Wild black rats (Rattus rattus Linnaeus, 1758) as zoomonitor of genotoxicity and systemic toxicity induced by hazardous emissions from Abule Egba unsanitary landfill, Lagos, Nigeria.

Wild black rats (Rattus rattus) inhabiting Abule Egba landfill (AEL) were used as zoomonitor to assess health risk associated with exposure to hazardous chemicals from landfills. Twenty five R. rattus (16♂ and 9♀) captured within AEL and 15 (9♂ and 6♀) (control) caught from Iyano Ipaja (10 km away from AEL) were examined for bone marrow micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MNPCE) and polychromatic erythrocytes/normochromatic erythrocytes (PCE/NCE) ratio, abnormal sperm morphology, alterations in hematological indices and erythrocyte morphology, and histopathology of the viscera using standard protocols.

Foetal loss and enhanced fertility observed in mice treated with Zidovudine or Nevirapine.

Background: Health concerns for HIV-infected persons on antiretroviral therapy (ART) have moved from morbidity to the challenges of long-term ART. We investigated the effect of Zidovudine or Nevirapine on reproductive capacity across two mouse generations.

Methods: A prospective mouse study with drugs administered through one spermatogenic cycle.

Exposure of Allium cepa root cells to zidovudine or nevirapine induces cytogenotoxic changes.

Antiretroviral drugs have proved useful in the clinical management of HIV-infected persons, though there are concerns about the effects of exposure to these DNA-reactive drugs. We investigated the potential of the plant model Allium cepa root tip assay to demonstrate the cytogenotoxicity of zidovudine and nevirapine and as a replace-reduce-refine programme amenable to resource-poor research settings. Cells mitotic index were determined in squashed root cells from Allium cepa bulbs exposed to zidovudine or nevirapine for 48 hr.