Background: Reports from previous studies on the effects of adenosine and caffeine on blood glucose are controversial and inconclusive. The present study sought to investigate the effect of acute adenosine infusion and caffeine injection on blood glucose level in rats. Materials and Methods: Thirty-four male albino rats (300–400 g) were randomly divided in a blinded-fashion into six groups, namely, Group I (n = 6) received normal saline (0.1–0.2 ml), Group II (n = 6) received adenosine (347.8 μg/kg/min), Group III (n = 5) received caffeine (6 mg/kg), followed by adenosine (347.8 μg/kg/min), Group IV (n = 5) were diabetic rats that received adenosine (347.8 μg/kg/min), Group V (n = 6) received caffeine (6 mg/kg), and Group VI (n = 6) received nifedipine (300μg/kg), followed by caffeine (6 mg/kg). Administrations were done through the femoral vein, while blood samples were taken from the carotid artery for glucose measurement. Results: Adenosine caused a reduction in blood glucose level in normal and diabetic rats, though the reduction was more noticeable in diabetic rats. Pretreatment of rats with caffeine completely abolished the adenosine-induced reduction in blood glucose and produced an exaggerated increase in blood glucose comparable to the level seen in rats that received caffeine alone. Pretreatment of rats with nifedipine reduced the caffeine-induced hyperglycemia by two-third. Conclusion: This study suggests that adenosine receptors could be of therapeutic target in the treatment of Type 1 diabetes due to its blood glucose-lowering potential in both diabetic and normal rats. It also suggests that intracellular calcium mobilization is more implicated in caffeine-induced hyperglycemia than adenosine receptor antagonism, even though other unidentified mechanism(s) remain to be explored.

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Background: The small deviations from perfect symmetry between body sides for bilateral characters may result in random errors. This is measured using the type of symmetry called fluctuating asymmetry (FA). Objectives: The objectives of the present study were to determine the sexual dimorphism in asymmetry indices using thumbprints ridge count and thickness among the Hausa ethnic group. To also investigate the existence of FA using thumbprint ridge count and thickness among the Hausa population, of Kano state. Materials and Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 217 participants comprising 112 males and 105 females participated in the study. From plain thumbprint 25 mm² ulnar, radial and proximal areas were defined for ridge count and thickness determination. Results: The result showed a significant sex differences in signed asymmetry (SA) in ulnar ridge counts with males and females exhibited leftward and rightward asymmetry, respectively. In radial and proximal ridge counts in both sexes, the asymmetry was leftward and rightward, respectively. In the ulnar area, significant sexual dimorphism was observed in both absolute and composited asymmetry with females having higher means asymmetry indices. In the entire sample, females had a higher mean value of asymmetry. SA is not significantly different from the mean of zero in both males and females. All the counts and thickness exhibit fluctuating type of asymmetry in both sexes. Conclusion: males have a low level of asymmetry compared to females in this population. The possible existence of fluctuating type of asymmetry was observed. The ridge density and thickness may be used to study the level of developmental stability and stress during intrauterine life in this population.

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Caries is the single most common chronic childhood disease. If caries occurs before a child is 71 months old, it is referred to as early childhood caries. In rampant caries, there is early pulp involvement and gross destruction of the maxillary anterior teeth as well as posterior teeth. This leads to decreased masticatory efficiency, difficulty in speech, compromised esthetics, development of abnormal tongue habits, and subsequent malocclusion and psychological problems. The restoration of severely decayed primary teeth is often a procedure that presents a special challenge to dentists, particularly in an uncooperative child. The purpose of this case report is to provide a few management strategies when providing full mouth rehabilitation under anesthesia and replacement therapies that are available.

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Condylar aplasia is a rare anomaly often associated with varying functional and/or esthetic consequences. These associated challenges have been managed with different methods, including orthognathic surgery, augmentative surgery, and distraction osteogenesis (DO). Indeed, combinations of these techniques have been utilized in its management. This case report describes the management of a patient with dentofacial asymmetry secondary to condylar aplasia using DO. It also highlights the challenges of management in resource-limited settings. Acceptable functional and esthetic results were achieved.

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Juvenile ossifying fibroma (JOF) is a rare fibro-osseous lesion, similar to the conventional ossifying fibroma in many respects. However, unlike the conventional ossifying fibroma, it exhibits more aggressiveness and a high tendency to recur; therefore, it may be confused with malignant lesions. Consequently, it poses significant diagnostic, therapeutic, and rehabilitative challenges. Early recognition and subsequent treatment with complete surgical excision of the tumor is advocated because of its relatively rapid growth, associated morbidities, and tendency to recur. Three cases of massive JOF of the maxilla with attendant morbidities are here presented. The diagnostic challenges, airway management challenges, and varied surgical approaches to each were highlighted. There is a paucity of literature on JOF; hence, clinicians and pathologists alike often find it demanding to arrive at a diagnosis.

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