Abstract

Compositions of intramural uterine fibroid (IUF) and subserous uterine fibroid (SUF) tissues were studied. Results showed that IUF and SUF, respectively, contained (%) 77.26 ± 0.05 and 77.49 ± 0.02 moisture and 22.74 ± 0.05 and 22.52 ± 0.02 dry matter, on wet-weight basis. Their respective moisture, crude fat, crude protein, ash and total carbohydrates (%) were 4.67 ± 0.05 and 4.38 ± 0.17, 8.29 ± 0.41 and 5.84 ± 0.43, 72.66 ± 0.72 and 65.16 ± 0.91, 4.39 ± 0.08 and 4.22 ± 0.03 and 10.01 ± 1.18 and 20.40 ± 1.45 while their energy contents (kcal/ 100g) were 405.29 and 394.80, respectively, on dry-matter basis. Their crude fats contained fatty acids, triacylglycerols and cholesterol while their total carbohydrates contained glucose and glycogen. Ca²⁺, Fe²⁺, Zn²⁺, K⁺, Na⁺ and Mg²⁺ contents (mg/ 100g) showed that Na⁺ was the most abundant mineral amongst them unlike the norm in cells where K⁺ is the most abundant. The tissues contained high [Ca²⁺] and [Fe²⁺], low [Zn²⁺], [K⁺] and [Mg²⁺] and comparable [Na⁺] relative to cells. These suggested that Na⁺/ K⁺-ATPase activity may have been decreased or inhibited by either high [oestrogen] which is a pre-disposing factor to fibroid or low [Mg²⁺] which may have decreased or inhibited the activity of the electrochemical Na⁺ gradient-dependent Ca²⁺transporter. Zn²⁺ transporter activity seemed to have been decreased or inhibited while cellular influx of Fe²⁺ seemed to have been increased. The results showed that the IUF and SUF had unutilized energy reserves and mineral contents suggestive of perturbed membrane transport activities.

Key words: Energy reserve, fibroid, minerals, membrane transport, proximate composition.