Prediabetes mellitus+Latent Tuberculosis Infection (PDM+LTBI, n=27). Sera collected were assayed for high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) using the ultra-sensitive Human high sensitivity C-reactive protein ELISA Kit (Melsin Medical Co., Ltd, China). Other ancillary tests and measurements done include Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate, serum Glycated-hemoglobin (HbA1c), Interferon-gamma (INF-ϒ) and Waist circumference.Results: A total of 88 (83.8%) of the enrolled participants had full complement of results and were included in the analysis of four study groups: HCC (n=25), PDM (n=21), LTBI (n=19) and PDM+ LTBI (n=23). With respect to the serum biomarkers, isolated PDM and LTBI cases recorded significantly higher HbA1c (%) and INF-ϒ positivity respectively. Predictors of PDM+LTBI show statistically significant higher tertile (T3), representing elevated hs-CRP levels, (OR=6.50, 95% CI=4.83-22.39, p=0.0037).Conclusions: This study revealed that persons harboring the two associated asymptomatic conditions, PDM + LTBI have higher inflammatory state detectable by assaying the biomarker, hs-CRP, which could be used for ‘one-time bi-directional targeted screening’ for PDM in LTBI and vice versa.