Probiotic streptococcus salivarius reduces symptoms of denture stomatitis and oral colonization by Candida Albicans

Denture stomatitis (DS) is an inflammatory status of oral mucosae frequently observed in denture wearers, and mainly associated with oral overgrowth of Candida albicans. DS is the cause of multiple visits to the dental office and is thought to enhance the risk of systemic infections. The treatment of DS mainly relies upon improvement of oral hygiene measures and prescription of topical or systemic antifungal agents, and disinfectants that, although effective, are not without drawbacks. Since, in recent years, some probiotics were investigated as a means to contrast oral colonization by Candida spp., this study was designed to preliminarily evaluate the effects of probiotic strain Streptococcus salivarius K12, in subjects affected by DS, and the duration of these effects. Fifty adult denture wearers affected by DS were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups: the experimental group was instructed to perform careful oral and denture hygiene and to assume the probiotic preparation for 30 days; the control group received only oral hygiene instructions. Patients were evaluated for signs of DS at the beginning of the study, at the end of treatment and 30 days later. Microbiological samples were obtained at the beginning of the study and at the end of treatment to quantify Candida albicans cells. Experimental treatment reduced clinical signs and symptoms of DS and the count of C. albicans. The clinical effects of experimental treatment were still evident after 30 days, suggesting that administration of probiotic strain Streptococcus salivarius K12 could be a promising approach in the treatment of DS

Dental pulp stem cells bioadhesivity: evaluation on mineral-trioxide-aggregate.

Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the capacity to self-renew. They have been discovered in many adult tissues, including teeth. Dental Pulp Mesenchymal Stem Cells (DP-MSCs) are involved in dental repair by activation of growth factors, released after caries and have the ability to regenerate a dentin-pulp-like complex. The molecular/cellular research gives the possibility to grow new tissues and biological structures for clinical applications, providing cells for therapies including cell transplantation and tissue engineering. In this study DP-MSCs were derived from dental pulp of 10 donors. To evaluate material toxicity, after in vitro isolation, the cells were seeded on mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA). Initial light microscopy investigation of cells revealed no signs of cell death due to toxicity or infection, on the contrary the scaffolds supplied an excellent support for cell structures, the cells proliferated and adhered to substrate. Similar observation was seen in scanning electron microscopy, in particular the cells had proliferated and spread, covering a considerable part of the surface of the biomaterials investigated, with an elaborate form of attachment, in fact, the cells formed a continuous layer on the upper surface of the MTA. In conclusion, the aim of this study is to demonstrate that DP-MSCs combined with MTA could be a potential source for regenerative medicine, encouraging further study to evaluate the new-dentin formation

Carbon nanomaterials-based electrically conductive scaffolds to repair the ischaemic heart tissue

Ischaemic heart diseases are the leading causes of morbidity around the world and pose serious socio-economic burdens. Ischaemic events, such as myocardial infarction, lead to severe tissue damage and result in the formation of scar tissue. This scar tissue, being electrically inert, does not conduct electrical currents and thus generates lethal arrhythmias. The ventricle dilates with time due to asynchronous beating due to the scar, and it eventually leads to total heart failure. The current pharmacological approaches only cure heart failure symptoms without inducing tissue regeneration. Therefore, heart transplant remains the gold standard to date, but the limited organ donors and the possibility of immune rejection make this approach elusive. Cardiac tissue engineering has the potential to address this issue by engineering artificial heart tissues using 3D scaffolds cultured with cardiac stem cells. Compared with the traditional non-conductive scaffold, electroconductive scaffolds can transfer feeble electric currents among the cultured cells by acting as a "wire". This improves intercellular communication and synchronisation that otherwise is not possible using non-conductive scaffolds. This article reviews the recent advances in carbon nanomaterials-based electroconductive scaffolds, their in vitro/in vivo efficacy, and their potential to repair ischaemic heart tissue

Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex Modification after Virtual Environment Exposure

Immersion in an illusory world is possible by means of virtual reality (VR), where environmental perception is modi bff c1c ed by artificial sensorial stimulation. The application of VR for the assessment and rehabilitation of pathologies affecting the vestibular system, in terms of both diagnosis and care, could represent an interesting new line of research. Our perception of reality is in fact based on static and dynamic spatial information perceived by our senses. During head movements in a virtual environment the images on the display and the labyrinthine information relative to the head angular accelerations differ and therefore a visuo-vestibular conflict is present. It is known that mismatches between visual and labyrinthine information may modify the vestibulo-oculomotor reflex (VOR) gain. We studied the post-immersion modifications in 20 healthy subjects (mean age 25 years) exposed to a virtual environment for 20 min by wearing a head-mounted display. VOR gain and phase were measured by means of harmonic sinusoidal stimulation in the dark before, at the end of and 30 min after VR exposure. A VOR gain reduction was observed in all subjects at the end of VR exposure which disappeared after 30 min. Our data show that exposure to a virtual environment can induce a temporary modi bff c1c cation of the VOR gain. This bff c1c nding can be employed to enable an artificial, instrumental modification of the VOR gain and therefore opens up new perspectives in the assessment and rehabilitation of vestibular diseases

Ten years of lateral flow immunoassay technique applications: Trends, challenges and future perspectives

The Lateral Flow Immunoassay (LFIA) is by far one of the most successful analytical platforms to perform the on-site detection of target substances. LFIA can be considered as a sort of lab-in-a-hand and, together with other point-of-need tests, has represented a paradigm shift from sample-to-lab to lab-to-sample aiming to improve decision making and turnaround time. The features of LFIAs made them a very attractive tool in clinical diagnostic where they can improve patient care by enabling more prompt diagnosis and treatment decisions. The rapidity, simplicity, relative cost-effectiveness, and the possibility to be used by nonskilled personnel contributed to the wide acceptance of LFIAs. As a consequence, from the detection of molecules, organisms, and (bio)markers for clinical purposes, the LFIA application has been rapidly extended to other fields, including food and feed safety, veterinary medicine, environmental control, and many others. This review aims to provide readers with a 10-years overview of applications, outlining the trends for the main application fields and the relative compounded annual growth rates. Moreover, future perspectives and challenges are discussed

Ivermectina al 1 %. Ensayo a campo en la sarna psoroptica ovina

How to check, in field conditions the acaricide action of Ivermectina 1% of Psoroptes comunis var. ovis; 47 sheep of different age, weight and both sexes, presenting a high degree of parasite infestation and with large injured body areas, 36 were medicated on three different levels of dosage, as follow: 300 mcg/KPV single dose, 600 mcg/KPV single dose and 300 mcg/KPV double dose, administered in two doses given with 10 days’ interval 11 sheep were untreated control. From the three levels tested the second proved to be the most effective: 600 mcg/KPV single dose, subcutaneous in the interthight. The double dose was also effective but the animals treated were more sensitive to relapses during the development of the experience. It should be noted the acaricide effect of the product, the absence side effects and the ease of administration just as the disadvantages for medicating it accurately. In spite of effectiveness checked, it should not be overlooked the necessary precautions for avoiding relapses and/or new parasitic infestations.A los efectos de comprobar, en condiciones de campo, la acción acaricida de la Ivermectina al 1 % sobre el Psoroptes communis var. ovis; 47 ovinos de diferente edad, peso y ambos sexos, que presentaban alto grado de infestación parasitaria y con amplias regiones corporales lesionadas, 36 fueron medicados a 3 niveles distintos de dosis, a saber: única de 300 mcg/KPV microgramos por Kilo de Peso Vivo); única de 600 mcg/KPV y doble de 300 mcg/KPV repartidos en dos aplicaciones con diez días de intervalo entre una y otra; 11 ovinos se dejaron como testigos. De los tres niveles ensayados resultó más efectivo el segundo, 600 mcg/KPV, en dosis única, subcutánea en la entrepierna. También fue eficaz la dosis doble de 300 mcg/KPV pero los animales tratados fueron más sensibles a las recidivas en las condiciones en que se desarrolló Ia experiencia. Se destaca el efecto acaricida del producto. La ausencia de efectos colaterales y secundarios y la comodidad de aplicación, así como los inconvenientes para dosificarlo correctamente. A pesar de la efectividad comprobada no deben obviarse los recaudos necesarios para evitar recidivas y/o nuevas infestaciones parasíticas