The action of sex hormones could be altered through the introduction of exogenous synthetic substances, which have been shown by several studies to possess deleterious sequelae on the ovaries. Reports on the detailed histology following the exposure to Levonorgestrel (L) are scanty and none has espoused the use of progestin-only contraceptives (post-coital pills) on the ovary. The study, therefore, evaluated the histological sequelae following exposure to Levonorgestrel on the Wistar rat ovary. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the Research and Ethics Committee in the Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences of Delta State University, Abraka. Forty Adult female Wistar rats, grouped into A and B were investigated. A, control, consisting of 20 rats, and B, test group, 20 rats. Both groups were further divided into 10 subgroups respectively, with each consisting of 20 rats. Subgrouping was done accordingly into 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th 18th, 21st 24th 27th and 30th days respectively. Group A received food and distilled water only while group B rats received 0.025mg kg-1 of (L), food and water. Ovary revealed untoward effects of Levonorgestrel, seen at day 6 to day 30 for routine staining pattern. Also seen is a gradatory staining intensity of brown nuclei for progesterone and estrogen receptors for immunochemical staining pattern. This treatise underscored the deleterious outcomes in female gonads exposed to Levonorgestrel and cytoarchitectural peculiarities in ovaries exposed to either combined or emergency oral contraceptives were well espoused. Manuscript profile

Nitrofurantoin (NFR) is an antibiotic commonly used in the management of uncomplicated urinary tract infections. The study examined histoarchitectural and biochemical alterations in the liver and kidney of Wistar rats following exposure to nitrofurantoin. Fifteen (15) adult Wistar rats comprising five (5) animals per group were randomly assigned into three groups. Group A was the control group while Groups B and C received 30mg kg-1 and 60mg kg-1 body weight of NFR respectively for thirty (30) days. Data generated from liver and renal functional markers was analyzed on graph pad prism using descriptive statistics and outcomes implicated as standard error of the mean and mean. Mean value differences were evaluated using analysis of variance (ANOVA) considering p<0.05 as statistically significant value. Upshot display periportal hepatitis in the group given 30mg kg-1 of nitrofurantoin, the hepatocytes appeared polygonal and there was vascular congestion with inflammatory cell infiltration in rats given 60mg kg-1 NFR. These features were consistent with inflammatory responses. However, liver function tests showed a significant increase in Alanine transaminase (ALT), Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels across treated groups when rationalized to control group (p<0.05). Also observed is a statistically significant increase in mean serum level of total protein, direct and indirect Bilirubin across treatment groups compared to control. More so, there were features consistent with normal renal histoarchitecture with tubules comprising of multiple segments and corpuscle made up of the Glomerulus surrounded by the podocytes. Conversely, renal function parameters showed a decrease in the urea level across treatment groups. Nitrofurantoin displays no histoarchitectural outcome of the kidney but elucidated negative outcome on the liver histology, therefore caution should be considered when administered as a therapeutic agent. Manuscript profile

Nicotine is a potent para-sympathomimetic alkaloid, which belongs to the Nightshade family of plants and is abundant in the roots and leaves of these plants. Here, we investigated the histomorphological effects of oral nicotine exposure on the testes of adult Wistar rats. Sixteen adult male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups (I, II, III, and IV), with each group containing 4 rats per group. Control group (I) received growers mash with water, group II received 2mg kg-1 day-1 of nicotine, group III received 4 mg kg-1 day-1 of nicotine and group IV received 6 mg kg-1 day-1 of nicotine via the oral route of administration, in addition to food and water for six weeks. At the end of the 7th, 21st, and 42nd days of the administration, animals were euthanized by cervical dislocation, and testes were harvested and processed with standard histological techniques. Euthanizing on these various days was done to assess the time and dose-dependent effect of nicotine on the testes. Findings from histological observation of the testes showed similar histoarchitectural changes on different days between the treated groups and the control group. These changes may be attributed to the drug metabolism of nicotine, administration route of nicotine, and drug dosage adopted in the current study. However experimental animals administered with nicotine for 42 days, showed normal histology of the testes with the presence of vascular congestion in the lumen of the seminiferous tubules. Within the limitation and design of this study, oral nicotine exposure at a low dose showed no features of testicular toxicity as there were no histoarchitectural distortions in the treated animals. However, our findings suggest that nicotine exposure at a low dose may possess a therapeutic effect in the management of testicular pathologies. Manuscript profile