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Maternal Geophagy of Calabash Chalk on Foetal Cerebral Cortex Histomorphology
Ekanem, Theresa Bassey; Ekong, Moses Bassey; Eluwa, Mokutima Amarachi; Igiri, Anozeng Oyono & Osim, Eme Efiom
Abstract
Background:
Calabash chalk, a kaolin-base substance is a common geophagic material mostly consumed by pregnant women. This study investigated its effect on the histomorphology of the foetal cerebral cortex.
Methods:
Twelve gestating Wistar rats were divided equally into groups 1 and 2. On pregnancy day seven (PD7), group 2 animals were administered 200 mg/kg body weight of calabash chalk suspension, while group 1 animals served as the control and received 1 ml of distilled water, by oral gavages and for 14 days (PD7-PD20). On PD21, the dams were sacrificed, and the foetuses removed, examined for gross malformations, weighed and culled to two foetuses per mother. Their whole brains were excised, weighed and preserved using 10% buffered formalin, and routinely processed by haematoxylin and eosin, and Luxol fast blue methods.
Results: The foetuses showed no morphological change, but their mean body weights was higher (p=0.0001). Histomorphological sections of the cerebral cortex showed hypertrophy and hyperplasia of cells in all the cortical layers, with less demonstrated Nissl and higher (p=0.001) cellular population compared with the control group.
Conclusion:
Calabash chalk cause body weight increase and histomorphological changes in the cerebral cortex of foetuses.
Keywords
chalk; maternal; cerebral cortex; body weight; morphology; rats
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