A histological and micro-CT investigation in to the effect of NGF and EGF on the periodontal, alveolar bone, root and pulpal healing of replanted molars in a rat model - a pilot study

Background: This study aims to investigate, utilising micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) and histology, whether the topical application of nerve growth factor (NGF) and/or epidermal growth factor (EGF) can enhance periodontal, alveolar bone, root and pulpal tissue regeneration while minimising the risk of pulpal necrosis, root resorption and ankylosis of replanted molars in a rat model. Methods: Twelve four-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: sham, collagen, EGF and NGF. The maxillary right first molar was elevated and replanted with or without a collagen membrane impregnated with either the growth factors EGF or NGF, or a saline solution. Four weeks after replantation, the animals were sacrificed and the posterior maxilla was assessed using histological and micro-CT analysis. The maxillary left first molar served as the control for the corresponding right first molar. Results: Micro-CT analysis revealed a tendency for all replanted molars to have reduced root length, root volume, alveolar bone height and inter-radicular alveolar bone volume. It appears that the use of the collagen membrane had a negative effect while no positive effect was noted with the incorporation of EGF or NGF. Histologically, the incorporation of the collagen membrane was found to negatively affect pulpal, root, periodontal and alveolar bone healing with pulpal inflammation and hard tissue formation, extensive root resorption and alveolar bone fragmentation. The incorporation of EGF and NGF did not improve root, periodontal or alveolar bone healing. However, EGF was found to improve pulp vascularisation while NGF improved pulpal architecture and cell organisation, although not to the level of the control group.Conclusions: Results indicate a possible benefit on pulpal vascularisation and pulpal cell organisation following the incorporation of EGF and NGF, respectively, into the alveolar socket of replanted molars in the rat model. No potential benefit of EGF and NGF was detected in periodontal or root healing, while the use of a collagen membrane carrier was found to have a negative effect on the healing response

Tooth transplantations: a descriptive retrospective study

The aim of the present study was to perform a retrospective study of autogeneously transplanted teeth in order to examine the influence of clinical criteria such as the type of the donor tooth, the root length at the time of transplantation, donor eruption stage and others on the overall success rate of the transplantation. The material of this study consisted of 194 patients in whom 273 teeth were transplanted. The mean age at the time of autotransplantation was 18.1 years with a standard deviation of 7.5 years. Transplantations were performed in two hospitals. The follow-up period varied from 15 days to 11 years, and the mean follow-up time was 3.8 years. 58/273 teeth showed one or other form of resorption, 37/273 teeth showed ankylosis, 30/273 showed no important changes in pulp chamber size, 104/273 showed major discoloration after transplantation, 92/273 teeth showed positive results for cold test after transplantation and 26/273 teeth showed clinically unacceptable pocket depth. Clinical and radiological evaluations were performed. An association was found between successful transplantation and donor tooth type (P<0.01), root length at the time of transplantation (P<0.0001) and recipient tooth site (P=0.03). There was a borderline association between successful transplantation and donor eruption stage (P=0.05). In conclusion, autotransplantation of teeth performed with a careful surgical procedure at the stage of 1/2-3/4 of their intended or expected root length can render a very useful service to patients.status: publishe

Use of copper oxide wire particles to control gastrointestinal nematodes in goats

The objectives of these experiments were to determine the optimal dose of copper oxide wire particles (COWP) necessary to reduce gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) infection in young and mature goats naturally infected with Haemonchus contortus or a mixed infection and to determine whether the effectiveness could be enhanced through feeding management. Two experiments were conducted during cooler months in Georgia, and 4 experiments were conducted during warmer spring or summer months in Arkansas. Meat goats received 0 up to 10 g of COWP under a variety of management conditions. In all experiments, blood and feces were collected every 3 or 7 d from 6 to 42 d to determine blood packed cell volume (PCV) and fecal egg counts (FEC) to estimate the degree of GIN infection. In mature goats grazing fall pasture, mean FEC of 0 g of COWP-treated goats increased, and those of 4 g of COWP-treated goats remained low on d 0, 7, and 14 (COWP x d, P \u3c 0.03), and FEC decreased on these days (P \u3c 0.001). In 5 and 10 g of COWP-treated goats, PCV increased (P \u3c 0.001), but FEC and PCV remained unchanged over time in control goats. Fecal egg counts were similar among all low doses (0.5, 1, 2, 4 g) of COWP administered to weaned kids for all dates examined (P \u3e 0.10), which were lower on d 7 through 21 (COWP x date, P \u3c 0.05) but similar by d 28, compared with FEC of 0 g of COWP-treated kids. Packed cell volume was lower in 0 g compared with all COWP-treated kids by d 14 (COWP x date, P \u3c 0.05). Feeding management in combination with COWP for GIN control had little effect compared with COWP alone for these short-term studies. In conclusion, a dose of COWP as low as 0.5 g, which was considered optimal to reduce the risk of copper toxicity, was effective in reducing FEC in young goats, and 5 g of COWP was effective in older goats. Copper oxide does not appear to be effective in controlling newly acquired L4 stage (preadult) larvae, which also feed on blood, leading to decreased PCV in newly infected goats. ©2007 American Society of Animal Science. All rights reserved

One-Pot Synthesis of 3-Sulfenyl/Selenylimidazo[1,5-a]quinolines from 2-Methylquinolines, Aliphatic Amines/Amino Acids, and Dichalcogenides

One‐pot sulfenylation/selenylation reaction have been developed to access 3‐sulfenyl/selenylimidazo[1,5‐a]quinolines from 2‐methylquinolines, aliphatic amines/amino acids and dichalcogenides. This developed method gives direct access to 3‐chalcogenylimidazo[1,5‐a]quinolines in moderate to good yields with good functional group tolerance from readily available starting materials. Moreover, this protocol can avoid the prior synthesis of fused imidazoles as starting materials for the synthesis of 3‐chalcogenylimidazo[1,5‐a]quinolines. Further, we have shown synthetic utility of 3‐sulfenylimidazo[1,5‐a]quinolines with m‐CPBA to afford corresponding sulfones in good to excellent yields

Effects of feeding sericea lespedeza hay to goats infected with Haemonchus contortus

Infection with gastrointestinal nematodes (GIN) is a primary constraint to economic goat production in the southern USA. Anthelmintic resistance is highly prevalent in goat nematodes in this region, and non-chemical control methods are needed. Grazing of forages containing condensed tannins (CT) or feeding purified CT as part of the diet has shown potential for reducing parasite egg counts in faeces of sheep and goats, but little information is available on feeding hay from CT-containing forages. The anthelmintic potential of sericea lespedeza [Lespedeza cuneata (Dum-Cours.) G. Don] hay was evaluated in an 8-week feeding trial with goats. Twenty yearling Spanish-cross does were given a single challenge of 10,000 Haemonchus contortus infective (L3) larvae to boost their naturally acquired parasite load. After three weeks grazing, the does were moved to pens (5 animals per pen) and fed either ground sericea or bermudagrass [Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers.] hay diets (treatment n = 10) balanced for crude protein and energy with a small amount of supplement. All 20 does were fed the bermudagrass diet for a 1-week adjustment period, after which two pens of animals were switched to the sericea diet for four weeks (trial period). All the does were then fed the bermudagrass diet for an additional three weeks. Throughout the experiment worm egg counts (FEC; faecal egg count) were done weekly for each doe. Egg shedding was similar between the two groups prior to feeding the treatment diets, significantly lower in sericea-fed goats during the 4-week trial period, and again similar during the 3-week post-trial period. Feeding sericea lespedeza hay to goats reduced nematode egg shedding and may have potential to reduce pasture contamination from GIN larvae. © South African Society for Animal Science

Single vs replicate Real-Time PCR SARS-CoV-2 testing: Lessons learned for effective pandemic management

Coronavirus Disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus remains a global pandemic having a serious impact on national economies and healthcare infrastructure. Accurate infection detection protocols are key to policy guidance and decision making. In this pilot study, we compared single versus replicate PCR testing for effective and accurate SARS-CoV-2 infection detection. One-Step Real-Time RT-PCR was employed for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 RNA isolated from individual nasopharyngeal swabs. A total of 10,014 swabs, sampled from the general public (hospital admissions, A&E, elective surgeries, cancer patients, care home residents and healthcare staff), were tested using standard replicate testing. Our analysis demonstrates that approximately 19% of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals would have been reported as false negative if single sample Real-Time PCR testing was used. Therefore, two replicate tests can substantially decrease the risk of false negative reporting and reduce hospital and community infection rates. As the number of variants of concern increases, we believe that replicate testing is an essential consideration for effective SARS-CoV-2 infection detection and prevention of further outbreaks. A strategic approach limiting the number of missed infections is crucial in controlling the rise of new SARS-CoV-2 variants as well as the management of future pandemics