Evaluation of calabash chalk effect on femur bone morphometry and mineralization in young wistar rats: A pilot study

Abstract

Background:Calabash chalk, a popularly consumed geophagic material in Nigeria has been reported to contain lead, arsenic, alpha lindane, endrin, and endosulfan 11 among other pollutants.Aim:The continuous exposure of young children to this chalk necessitated this study on the bone morphometry and mineralization in young Wistar rats.Materials and Methods:Fourteen young (weanling) Wistar rats of both sexes weighing 54-72 g were assigned into two groups of seven animals each. Group I served as control, while group II was the test group (TG). 40 mg/ml of C. chalk was administered as suspension to the test animals in group II. Animals in the control group were orally treated with 1ml of distilled water. Administration of the C. chalk in the animals lasted for 28 days, and the animals were sacrificed on day 29, using chloroform anaesthesia. The femur bones were dissected out, cleaned of flesh and sun-dried. The lengths and weights of the femur bones were measured using graphite furnace atomic mass spectrophotometer.Results:Results showed 1.6% decrease in body weight change in the TG, insignificant decreases in the weights and lengths of both the right and left femur bones, and significant decreased (P < 0.0126) organ-somatic index, and femur bones concentrations (mg/l) of zinc, phosphate, carbonate, calcium, sodium, and potassium (P < 0.05).Conclusion:In conclusion, this study showed that C. chalk may alter growth rate, and cause de-mineralization in the femur bone, hence, it may be detrimental to bone growth.

Reversibility of changes in brain cholinergic receptors and acetylcholinesterase activity in rats following early life arsenic exposure

“…While the prevalence of decreased body weight and growth was higher in boys, the effect was more marked in girls (Saha et al, 2012). Adverse effect on body weight due to arsenic exposure in experimental studies was irrespective of time and dose in most of the studies (Stump et al, 1999; Ekong et al, 2012). Loss of body weight following early life exposure to arsenic at low dose as observed in the present study indicates growth impairment and exhibit vulnerability of developing rats to the toxic effects of arsenic and is consistent with earlier experimental reports (Dhar et al, 2005; Bashir et al, 2006).…”

Histological and hormonal studies of calabash chalk on ovarian function in adult female wistar rats

“…Two types of chalk exists, they are; Salted and Non-salted calabash chalk exists. Although there is paucity of researches in this area, reports have shown that it causes fragmented liver parenchyma and hepatic sinusoidal enlargements (EKONG, AKPANTAH, IBOK et al, 2009;EKONG, PETER, AKPANABIATU et al, 2013), depletion of red blood cells (AKPANTAH, IBOK, EKONG et al, 2010), splenomegaly (EKONG, EKANEM, ABRAHAM et al, 2009), oedema with haemorrhages in the mucosa of the stomach, hyperkeratosis, acanthosis, and koilocytic changes in the mucosa of the oesophagus (EKONG, JOHN, MBADUGHA et al, 2012), as well as growth rate alteration and femur bone demineralization (EKONG, EKANEM, SUNDAY et al, 2012).…”

Calabash Chalk's Geophagy Affects Gestating Rats' Behavior and the Histomorphology of the Cerebral Cortex

“…Reports on the calabash chalk carried out on animal models revealed hepatic sinusoidal enlargements, fragmented liver parenchyma, and depletion of red blood cells [18][19][20]. Recent reports showed that calabash chalk geophagy resulted in oedema with haemorrhages in the mucosa of the stomach, acanthosis, hyperkeratosis, and koilocytic changes in the mucosa of the oesophagus, as well as alteration of growth rate and demineralization of the femur bone [21,22].…”