COLLEGE OF MEDICAL SCIENCES

Diagnostic radiation (X-rays, CT scans) generates reactive oxygen species and DNA damage, affecting apoptotic gene expression in Drosophila melanogaster, a model for cellular responses. Effector caspases DrICE and Dcp-1 regulate apoptosis under stress. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of acute (X-ray) and chronic (CT room) radiation over 7 and 14 days on DrICE and Dcp-1 mRNA expression in Drosophila. The flies were divided into 4 groups; X ray exposure (7days), X ray exposure (14days), CT room exposure (7days), CT room exposure (14days). DrICE and Dcp-1 mRNAs expression were determined using Polymerase chain reaction. The data obtained was analyzed using graphpad prism (version 8.02, California, USA). The result showed that DrICE mRNA increased significantly (p<0.001) in all exposure groups (X-ray/CT room, 7/14 days) when compared to the control (66.16± 0.31), but decreased (p<0.01) in CT room at 14 days (75.84± 2.17) when compared to X-ray (14 days) (83.29± 1.14) and CT room (7 days)(86.18±1.84). Dcp-1 mRNA showed no significant change (p>0.05) with X-ray (7/14 days) when compared to the control, but decreased (p<0.01) in CT room at 14 days ( 57.16±2.37) when compared to control (71.29±1.13) and X-ray 7 and 14 days ( 74.51±2.66 and 69.06±1.72) with a milder drop (p<0.05) at 7 days(61.48±1.15). In conclusion, DrICE upregulation shifts to suppression under chronic CT exposure, indicating an adaptive response. Dcp-1 stability under X-ray contrasts with CT suppression, showing dose-rate effects. This suggests radiation modulates apoptosis, with potential for pest control, needing further protein studies.

Exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) refers to the practice of feeding infants only breast milk for the first six months of life, without introducing any other liquids or solids, except for oral rehydration solutions, drops, syrups (vitamins, minerals, or medicines) as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). This
practice is recognized globally as one of the most effective strategies for reducing infant morbidity and mortality, especially in low- and middle-income countries (Wu et al., 2022). EBF not only provides essential nutrients for infant growth and development but also protects against common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea and pneumonia, thereby promoting
overall child survival and development (Gebeyehu et al., 2023; WHO, 2020, as cited in Wu et al., 2022). Despite strong global advocacy, the rates of EBF rmain suboptimal in many regions, including sub-Saharan Africa. According to Ejie et al. (2021), barriers to EBF in African countries include socio-cultural beliefs, inadequate maternal knowledge, limited support from health professionals, and economic pressures. In Nigeria, EBF is a significant public health concern. The 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) reported that only 29% of infants under six months were exclusively breastfed, which is far below the WHO's global target of at least 50% by 2025 (Okoroiwu et al., 2021). This statistic highlights a significant gap between policy recommendations and actual maternal practices

Iron homeostasis is vital for numerous physiological processes, including oxygen transport, cellular respiration, and erythropoiesis, and its imbalance can result in anemia or iron overload. The transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) plays a central role in this regulation by mediating iron uptake at the cellular level. Given the limitations of synthetic modulators of iron metabolism, the search for natural alternatives has gained scientific attention. Piperguineense, commonly known as uziza, is a West African spice rich in phytochemicals with reported hematopoietic and antioxidant properties. This study therefore, aimed to investigatethe effect of varying concentrations of aqueous Piper guineense leaf extract on TfR1geneexpression in Drosophila melanogaster, a model organism widely used due to its conservedgenetic similarity with humans. Flies were divided into five groups: a control group and four treatment groups receiving 100, 200, 300, and 400 mg/ml of the extract, respectively. Survival rate was monitored for 21 days, while molecular analysis was conducted through RNA isolation, cDNA synthesis, and semi-quantitative PCR. The 100 mg/ml group demonstrated the highest survival rate and a TfR1 expression level comparable to the control
(2.28 ± 0.07 vs 2.30 ± 0.10), suggesting maintenance of normal iron uptake. At 200 mg/ml, a slight decline in TfR1 expression (2.10 ± 0.08) was observed relative to the control, while300 mg/ml produced a more pronounced reduction (1.97 ± 0.06). The 400 mg/ml group showed the lowest expression (1.89 ± 0.05), indicating significant dose-dependent downregulation. These findings implied that low concentrations may enhance or preservenormal iron metabolism, whereas higher doses may suppress transferrin receptor activity, potentially disrupting iron uptake. It is therefore recommended that Piper guineense extract
be used in low doses for beneficial hematologic modulation, and further studies be conducted to isolate its active compounds and assess safety thresholds in mammalian systems

Dental caries is a common chronic infectious resulting from tooth-adherent cariogenic bacteria, primarily Streptococcus Mutans, which metabolize sugars to produce acid, demineralizing the tooth structure over time. Dental caries is one of the commonest childhood disease. In general, the prevalence of caries in preschool children seems to be on the decline or the trend has reached a plateau in most of the developed countries, but may be increasing in some developed and several developing countries. A considerable proportion of preschoolers thus are still affected by dental caries. A sample size of 100 caregivers of pre-school children of the University of Benin Staff school were used. A stratified questionnaire focusing on the knowledge and attitude to Dental Caries risk factors was filled by all respondents with 51.7% knowing the meaning of Dental Caries and 48.3% not knowing the meaning of Dental Caries An understanding of caries risk factors in preschoolers is essential in controlling the prevalence of dental caries in this age group. This is the main objective of our research.

Background: Undergraduate students are the upcoming workforce of any country and their health is essentially linked to the social and economic development of the country. Health- seeking behaviour and health outcomes are shaped by socio-cultural beliefs, accessibility, cost and perceived quality of available health services and these affect health outcomes and indices. This study aimed at assessing the perception of, satisfaction with, major barriers to utilization, major health conditions prompting utilization of on-campus health services and factors influencing use of alternative sources of healthcare. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study carried out among undergraduate students of University of Benin, Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. A sample size of 430 was obtained, and a multistage sampling technique was used to select respondents. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data for the study after pretesting. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 25 and the level of statistical significance was set at p<0.05. Results: The mean age of respondents was 23.0 ± 3.2 years. A higher proportion, 52.8% were male, Christians (58.1%) and single (67.7%). Out of 430 respondents, 61.4% resided off-campus, 52.6% received a monthly allowance of between 50,001 to 100,000 naira and 73.5% received support from their parents. From the responses, 41.4% had received care at the health center in the past year and were most commonly by joint pain (21.9%), fever (15.7%) and headaches (11.8%). Ninety-five percent and 99.0% had a good perception of health center and were satisfied with the services provided there respectively. Common barriers to seeking health care at the center were long waiting time (37.4%), out-of-pocket payments (17.9%). viii ix Conclusion: The study showed that there was a good perception of the health center and respondents were satisfied with services at the health center. Recommendations: The government should strengthen implementation of the Tertiary Institutions’ Social Health Insurance Programme (TISHIP) of the National Health Insurance Scheme(NHIS) at the health center, increase public-private partnership to reduce health cost and encourage local production of pharmaceuticals. The health center should improve awareness of service at the center, increase number of staff and strengthen existing programmes

immune markers and antihypertensive drugs. Despite knowing the detrimental effects of salt on blood pressure, the specific molecular mechanisms connecting these factors are not fully understood and how antihypertensive drugs affect immune function markers. The aim of this study is to see how antihypertensive medications affect immune function markers in a salt-loaded animal model. Twenty-five Sprague Dawley male rats weighing between 110g-130g was purchased from Lagos and housed in the Animal Unit of the Department of Pharmacology, and allowed to acclimatize for 2 weeks thereafter were randomly divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Group 1; control received normal rat chow and tap water, Group 2; Received high salt diet of 8% NaC1 (HS) alone for 8 weeks as described by, Group 3; Received high salt diet + 2.3mg/kg/d Lisinopril, Group 4; Received high salt + 0.1mg/kg/d verapamil, Group 5; Received high salt + 10mg/kg/d Losartan. Feeding and drug administration was by oral gavage for 8 weeks. Blood pressure (BP) (mmHg), heart rate (bpm) and weight measurement was done before theNanimals were humanely sacrificed using chloroform anaesthesia. The result shows a significant increase in the Mean arterial blood pressure in salt-loaded rats compared with the control, while antihypertensive drugs caused attenuation in blood pressure increase when compared with the salt-loaded group. Lisinopril in particular reversed the trend; suggesting renin angiotensin-mediated primary pathway in salt-induced hypertension. There were no significant changes in the heart rate of the animals. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ration was significantly increased in salt-loaded rats compared with control and much more in Lisinopril and verapamil co-treated salt-loaded rats. The result shows a significant increase in the salt loaded group when compared with the control group, meanwhile there was no significant difference in the salt loaded group treated with different antihypertensive drugs lisinopril and losartan compared with the salt loaded while verapamil shows a significant decrease in interleukin-6 levels when compared with the high salt group. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) significantly increased in salt-loaded rats compared with the control, while in antihypertensive drugs it shows a decrease when compared with the salt-loaded group. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) significantly increased in salt-loaded rats compared with the control; in lisinopril it shows no significant difference when compared with the salt-loaded group while lorsartan and verapamil shows a decrease in ROS activities. In conclusion, this research shows that excessive high salt consumption triggers inflammatory tissue responses which could lead to hypertension and this project study is a pointer to the fact that increases activity of immune cells could pre dispose to hypertension and this effect are ameliorated by antihypertensive drugs, especially lisinopril and verapamil.

Background: Learning Management Systems (LMS) have become vital tools for enhancing teaching, learning, and communication. Their importance in medical education is particularly significant, as they provide structured, flexible, and interactive platforms for managing the vast knowledge medical students must acquire. However, in Nigeria, challenges such as limited infrastructure, low digital literacy, and poor internet access have hindered widespread LMS adoption. Understanding medical students’ knowledge, perception, and willingness to use LMS is vital to improving integration into medical training. Objective: This study assessed the knowledge, perception, and willingness to use Learning Management Systems among medical students at the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 410 medical students across levels 200-600, selected through stratified sampling. Data were collected using a structured, self-administered questionnaire with sections on socio-demographics, knowledge, perception, willingness, and determinants of LMS acceptance. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 27. Univariate analysis was performed for socio-demographics, bivariate analysis using chi-square tested associations between independent variables and outcomes, and logistic regression identified predictors of knowledge, perception, and willingness. Statistical significance was set at
p<0.05, with results presented in prose, tables, and charts. Results: Of the 410 respondents, 345 (84.1%) were aware of LMS, with Google Classroom(75.8%) and YouTube (58.4%) being the most commonly used platforms. Two-thirds of respondents demonstrated good knowledge, which was significantly associated with academic level (p<0.001). Attitudes were largely positive, with 82.4% agreeing that LMS improves academic performance and 75.1% stating that LMS creates a more interactive learning environment. Overall, 72.5% expressed willingness to adopt LMS for academic activities. Barriers identified included poor internet access (61.3%), inadequate training (48.9%), and high data costs (42.4%). Conclusion: Medical students at the University of Benin demonstrated high awareness, positive perceptions, and strong willingness to use LMS, though infrastructural and training challenges persist. Institutional support, improved internet access, and structured integration of LMSintothe medical curriculum are recommended to optimize its role in medical education. Keywords: Learning Management System; Knowledge; Perception; Willingness; Medical
Students, University of Benin, Nigeria

Background: Health beliefs and health-seeking behaviours are major determinants of women’s health outcomes, particularly in reproductive health. In Nigeria, women of reproductive age face multiple challenges, including cultural and religious norms, socioeconomic constraints, and limited access to quality healthcare, all of which delay or prevent timely care-seeking. These barriers contribute significantly to the country’s high maternal morbidity and mortality rates. Understanding how health beliefs shape health-seeking behaviour is therefore essential for improving women’s engagement
with formal healthcare services and reducing preventable complications. Objective: This study aimed to assess health beliefs, health-seeking behaviours and the influence of these health beliefs on the health-seeking behaviour of women of reproductive age in Oredo
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from 2024 to 2025among 590 women of reproductive age (15-49 years) in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Nigeria. Participants were selected using a multi-stage sampling method, and data were collected through a pre-tested, structured, interviewer- administered questionnaire that covered socio-demographic characteristics, health beliefs, and health-seeking behaviours. Data was analysed using IBMSPSS version26. Descriptive statistics summarised respondents’ characteristics, Chi-square tests assessed associations between variables, and multivariate logistic regression identified predictors of health beliefs and health-seeking behaviour. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: A majority of respondents 304 (51.5%) demonstrated positive health beliefs, with many perceiving their health as good or excellent. Educational status and
15 socioeconomic level were significantly associated with positive health beliefs (p<0.05). Overall, health-seeking behaviour was good, as most respondents, 398 (67.5) reported willingness to seek formal healthcare services. However, barriers such as Distance 94 (32.8%), financial constraints 86 (30.0%), long waiting time 109 (38.1), Religious factors 108 (37.8%) and lack of trust in healthcare systems 106 (37.1%) were noted. Health beliefs strongly shaped care-seeking behaviour, with some respondents substituting or delaying formal healthcare in favour of herbal remedies, cultural traditions, or religious practices. Conclusion: A majority of respondents demonstrated positive health beliefs, with good health-seeking behaviour. Most respondents preferred formal healthcare services;
however, barriers to proper healthcare utilization, such as cost, distance, poor staff
attitude, and long waiting times, were reported. Health beliefs strongly shaped care- seeking behaviour, with some respondents delaying or substituting formal healthcare in favour of alternative practices such as herbal medicines, faith-based healings and cultural practices. Keywords: Health beliefs, Health-seeking behaviour, Cultural practices, Women of reproductive age, Nigeria

Moringa oleifera is lauded for its nutritional benefits, but localized data on its composition is essential for effective application. This study determined the proximate composition of dried Moringa oleifera leaves sourced from Benin City, Nigeria. Using standard Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC) methods, the dried leaf powder was analyzed in triplicate for its moisture, ash, crude protein, crude fat, crude fibre, and carbohydrate content. The results revealed a composition dominated by carbohydrates (66.45 ± 1.83%) and a high ash content (10.43 ± 0.88%), indicating significant energy potential and mineral density. Moderate levels of crude protein (7.88 ± 0.08%) and crude fibre (7.13 ± 0.47%) were found, while crude fat was low (0.54 ± 0.01%). The low moisture content (6.80 ± 0.40%) suggests good storage stability. This profile confirms Moringa oleifera as a potent source of energy and essential minerals, validating its traditional use against malnutrition. The findings provide a scientific basis for its targeted utilization as a low-cost, sustainable ingredient for food fortification and nutraceutical products aimed at enhancing energy intake and addressing micronutrient deficiencies in local communities.

Background: Adolescents constitutes a significant portion of any population and frequentlyexperience underservice of their sexual and reproductive health needs in various societies dueto lack of sexual health information and services which place them at risk. This study was conducted with a view to raising awareness of RHS available and ensuring better access andutilization in the community. Aim: To assess the knowledge, access and utilization of reproductive health services (RHS)by female adolescents residing in Oredo Local Government Area, Edo State, Nigeria Methods: The research employed a quantitative design. A total of 592 female adolescentsparticipated in the study, and an assessment was conducted on six health facilities, evenlydistributed between private and government sectors. Data collection utilized interviewer-administered structured questionnaires in English, adapted from existing literature, andhealthpersonnel were interviewed through recorded phone conversations. Significant associationsbetween utilization and categorical variables were assessed using the Chi-squaretest. Knowledge scores were determined using a composite scoring system, and a multivariablelogistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors independently associatedwithutilization. A statistical significance level of p-value below 5% was set for declaring statistical significance. Results: The study involved adolescents aged 11-18 years, predominantly of Beninorigin(50.7%), Christians (94.1%) who mostly lived with both parents (74.3%) and the majorityofparents fell into the middle-income class (83.3%). The average age at menarche was 12.4years, with 18.9% not having experienced first menstruation. About 11%reported their first sexual experience, and 3% were currently sexually active, with 38.9%using contraceptives, primarily oral contraceptive pills.