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Ischaemic Cerebrovascular Accident (CVA) has been shown to be associated with abnormal lipid profile (dyslipidaemia) as a risk factor. There is paucity of data regarding this in this environment hence this study. In this study, a total number of 63 subjects were recruited comprised of 33 patients with cerebrovascular accident (stroke) and 30 apparently healthy volunteers as control. A complete lipid profile which included Total serum Cholesterol (TC), serum Triglyceride (TG), High Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) were assayed for both patients and controls. The lipid profile was determined using standard methods. The TC for both patients and control were 212±53 and 196±46 mg/dL respectively, TG for both patients and controls were 159±9 and 79±13 mg/dL respectively, HDL-c was 55±9 mg/dL for patients and 61±7 mg/dL for controls and LDL-c was 151±34 mg/dL for patients and 117±51 mg/dL for control subjects. TC, TG and LDL-c were higher in the ischaemic CVA patients than the controls; however only TG showed a significant increase while HDL-c although not significant was lower than control. The study therefore showed that ischaemic CVA is associated with hypercholesterolaemia, hypertriglyceridaemia and high LDL-cholesterol. We thus suggest preventive and management strategies that will reduce lipid levels (TC, TG and LDL) and enhance HDL-cholesterol in Nigeria patients that are prone to or diagnosed of ischaemic CVA.

The role of Complement factors in the pathogenesis of psychiatric disorders is enormous, but the data on levels and functions of complement factors in patients with schizophrenia are scanty and conflicting. To address this issue, levels of Complement regulators (C1 inhibitor and C3 activator) and complement factors (C1q, C3c, C4 and C5) were determined in the serum of newly diagnosed drug free schizophrenic patients, schizophrenic patients on medication and healthy subjects using immune-plates. C1q was significantly reduced in newly diagnosed schizophrenic patients or schizophrenic patients on medication compared with the controls. C3c was significantly reduced in newly diagnosed schizophrenic patients compared with controls or schizophrenic patients on medication. The levels of C3 activators, C1 inhibitors and C4 were similar in the two groups of schizophrenic patients compared with the controls. It may be concluded from this study that C1q is deficient in schizophrenic patients; and that C3c may differentiate newly diagnosed schizophrenia from schizophrenic patients on medication.

Our previous study suggests that aqueous extract of kola nut had effect on reproductive hormones in male rats. This study evaluates the effects of kola nut extract on plasma level of testosterone and luteinizing hormones in male rats. 30 adult male rats were used. These were divided into three groups: group A served as control and it received water only, group B and C received kola nut extract only (8mg/kg body weight), C served as recovery group. All the groups were treated for four weeks. The C which served as recovery group was allowed to recover for another four weeks at the end of the extract administration period. The plasma level of testosterone was significantly increased while that of luteinizing hormone was significantly decreased when compared with control animals. The recovery group showed values that were insignificantly lowered but a bit closer to those of the control animals. This showed that the rats were able to recover to some extent after the extract administration.