Dental Anomalies in Permanent Teeth after Trauma in Primary Dentition

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study aims to evaluate the prevalence of dental anomalies in permanent teeth as a result of a trauma concerning the predecessor primary teeth. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 241 records of children (118 males and 123 females, mean age 3.62 ± 1.40) affected by trauma on primary teeth were analyzed. All patients were recalled to evaluate the status of the permanent successor teeth by clinical and radiographic investigations. RESULTS: Out of 241 patients, 106 patients (for a total of 179 traumatized primary teeth) presented at the recall. Dental anomalies on successor permanent teeth were detected in 21 patients (19.8%), for a total of 26 teeth (14.5%) and 28 anomalies. Anomalies of the eruptive process were the most observed disturbances (60.7%), followed by enamel hypoplasia (25%) and white spots (14.3%). A higher percentage of anomalies on permanent teeth was observed when trauma occurred at an age less than 36 months (38.5% of cases). Intrusive and extrusive luxation were related with the most cases of clinical disturbances in the successor permanent teeth. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study highlight the risk of dental anomalies after a trauma in primary dentition, especially in early-aged children and in case of intrusive luxation

Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress and Apoptosis Triggered by Sub-Chronic Lead Exposure in Mice Spleen: a Histopathological Study

Lead (Pb) is an environmental oncogenic metal that induces immunotoxicity and anaemia. Emerging evidence has linked Pb toxicity with endoplasmic reticulum-driven apoptosis and autophagy. Glucose-regulated protein of 78 kDa (Grp78 or binding immunoglobulin protein (BiP)), a master endoplasmic reticulum chaperone, drives macrophage activation and regulates protein folding and calcium flux in response to heavy metals. The spleen may be involved in Pb poisoning due to its crucial role in erythrocatheresis and immune response, although there are no data to support this theory. Here, we found haematic and histopathological changes in the spleen of mice exposed to medium doses of Pb acetate (200 ppm-1 mM) in drinking water for 45 days. Pb deposition was also detected in organs such as the liver, kidney, brain, bone, blood and faeces, indicating an accumulation of this metal despite relatively short exposure time. Blood Pb content (BBL) reached 21.6 μg/dL; echinocytes and poikilocytes were found in Pb smears of treated group. Inside the spleen, higher Fe(II) and Fe(III) deposits inside macrophages were observed. Grp78 immunostaining, weakly expressed in spleen cells of control mice, after Pb exposure was specifically restricted to macrophages and megakaryocytes of the marginal zone of red pulp. Furthermore, Pb exposure induced superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) expression, cleaved caspase-3 and p62/SQSTM1, consistent with oxidative stress, apoptosis and dysregulated autophagy in spleen compartments. We suggest that even at a middle dose, oral Pb intake induces oxidant iron deposition in the spleen and that this may trigger sustained Grp78 redistribution to cells, thus leading to oxidative and autophagy dysfunction as early local reactions to this dangerous metal

Thermal requirements of Doru lineare Eschs. and Doru luteipes Scudder in the laboratory

Algumas espécies de tesourinhas (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) são importantes predadoras da lagarta-do-cartucho do milho Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Neste trabalho, avaliou-se o efeito de temperaturas constantes no desenvolvimento de Doru luteipes (Scudder) e Doru lineare (Eschs.). D. luteipes não completou seu desenvolvimento nas temperaturas de 30 e 32°C, enquanto D. lineare não completou apenas na temperatura de 32°C. O período de incubação variou de 8,0 (25°C) a 17,2 dias (18°C) e de 4,6 (30°C) a 14,5 dias (18°C), para D. luteipes e D. lineare, respectivamente. A duração do período ninfal variou de 30,4 dias (25°C) a 63,6 dias (18°C), para D. luteipes, e de 20,4 dias (30°C) a 60,5 dias (18°C), para D. lineare. A duração do ciclo biológico (ovo-adulto) variou de 38,4 (25°C) a 80,8 dias (18°C), para D. luteipes, e de 25 (30°C) a 75 dias (18°C), para D. lineare. Portanto, as temperaturas elevadas foram desfavoráveis para ambas as espécies, observando-se que D. luteipes é mais susceptível à elevação térmica.Some Earwigs species (Dermaptera: Forficulidae) are important predators of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). The effects of constant temperatures on the development of Doru luteipes (Scudder) and Doru lineare (Eschs.) were evaluated. The development of D. luteipes was not completed at 30 and 32°C, whereas D. lineare did not complete only at 32°C. The incubation period ranged from 8.0 (25°C) to 17.2 days (18oC) for D. luteipes and D. lineare, respectively. The duration of the nymphal stage ranged from 30.4 (25°C) to 63.6 days (18°C) for D. luteipes and, from 20.4 (30°C) to 60.5 days (18°C) for D. lineare. The duration of the biological cycle (egg-adult) varied from 38.4 (25°C) to 80.8 days (18°C) for D. luteipes and from 25 (30°C) to 75 days (18°C) for D. lineare. Therefore, high temperatures were unfavorable for both species, but D. luteipes is more susceptible to higher temperatures

From red to blue shift: switching the binding affinity from the acceptor to the donor end by increasing the π-bridge in push–pull chromophores with coordinative ends

A series of homologous push–pull compounds, in which identical donor (a dimethylamino) and acceptor (a malonate ester) functionalities endcap crescent PPV fragments, exhibit striking differences in their supramolecular recognition of cations acting as Lewis acids. The shorter conjugated compound (one phenyl ring) coordinates a wide variety of lanthanide cations (Eu3+, Yb3+ and Er3+) in MeCN solutions to the 1,3-dicarbonyl acceptor end, resulting in an overall supramolecular polarization of the system (red shift of the intramolecular charge-transfer ICT band). With the “hard” cation Sc3+, recognition switches to the tertiary amine donor end, turning the conjugated system from D–π–A to A–π–A, and resulting in a blue shift of the ICT band upon complexation. Interestingly, increasing the conjugation by means of the insertion of sequential p-phenylenevinylene units into the ligand results in coordination to the donor end regardless of cation “hardness” (Sc3+, Eu3+ and Er3+), suggesting a relative change in the nucleophilicity of the two coordinating ends when increasing the length of the conjugated π-bridge. Such a hypothesis is supported by quantum chemical calculations on the ligands and subsequent atomic charges determination using two independent approaches (QTAIM and CHelpG). The characterization of the thermodynamic stabilities and the dimensionalities of the ligand–cation complexes in solution reveals striking differences from case to case, yet increasing affinities (from log Kav = 2.5 to log Kav = 4.9) are recorded with the increase of the π-conjugated bridge

Metabolic frailty in malnourished heart failure patients

Muscular wasting (MW) and cardiac cachexia (CC) are often present in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Aim: To identify whether MW and CC are due to malnutrition or impairment of protein metabolism in HF patients. Material and Method: In 78 clinically stable HF patients (NYHA class II-III), aged from 32 to 89 years, we measured anthropometrical parameters and nutritional habits. In the identified 35 malnourished patients, we also measured: insulin resistance, gluconeogenetic amino acids blood concentration and nitrogen balance. Results: Seventy-five patients had eating-related symptoms. However we found significant nutritional impairment in 35 patients only. In addition, these 35 patients had: 1) significant increase of blood Alanine independently from both presence of insulin resistance or food intake reduction and 2) positive nitrogen balance. Conclusion: Food intake is not impaired in CHF patients. In spite of normal food intake, 35 of 78 patients had nutritional impairment with reduced anthropometric parameters and increased blood Alanine. These findings show alteration of proteins metabolism with proteolysis. We believe that specific physical training with nutritional supplement can be an additional therapy able to prevent protein disarrangement in CHF patients

Olive oil industry by-products. Effects of a polyphenol-rich extract on the metabolome and response to inflammation in cultured intestinal cell

Over the past years, researchers and food manufacturers have become increasingly interested in olive polyphenols due to the recognition of their biological properties and probable role in the prevention of various diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. Olive pomace, one of the main by-products of olive oil production, is a potential low-cost, phenol-rich ingredient for the formulation of functional food. In this study, the aqueous extract of olive pomace was characterized and used to supplement human intestinal cell in culture (Caco-2). The effect on the cell metabolome and the anti-inflammatory potential were then evaluated. Modification in the metabolome induced by supplementation clearly evidenced a metabolic shift toward a “glucose saving/accumulation” strategy that could have a role in maintaining anorexigenic hormone secretion and could explain the reported appetite-suppressing effect of the administration of polyphenol-rich food. In both basal and inflamed condition, supplementation significantly reduced the secretion of the main pro-inflammatory cytokine, IL-8. Thus, our data confirm the therapeutic potential of polyphenols, and specifically of olive pomace in intestinal bowel diseases. Although intervention studies are needed to confirm the clinical significance of our findings, the herein reported results pave the road for exploitation of olive pomace in the formulation of new, value-added foods. In addition, the application of a foodomics approach allowed observing a not hypothesized modulation of glucose metabolism

Effect of Sprouting on Biomolecular and Antioxidant Features of Common Buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum)

Buckwheat is a pseudo-cereal widely grown and consumed throughout the world. Buckwheat is recognized as a good source of nutrients and, in combination with other health-promoting components, is receiving increasing attention as a potential functional food. Despite the high nutritional value of buckwheat, a variety of anti-nutritional features makes it difficult to exploit its full potential. In this framework, sprouting (or germination) may represent a process capable of improving the macromolecular profile, including reducing anti-nutritional factors and/or synthesizing or releasing bioactives. This study addressed changes in the biomolecular profile and composition of buckwheat that was sprouted for 48 and 72 h. Sprouting increased the content of peptides and free-phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity, caused a marked decline in the concentration of several anti-nutritional components, and affected the metabolomic profile with an overall improvement in the nutritional characteristics. These results further confirm sprouting as a process suitable for improving the compositional traits of cereals and pseudo-cereals, and are further steps towards the exploitation of sprouted buckwheat as a high-quality ingredient in innovative products of industrial interest

Metabolic syndrome alters inflammatory and membrane markers expression in human atrium cardiomyocytes

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of various clinical cardiovascular risk factor and causes metabolic and structural cardiomyocytes damage. Our previous study showed that MetS increases cardiomyocytes stress chaperones (1). In this work we aimed to investigate if patients with MetS showed alteration of surface, mitochondria and inflammatory markers in atrium cardiomyocytes. Atrium samples from MetS patients with stable angina, undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery were used. Samples from matched age subjects without MetS and no smokers, undergoing cardiac surgery for other reasons, were used as controls. The samples, obtained before cardioplegia, were fixed and processed for Caveolin 1 (Cav1), MURC, Citrate Synthase (CS), SIRT3, SOD1, IL6-10, iNOS and eNOS by immunohistochemistry. Compared to controls, in cardiomyocytes from MetS patients decreased the expression of Cav1, MURC, SIRT3, IL10 and eNOS, whereas increased the expression of CS, SOD1, IL6, iNOS. Cardiomyocytes from MetS patients present an evident inflammatory chronic state, that alters the Cav1-MURC expression. These alterations could reduce the exchange functions of sarcolemma so impairing the contractile capacity associated with mitochondrial impairment. We speculate that these damages could induce antioxidant SOD1 over-expression to rescue the cells. All these results, first from human heart, suggest that MetS induces severe enzymatic disregulation in atrium cardiomyocytes that may predispose to cardiac surgery complications

Soluble plasma thrombomodulin levels in patients with chronic myeloproliferative disorder.

The plasma levels of soluble thrombomodulin (TM) were measured in 44 patients with chronic myeloprolif erative disorder, 15 with polycythemia vera (PV), 29 with es sential thrombocythemia (ET), and a group of 62 matched healthy controls. The younger patients had significantly lower TM levels (mean: 15.6 ± 4.8 ng/mL) than the older patients (mean: 28.6 ± 8.2 ng/mL, p < .001). Moreover, a significant negative correlation between platelet counts and plasma TM levels in healthy persons was noted (r = 0.317, p < .05). The only significant difference we found in plasma TM levels be tween patients and controls or among patients was between the young patients with ET (mean: 29.0 ± 19.2 ng/mL) and young healthy controls (mean: 15.6 ± 4.8 ng/mL). It is possible that younger ET patients with more active platelets are more sus ceptible to earlier vascular damage. The lack of any significant difference compared with the older patient population supports this hypothesis. Key Words: Thrombomodulin—Essential thrombocythemia—Polycythemia vera