International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN 2326-7275 Vol. 14 (4), pp. 001-005, April, 2026. 

Review

Evaluating the Role and Actions of Statins in Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Marianne Shahsuvaryan

Yerevan State Medical University, Armenia. E-mail: [email protected].

Accepted 01 November, 2025

Age-related macular degeneration (ARM) is a progressive late onset disease affecting central vision. It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness among older adults in developed countries, and with the aging population, the problem is increasing. Current treatment options by endothelial growth factor (VEGF) inhibitors – anti-VEGF therapy are limited to the late stage of the disease, when central vision is already under great threat, and even new treatments make little impact on the rate of blindness. Monthly intravitreal anti-VEGF injections with systemic exposure to anti-VEGF will be replaced by new drugs taken in a non-invasive way. 3–hydroxy–3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors, generically termed statins are the most commonly used lipid lowering drugs. The objective of this review is to evaluate the evidence and discuss the rationale behind the recent suggestions that HMG CoA reductase inhibitors may be useful in the prevention and the treatment of age-related macular degeneration

Key words: Atherosclerosis, age-related macular degeneration, pathophysiology, HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, pleiotropic effects.
 

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN 2326-7275 Vol. 14 (3), pp. 001-003, March, 2026. 

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluating the Impact of Oral Assessments on Theoretical Knowledge in Physiology

Sharmila Torke¹*, Reem Rachel Abraham¹, K. Ramnarayan² and K. Asha³

¹Department of Physiology, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal 576104, Karnataka State, India.
²Department of Pathology, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus), Manipal 576104, Karnataka State, India.
³Department of Biostatistics, Melaka Manipal Medical College (Manipal Campus) Manipal 576104 Karnataka State, India.

Accepted 12 November, 2025

Viva voce examinations formed a part of theory component of final summative examination. Since Viva voce was conducted to all students irrespective of their passing status in theory, the exercise was found to be time consuming. In this perspective, this study was conducted to determine the impact of viva voce examination on student performance in the summative examination. Three batches of first year medical students were involved in this study. Their theory and viva voce scores in Physiology were reviewed. The ratio of theory to viva voce scores of final summative examination was compared between the passed and failed students of all three batches. Results indicated that there was no correlation between student performance in viva voce examination and that of theory. However, there was no difference in the mean ratio within the batches according to passing status.

Key words: Reliability, face validity, assessment.
 

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN 2326-7275 Vol. 14 (2), pp. 001-009, February, 2026. 

Efficacy and Safety of Methanolic Chrysophyllum albidum Bark Extract in a Murine Malaria Model
 

E. O. Adewoye1, A. T. Salami2 and V. O. Taiwo3*
 

¹Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
²Department of Nursing Science, Lead City University, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.
³Department of Veterinary Pathology, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

Accepted 12 October, 2025

The anti-plasmodial, hematological, serum biochemical and pathological effects of Chrysophyllum albidum methanolic bark extract were evaluated using Swiss albino male mice as models. The plant is used in Southern Nigeria as a remedy for malaria and yellow fever. The LD50 of the methanolic extract was 1850 mg/kg body weight. C. albidum methanolic bark extract (750 - 1500 mg/kg/day) exhibited significant (P < 0.05) schizontocidal activities both in a 4-day (early) infection and in an established (> 7 days) infection with a considerable mean survival time comparable to that of chloroquine. The plant extract treated mice did not develop appreciable anemia. This observation shows that the methanolic extract of C. albidum contains anti-plasmodial substance(s) which help to reduce parasitaemia and hence the rate of erythrocyte destruction during infection. Organ and tissue pathology during infection was milder at low doses, compared to the untreated mice and insignificant at higher doses of the extract, showing that the extract is non-toxic. It also validates the local consumption of the extracts of C. albidum as an anti-malarial agent. Further studies need to be done to identify and characterize the active principles/ substances in the extract. This study has implications in future development of antimalarial drugs with little or no cytotoxic effect.

Key words: Chrysophyllum albidum, anti-plasmodial, haematology, serum biochemistry, organ pathology, albino mice.
 

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN 2326-7275 Vol. 15 (1), pp. 001-010, January, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper
    
Histopathological Spectrum of Gastric Carcinomas and Associated Precancerous Changes in Southwest Nigeria

A. O. Komolafe1*, O. S. Ojo2 and B. J. Olasode2

1Department of Morbid Anatomy and Histopathology, Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria.
2Department of Morbid Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Accepted 31 November, 2025

The histologic types of gastric malignancies and other associated histopathological indices in gastric biopsies received at the Department of Morbid Anatomy and Forensic Medicine, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Osun State, Nigeria were determined. The study was retrospective and it involved collecting all slides on all available cases of gastric biopsies over a period of ten years and reviewing them to screen for gastric malignancies and associated pathologies of the stomach. Out of 107 cases of gastric malignancies reviewed, 102 (95.3%) were carcinomas, 3 (2.8%) were sarcomas and 2 (1.9%) cases were lymphomas. Of 102 cases of carcinomas, 36 (35.3%) were tubular adenocarcinomas, 14 (13.7%) cases were papillary adenocarcinomas, 22 (21.6%) cases were mucinous adenocarcinomas, 9 (8.8%) cases were signet carcinomas, and 21 (20.6%) were poorly differentiated adenocarcinomas. One hundred and two (95.33%) cases of gastric malignancies were in the pyloric antrum, 3 (2.80%) were in the gastric cardia, and 1 case each (0.93%) in the corpus and fundus. Sixty-four (60%) of cases showed moderate to numerous Helicobacter pylori. Mild chronic gastritis was seen in 11 (10%) cases, moderate chronic gastritis was seen in 75 (70%) of cases, and severe chronic gastritis was seen in 16 (15%) cases. Five (5%) cases were indeterminate. Mild glandular atrophy was seen in 5 (5%) cases, 32 cases (30%) showed moderate glandular atrophy, 1 (1%) case of severe glandular atrophy was seen. Intestinal metaplasia was seen in 17 cases (16%). Peptic ulcer disease was not seen in any of the cases.

Key word: Gastric malignancies, pre-malignant lesions, Nigeria.
 

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN 2326-7275 Vol. 15 (1), pp. 001-004, January, 2026. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Anatomical Characterization and Preliminary Phytochemical Screening of Tylophora dalzellii Hook.f.

Shahla Najafi1* and S. S. Deokule2

¹Department of Biology, University of Zabol, Iran.

²Department of Botany, University of Pune, India.

Accepted 2 October, 2025

Plants are a great source of medicines, especially in traditional medicine, which are useful in the treatment of various diseases. Tylophora dalzellii a medicinal member belongs to the tribe Marsdenieae of the family Asclepiadaceae. Traditionally, T. dalzellii has been used in treatment of asthma, dermatitis and rheumatism. However, it has not yet been studied pharmacognostically. The study includes macroscopy and microscopy, anatomy, phytochemistry including fluorescence and ash analysis of the leaf and stem of T. dalzellii. Phytochemical screening of the plant revealed the presence of tannins, saponins and alkaloids. The detailed pharmacognostic account of T. dalzellii which includes macroscopic and microscopic characters will be helpful for the correct botanical identification of the drug. In addition, the values of percentage extractive and ash analysis, results of fluorescence analysis and phytochemical data will be helpful for the standardization and quality control of precious indigenous drug. The study scientifically validates the use of plant in traditional medicine.

Key Words: Tylophora dalzellii, pharmacognosy, Asclepiadaceae.
 

International Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ISSN 2326-7275 Vol. 14 (7), pp. 001-012, July, 2025. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals

Full Length Research Paper

The Impact of Instructor-Provided Study Guides on Student Academic Performance in Introductory Anatomy and Physiology

Nicola Khalaf, Jason Craddock, Valerie Weiss, Robert Sillevis and Heather Bradford

Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast university

Received 20 June, 2025; Revised 4 July, 2025; Accepted 4 July, 2025; Publish 17 July, 2025

Abstract: Background: Research indicates a strong correlation between success in undergraduate gateway courses and overall student retention. These lower division courses serve as prerequisites to upper-level coursework and are often associated with high failure rates. Anatomy and Physiology-I, a key gateway course for health science majors, exemplifies theses challenges. Methods: This retrospective quasi-experimental study assessed the impact of instructor-provided study guides on student performance in 16 course sections (N = 502) across four semesters at Florida Gulf Coast university. Eight sections used study guides (Study guide group) and eight did not (Control Group). Independent t-tests and the Friedman test compared exam scores, final grades, and pass rates. Results: The Study Guide group had a notably lower failure rate (10.89% compared to 34.70%) and significantly higher exam scores and final grades. Furthermore, no significant instructor variability was found, suggesting that standardized resources may reduce discrepancies in teaching effectiveness. Conclusion: These findings highlight the value of structured learning resources in improving outcomes in complex course. Implementing such resources may promote student success in foundational courses essential for careers in health sciences. Limitations: Quasi-experimental design, lack of randomization, potential confounding variables, and single-institution scope may restrict causal inference and generalizability.

Keywords: Study guides; anatomy and physiology; academic performance; gateway courses; pass rates; student engagement, guided notes; cognitive load.