Ekanem Theresa Bassey, Ekong Moses Bassey, Eluwa Mokutima Amarachi, Igiri Anozeng Oyono, Osim Eme Efiom
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Uyo, #1 Ikpa Road, P.M.B. 1017, Uyo, Nigeria.
Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, University of Calabar, Etta-Agbo Road, P.M.B. 1115, Calabar, Nigeria.
Malays J Med Sci. 2015 Jul-Aug;22(4):17-22.
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.
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.
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.
Calabash chalk cause body weight increase and histomorphological changes in the cerebral cortex of foetuses.
葫芦白垩是一种高岭土基物质，是孕妇最常食用的一种食土材料。本研究调查了其对胎儿大脑皮质组织形态学的影响。
将12只妊娠Wistar大鼠平均分为1组和2组。在妊娠第7天（PD7），给第2组动物经口灌胃给予200mg/kg体重的葫芦白垩混悬液，而第1组动物作为对照，给予1ml蒸馏水，持续14天（PD7 - PD20）。在PD21，处死母鼠，取出胎儿，检查有无明显畸形，称重，并每只母鼠挑选2只胎儿。取出其全脑，称重，用10%缓冲甲醛固定，并常规采用苏木精 - 伊红染色和Luxol固蓝染色方法处理。
胎儿未出现形态学变化，但其平均体重较高（p = 0.0001）。大脑皮质的组织形态学切片显示所有皮质层细胞肥大和增生，与对照组相比，尼氏体较少，细胞数量较多（p = 0.001）。
葫芦白垩可导致胎儿体重增加和大脑皮质组织形态学改变。
