Comparable response of ccn1 with ccn2 genes upon arthritis: An in vitro evaluation with a human chondrocytic cell line stimulated by a set of cytokines

Background: The chondrosarcoma-derived HCS-2/8 has been known to be an excellent model of human articular chondrocytes. By mimicking the arthritic conditions through the treatment of HCS-2/8 cells with cytokines, we estimated the gene expression response of ccn1 and ccn2 during the course of joint inflammation in vitro. Results: In order to mimic the initiation of inflammation, HCS-2/8 cells were treated with tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. To induce pro-inflammatory or reparative responses, TGF-β was employed. Effects of an anti-inflammatory glucocorticoid were also evaluated. After stimulation, expression levels of ccn1 and ccn2 were quantitatively analyzed. Surprisingly, not only ccn2, but also ccn1 expression was repressed upon TNF-α stimulation, whereas both mRNAs were uniformly induced by transforming growth factor (TGF)-β and a glucocorticoid. Conclusion: These results describing the same response during the course of inflammation suggest similar and co-operative roles of these 2 ccn family members in the course of arthritis.</p

Maxillary Advancement for Unilateral Crossbite in a Patient with Sleep Apnea Syndrome

This article reports the case of a 44-year-old male with skeletal Class III, Angle Class III malocclusion and unilateral crossbite with concerns about obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), esthetics and functional problems. To correct the skeletal deformities, the maxilla was anteriorly repositioned by employing LeFort I osteotomy following pre-surgical orthodontic treatment, because a mandibular setback might induce disordered breathing and cause OSAS. After active treatment for 13 months, satisfactory occlusion was achieved and an acceptable facial and oral profile was obtained. In addition, the apnea hypopnea index (AHI) decreased from 18.8 preoperatively to 10.6 postoperatively. Furthermore, after a follow-up period of 7 months, the AHI again significantly decreased from 10.6 to 6.2. In conclusion, surgical advancement of the maxilla using LeFort I osteotomy has proven to be useful in patients with this kind of skeletal malocclusion, while preventing a worsening of the OSAS

Nonlinear Dynamic Analysis of Vowels in Cleft Palate Children with or without Hypernasality

Objectives. To clarify the difference between Lyapunov exponents (LEs) for cleft palate (CP) patients with hypernasality versus without hypernasality and to investigate the relationship between their LEs and nasalance scores (NSs). Material and Methods. Six CP patients with severe hypernasality (mean age 9.2 years) and six CP patients without hypernasality (mean age 8.0 years) were enrolled. Five Japanese vowels were recorded at 44.1 KHz, and the NSs were measured simultaneously. The mean first LE (mLE1) from all one-second intervals was computed. Results. The mLE1 for /o/ in patients with hypernasality was significantly higher than that in patients without hypernasality. The correlation coefficients between the mLE1 and NS for all vowels were not statistically different. Conclusion. The voice signal of /o/ for the patients with hypernasality was more instable than in those without hypernasality. The chaotic phenomenon was independent of nasal resonance in CP voice

Atypical Lipomatous Tumor of the Tongue:Report of a Case

The term atypical lipomatous tumor (ALT) is synonymous with well-differentiated liposarcoma (WDL). This tumor occurs very rarely in the tongue. Thus, it is difficult to predict its prognosis. Although recurrence of ALT/WDL is thought to be unlikely after complete excision, long-term follow-up is necessary when considering the pathologic conditions of this tumor at other sites. Here, we report a case of an ALT of the tongue, with a review of the literature. A 68-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of a tumor on the left side of his tongue. Upon palpation, the tumor was 12mm in diameter, circumscribed, elastic and hard, well demarcated, movable, and painless. We diagnosed the lesion as a lipoma and extirpated the tumor under local anesthesia. Because the specimen was histopathologically diagnosed as an ALT, as a precaution, we excised an additional 5mm from the area surrounding the original tumor under general anesthesia. Three years after the operation, the tongue demonstrated good healing without paresthesia or dysfunction, and to date there has been no evidence of recurrence

Intermittent parathyroid hormone 1-34 induces oxidation and deterioration of mineral and collagen quality in newly formed mandibular bone

Intermittent parathyroid hormone (PTH) administration is known to promote bone healing after surgical procedures. However, the mechanism and influence of PTH on the mineral and collagen quality of the jaw are not well understood. Most studies have focused on analyzing the bone density and microstructure of the mandible, and have insufficiently investigated its mineral and collagen quality. Oxidative stress activates osteoclasts, produces advanced glycation end products, and worsens mineral and collagen quality. We hypothesized that PTH induces oxidation and affects the mineral and collagen quality of newly formed mandibular bone. To test this, we examined the mineral and collagen quality of newly formed mandibular bone in rats administered PTH, and analyzed serum after intermittent PTH administration to examine the degree of oxidation. PTH administration reduced mineralization and worsened mineral and collagen quality in newly formed bone. In addition, total anti-oxidant capacity in serum was significantly decreased and the oxidative-INDEX was increased among PTH-treated compared to vehicle-treated rats, indicating serum oxidation. In conclusion, intermittent administration of PTH reduced mineral and collagen quality in newly formed mandibular bone. This effect may have been induced by oxidation

New Functions of Classical Compounds against Orofacial Inflammatory Lesions

Anti-inflammatory agents have been widely used to ameliorate severe inflammatory symptoms of a number of diseases, and such therapeutics are particularly useful for diseases with intolerable pain without significant mortality. A typical example of this is a disease known as stomatitis; although stomatitis itself is not a life-threatening disease, it severely impairs the individual&rsquo;s quality of life, and thus a standard therapeutic strategy for it has already been established. The topical application of a bioactive agent is quite easy, and a strong anti-inflammatory agent can be used without significant adverse effects. In contrast, natural products with relatively mild bioactivity are used for systemic intervention. However, new aspects of classical drugs used in these established therapeutic methods have recently been discovered, which is expanding the utility of these compounds to other oral diseases such as osteoarthritis of temporomandibular joints (TMJ-OA). In this review article, after summarizing the general concept and pathobiology of stomatitis, its established therapeutics are explained. Thereafter, recent advances in the research into related compounds, which is uncovering new biological functions of the agents used therein, are introduced. Indeed, regenerative therapeutics for TMJ-OA may be developed with the classical compounds currently being used

New Functions of Classical Compounds against Orofacial Inflammatory Lesions

Anti-inflammatory agents have been widely used to ameliorate severe inflammatory symptoms of a number of diseases, and such therapeutics are particularly useful for diseases with intolerable pain without significant mortality. A typical example of this is a disease known as stomatitis; although stomatitis itself is not a life-threatening disease, it severely impairs the individual&#8217;s quality of life, and thus a standard therapeutic strategy for it has already been established. The topical application of a bioactive agent is quite easy, and a strong anti-inflammatory agent can be used without significant adverse effects. In contrast, natural products with relatively mild bioactivity are used for systemic intervention. However, new aspects of classical drugs used in these established therapeutic methods have recently been discovered, which is expanding the utility of these compounds to other oral diseases such as osteoarthritis of temporomandibular joints (TMJ-OA). In this review article, after summarizing the general concept and pathobiology of stomatitis, its established therapeutics are explained. Thereafter, recent advances in the research into related compounds, which is uncovering new biological functions of the agents used therein, are introduced. Indeed, regenerative therapeutics for TMJ-OA may be developed with the classical compounds currently being used

Analysis of Carbon Dioxide Concentration Prediction Model and Diffusion Tendency of Expiratory by Simultaneous Multipoint Sensing

Recent indoor air quality studies show that even 1000 parts per million (ppm) concentration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) has an adverse effect on human intellectual activities. Therefore, it is required to keep the CO 2 concentration below a certain value in a room. In this study, in order to analyze the diffusion tendency of carbon dioxide by breathing, we constructed a simultaneous multi-point sensing system equipped with a carbon dioxide concentration sensor to measure indoor environment. Furthermore, it was evaluated whether the prediction model can be effectively used by comparing the prediction value by the model and the actually measured value from the sensor. The experimental results showed that CO 2 by exhaled breathing diffuses evenly throughout the room regardless of the sensor&rsquo;s relative positions to the human test subjects. The existing model is sufficiently accurate in a room which has above at least a 0.67 cycle/h ventilation cycle. However, there is a large gap between the measured and the model&rsquo;s predicted values in a room with a low ventilation cycle, and that suggests a measurement with a sensor still is necessary to precisely monitor the indoor air quality