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Objectives: The study was carried out to assess the effect of zinc supplementation on changes in calcium homeostasis, and parathyroid gland, bone, and skeletal muscle histology in rats exposed to subchronic oral glyphosate-based herbicide (GBH, GOBARA®) toxicity. Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats in 6 equal groups (DW, Z, G1, G2, ZG1, ZG2) were used: DW and Z were given 2 mL/kg distilled water and 50 mg/kg of zinc chloride (2%), respectively; G1 and G2 received 187.5 mg/kg and 375 mg/kg of glyphosate (in GBH), respectively; ZG1 and ZG2 were pretreated with 50 mg/kg of zinc chloride before receiving glyphosate, 1 hour later, at 187.5 and 375 mg/kg, respectively. Treatments were by gavage once daily for 16 weeks. Serum calcium, vitamin D, and parathormone were estimated. Histopathological examination of parathyroid gland, femoral bone and biceps femoris muscle was done. Results: GBH exposure caused significant (P =.0038) decrease in serum calcium concentration in G1, significant (P =.0337) decrease in serum vitamin D concentration in G1, significant increases in parathormone in G1 (P =.0168) and G2 (P =.0079) compared to DW. Significant (P >.05) changes did not occur in the other parameters of G2 compared to DW. Dose-dependent effect in GBH exposure was not observed after comparing G1 and G2. Necrotic changes occurred in parathyroid gland cells, osteocytes, and muscle cells in G1 and G2. In ZG1 and ZG2, significant (P >.05) variations in the parameters were not observed and tissue lesions were absent. Conclusion: Subchronic GBH exposure impaired calcium homeostasis observed as hypocalcemia, hypovitaminemia D, and secondary hyperparathyroidism and caused tissue damage in parathyroid gland, bone, and muscle of rats and these were mitigated by zinc chloride pretreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postmortem examination of chickens from a semi-intensive system was carried out following complaint of high mortality, loss of weight, sneezing and raising of heads and gaping. The farm had other types of birds which were also evaluated to ascertain their risk of transmission of Syngamus trachea. Lesions seen included anaemia, hyperemia of the trachea containing forked red warms (S. trachea), congested and haemorrhagic lungs and presence of Raillietina tetragona in the small intestine. Histologically, there was necrotizing trachiesis, pulmonary congestion and haemorrhages. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report of S. trachea in Jos, North Central Nigeria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]