Aim: To study characteristics of pulmonary tuberculosis amongst patients attending chest clinics in Benin City. Materials and Methods: A total of 816 subjects comprising of 563 (69%) males and 253 (31%) females were enlisted for this study. Sputum specimen and blood were collected from all subjects. Acid alcohol fast bacilli from sputa were examined using the Ziehl Nelson staning technique. Hemoglobin concentration was determined using the method described by Dacis and Lewis. Result: Pulmonary tuberculosis infection was significantly affected by age among the male and female subjects studied (P < 0.05). Subjects within the age group of 21 - 30 years and 41 - 50 years had the highest risk of acquiring TB amongst the male and female population respectively. Although the unemployed subjects had the highest prevalence of TB (35%), occupation did not significantly affect the prevalence of TB (P > 0.05). Irrespective of gender, anemia was significantly associated with pulmonary tuberculosis infection (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The prevalence of pulmonary tuberculosis (37.4%) was significantly affected by age among male and female subjects. Anemia was associated with TB infection. Intervention effort at curbing the prevalence of TB and anemia is advocated.

Background: Some spices have been reported to play contributory role in enhancing male reproductive function. Aims: To determine the effect of Piper guineense consumption on some libido indices and behavioral pattern of male Wistar rats at different concentrations. Study Design: This is a Cross-sectional nonclinical study in animal model.

Some plants used in the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) have been shown to increase gelling time of sickle cell blood and inhibits sickling in vitro, reversal of sickling, inhibiting osmotically induced haemolysis of erythrocytes, membrane stabilization. Plants such as Sorghum bicolar, Phyllanthus amarus, U. afzelii, Securidaca longipedunculata, Momordica charantia, Dalium guineense have been found to exhibit anti-sickling properties. The polyherbal combination of these drugs was used in this study for the investigation of the effects of anti-sickling polyherbal mixture on haematological indices in rabbits. Sixty (60) New Zealand rabbits weighing 1200g ±200g, conducted in duplicate and designated experiment X (normal rabbits) and Y (anaemia induced using Cadmium 2mg/kg +10 mg/Kg body weight phenylhydrazine for 15 days). Both groups were further subdivided into four groups (A-D) with 5 animals each, administered saline substitute, different grades of polyherbal mixtures for 8 weeks. Blood sample (2mls) was collected into Ethylene Diamine Tetra Acetic Acid (EDTA) bottles for full blood count. The results in the experiment (X) showed significant increase in WBC (103/μl) count across the groups (B=8.15±0.33; C=9.3±0.74; D=9.8±0.59) compared to the control group (A=7.25±0.44) (p<0.05). RBC (106/μl) count showed insignificant increase in group B (5.1±0.20) and C (5.6±0.450), decrease level in D (4.4±0.26) compared to control A (4.8±0.29) (p<0.05). Hb(g/dl) and HCT (%) showed similar pattern with insignificant increased levels across all treatment groups (B=14.8±0.59, 43.4±1.74; C=15.5±0.78, 45.8±3.; D=14.2±0.85, 43.7±2.62) compared to control A (13.6±0.68; 41.5±2.49) respectively. Platelets showed significant increase in group B and C (286±17.16 and 286±17.16) compared to control A (244±9.76) with significant decrease in group D (226±18.08) (p<0.05). In experiment (Y), WBC count showed significant increase across all treatment groups (B= 6.4±0.26 C= 6.8±0.54 D =10.6±0.64) compared to control (A= 4±0.24) (p<0.05). RBC (106/μl) count in control A gave (2.5±0.15), insignificant increase in B (3.1±0.12) with significant increase in group C (3.5±0.28) and insignificant decrease in D (2.2±0.13) (p<0.05). Higher level of Hb (g/dL) was seen in group B and C (B= 8.4±0.34; C= 9.1±0.46), while D (7.7±0.46) had a slightly elevated value compared to the control A (7.1±0.36) (p<0.05). HCT (%) showed significant increase across the groups (B=26±1.04; C=28±2.24; D=24±1.44) (p<0.05) compared to control A (18±1.08). Red cell indices showed some degree of derangement across the study groups. Findings in this study suggest that polyherbal mixture have a positive effect on the haemoglobin, red blood cells, packed cell volume and white blood cell count of the rabbits in a dose dependent manner.