Effect of grape components on periodontal disease.

Background: Half of the adult American population (47 %) are victims of periodontitis, a chronic inflammatory disease which leads to destruction of the tissues supporting the tooth. Periodontitis is initiated by periodontal pathogens and caused by excessive or prolonged host mediated inflammation. Porphyromonas gingivalisis one important agent implicated in the etiopathogenesis of chronic periodontitis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by periodontal pathogens can cause alveolar bone loss and periodontitis. Bone loss is caused by the imbalance of bone formation and bone resorption. Osteoclasts are major cells that cause bone resorption. Moreover, periodontal inflammation also leads to bone resorption. Grapes are rich in several components like catechin and pro-anthocyanidins, which possess extensive biologic properties including inhibitory effects on oral bacteria and the ability to suppress inflammation. Grape components may intensely inhibit osteoclastogenesis by suppressing osteoclast differentiation and thus may be beneficial in anti-inflammatory treatment accompanying bone destruction. Grapes may thus prove as a promising natural therapeutic agent for periodontitis therapy. They may exhibit their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties by suppressing the activation of NF-κB signal transduction pathways (Lee, Kim et al. 2017)(Chu, Tang et al. 2016). The focus of this study was to determine the effects of grape components on bacterial growth, inflammation, and osteoclastogenesis in vitroand gingival inflammation and bone loss in vivo. Hypothesis: We hypothesize that grape powder extract will inhibit P. gingivalisgrowth, suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines and inhibit osteoclastogenesis in vitro. We also hypothesize that grape powder inhibits gingival inflammation and prevents bone loss in a murine model. Methods:In vitro– the effect of grape powder extract on bacterial growth was tested by inoculatingP. gingivalisinto 1.5 ml microcentrifuge tubes containing different concentrations (0.0625, 0.125, 0.5 µg/ml) of grape powder extract and incubating the tubes at 37°C for 24 h. Controls included no grape powder treatment. The bacterial number was determined by plating on blood agar for CFU. 105 Murine RAW 264.7 cells were treated with grape powder extract (50, 100, 200 µg/ml) or no grape powder extract and stimulated with 1 µg/ml P. gingivalisLPS overnight and tested for the expression of IL-6 by ELISA. Similarly, 105THP1-Blue cells™ were treated with grape powder extract (50, 100, 200 µg/ml)or no grape powder extract, stimulated with 10 µg/ml P. gingivalisLPS overnight. Activity of NF-κB-inducible alkaline phosphatase in THP1-Blue cells™ was determined by colorimetric activation. 103RAW 264.7 cells were stimulated with 100 ng/ml RANKL and treated with 200µg/ml grape powder extract. The cells with no grape powder extract treatment were used as controls. Seven days later, the cultures were fixed and stained with TRAP for 15 mins, an osteoclast marker and the number of TRAP positive cells were counted microscopically. In vivo- Grape powder was tested in a 7-day murine ligature-induced periodontitis model where mice received a ligation around the second molar and also a baker model, where P. gingivaliswas orally infected and mice were kept for 2 months. The mice consumed a grape powder or no grape powder diet. Maxillary gingival tissue was tested for mRNA expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines by Quantitative real-time PCR in the ligature model. Alveolar bone loss was determined by measuring the CEJ-ABC distance in the baker model. The statistical analysis used was a two-tailed t test. (GraphPad Prism Software, San Diego, CA, USA). Differences were considered statistically significant at a P value of Results: There was a decrease in the number of oral bacteria (CFU) with increasing concentration of grape powder extract. Thus, grape powder extract inhibited P. gingivalisgrowth. RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with P. gingivalisonlyshowed maximum levels of IL-6 production. However, in the cells that received grape powder extract, a decrease in the amount of IL-6 was noted. THP1-Blue cells™ stimulated with P. gingivalisLPS and treated with grape powder extract showed reduction in the level of NF-κB activity. Cells without RANKL stimulation and grape powder extract treatment showed no formation of TRAP-positive cells. Cells treated with grape powder extract showed a significant reduction in the number of TRAP positive cells. Thus, grape powder extract inhibited P. gingivalisgrowth, osteoclastogenesis and P. gingivalis-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production in vitro. There was a reduction in the levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and TNF-αafter treatment with grape powder in ligature model mice. However, there were no significant changes in the levels of IL-17, IL-1b, IL-10 and TGF-b. CEJ-ABC distance was also reduced which indicated bone loss in the baker model. Overall, grape powder reduced gingival inflammation and bone loss in murine models. Conclusion and practical implications: Grape components or grape consumption can be beneficial in the prevention or treatment of periodontal disease. Grape components can be useful for further development as a potential and safe therapeutic agent in periodontal disease treatment

A randomized study of comparison of intravenous dexmedetomidine and intravenous esmolol to attenuate the cardiovascular responses to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation

Background: The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy of intravenous dexmedetomidine and esmolol in attenuating the cardiovascular pressor responses to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation.Method: Study was done on 60 adults, American society of anesthesiologists (ASA) grade I or II normotensive patients, undergoing elective surgery under general anesthesia and willing to participate. These patients were randomly allocated to either group E (esmolol) or D (dexmedetomidine). Group ‘D’, patients were given intravenous dexmedetomidine infusion 1 mcg/kg over 10 minutes, 3 minutes before start of laryngoscopy. Group ‘E’, patients were given intravenous esmolol 1.5 mg/kg 2 minutes before start of laryngoscopy. All patients were premedicated, induced and intubated using thiopentone and succinyl choline as per the protocol. Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) were recorded at baseline (taken half an hour prior to anesthesia), before sedation, after induction but before intubation, immediately after endotracheal intubation and thereafter at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 minutes.Results: Immediately after intubation, HR was similar in group D and group E, thereafter HR remained higher in group E as compared to group D, and difference was statistically significant. SBP, DBP and MAP recorded was higher in group E as compared to group D, and difference was statistically significant.Conclusion: Authors conclude that intravenous dexmedetomidine 1 ug/kg is better drug to attenuate hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation as compared to intravenous esmolol 1.5 mg/kg

A randomized controlled study of intravenous esmolol to attenuate the cardiovascular responses to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation

Background: Objective is to compare the efficacy of intravenous Esmolol to attenuate the cardiovascular responses to laryngoscopy and endotracheal intubation with control group.Methods: Study was done on 60 adults, ASA grade I or II normotensive patients, undergoing elective surgery under general anaesthesia and willing to participate. These patients where be randomly allocated in to either group C (Control) or E (Esmolol). Group ‘C’ Control group. Group ‘E’, patients were given intravenous Esmolol 1.5 mg/kg 2 minutes before start of laryngoscopy. All patients were premedicated, induced and intubated using Thiopentone and Succinyl Choline as per the protocol. Heart Rate (HR), SBP, DBP and MAP were recorded at baseline (taken half an hour prior to anaesthesia), Before sedation, After induction but before intubation, Immediately after endotracheal intubation and Thereafter at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 10 minutes.Results: Heart rate was lower in Group E as compared to Group C, and there was statistically significant difference immediately after intubation till 4 minutes after intubation. While Blood pressure was lower in Group E as compared to Group C, and there was statistically significant difference only immediately after intubation.Conclusions: In Normotensive patients requiring general anaesthesia with laryngoscopy and intubation, authors conclude that intravenous Esmolol 1.5 mg/kg attenuated Heart rate response but fails to satisfactorily prevent rise in blood pressure

Cortisol relates to executive functioning for children attending Head Start preschool

Background: Approximately 15 million children in the United States grow up in poverty circumstances (National Center for Children in Poverty, 2018), as 24% of all children under the age of 6 live in households with income levels classified as below the federal poverty guideline (Jiang et al., 2016). Recent research has highlighted the impact of early childhood poverty circumstances on physiological systems that respond to stress (Lupien et al., 2001), with implications for typical development in the prefrontal cortex (Hair et al., 2015) and related executive functioning (Blair & Raver, 2016). Method: The present study investigated relations among various components of teacher-reported executive functioning (BRIEF; Gioia et al., 2000) and total cortisol output of 318 young children (ages 3-5 years) across a preschool day. Salivary cortisol was sampled in duplicate at 4 times across 2 days in the beginning of the school year, resulting in a total of 16 samples per child. Results and Implications: We hypothesized that higher cortisol levels, likely attributable to poverty-stress (Blair et al., 2011) across the preschool day would relate to greater difficulties in teacher-reported EF, controlling for child age, sex, and family income. A multiple regression model that aligned with this hypothesis predicted BRIEF, General Composite Score with statistical significance. Moreover, child salivary cortisol across the preschool day predicted teacher-reported executive functioning for each domain score of the BRIEF. Implications concern understanding the impact of stress on executive functioning in the preschool classroom and promoting positive outcomes for children facing poverty risk

Intra-vesical BCG induced granulomatous hepatitis and disseminated Koch’s: Our experience

Bacille Calmette-Guerin (BCG) vaccine, developed by Calmette and Guerin at Institute Pasteur (Lille, France), is a live-attenuated Mycobacterium bovis strain. There are many therapeutic uses of the species have been described, Intravesical BCG has been established as an effective treatment of superficial bladder cancer. A 66-year old gentleman with newly diagnosed superficial high-grade papillary transitional cell carcinoma involving lamina propria (T1) of the bladder underwent 3 cycles of intravesical BCG. First 2 cycles were uneventful and tolerated well. After 3rd BCG cycle, patient developed granulomatous hepatitis with disseminated Koch's. BCG-induced sepsis after intra-vesical instillation for bladder cancer is a rare complication. Pathophysiology remains largely unknown, but BCG’s low virulence suggests that immunological hypersensitivity reaction probably plays a role. There have been no prospective studies to evaluate the optimal treatment for BCG infection

Evaluation of endometrial pathologies with high resolution transvaginal ultrasound

Background: The purpose of this study is to evaluate endometrial lesions on the basis of their appearances by high resolution trans-vaginal ultrasound. High resolution trans-vaginal sonography is useful for diagnosis of various endometrial lesions. Broad spectrum of endometrial lesions can be accurately imaged by various available modalities of which ultrasound is easily available, reliable, non-invasive and cost effective modality.Methods: In these study cases with complaints of abnormal uterine bleeding, suspected retained products, white discharge, dysmenorrhea and habitual abortions were evaluated with trans-vaginal ultrasound. Lesions were carefully studied and evaluated. Philips HD-11 and Accuson Siemens ultrasound machines with trans-vaginal probes were used.Results: In all 121 cases, trans-abdominal and trans-vaginal high resolution ultrasound was performed for different lesions in endometrium. Age group of females was between 18 to 65 years. Different uterine lesions were studied. Out of which most commonly encountered lesions were endometrial hyperplasia followed by polyps and least common lesion was AV malformation.Conclusions: High resolution trans-vaginal ultrasound helped in staging and management in cases of ca. endometrium. Hence trans-vaginal ultrasound should be 1st choice of investigation for diagnosis of endometrial lesions

Independent Component Analysis of the Effect of L-dopa on fMRI of Language Processing

L-dopa, which is a precursor for dopamine, acts to amplify strong signals, and dampen weak signals as suggested by previous studies. The effect of L-dopa has been demonstrated in language studies, suggesting restriction of the semantic network. In this study, we aimed to examine the effect of L-dopa on language processing with fMRI using Independent Component Analysis (ICA). Two types of language tasks (phonological and semantic categorization tasks) were tested under two drug conditions (placebo and L-dopa) in 16 healthy subjects. Probabilistic ICA (PICA), part of FSL, was implemented to generate Independent Components (IC) for each subject for the four conditions and the ICs were classified into task-relevant source groups by a correlation threshold criterion. Our key findings include: (i) The highly task-relevant brain regions including the Left Inferior Frontal Gyrus (LIFG), Left Fusiform Gyrus (LFUS), Left Parietal lobe (LPAR) and Superior Temporal Gyrus (STG) were activated with both L-dopa and placebo for both tasks, and (ii) as compared to placebo, L-dopa was associated with increased activity in posterior regions, including the superior temporal area (BA 22), and decreased activity in the thalamus (pulvinar) and inferior frontal gyrus (BA 11/47) for both tasks. These results raise the possibility that L-dopa may exert an indirect effect on posterior regions mediated by the thalamus (pulvinar)

Effects of retrieval practice on conceptual explicit and implicit consumer memory

Two experiments are reported that investigate the effects of retrieval practice on explicit and implicit memory for brand names. In Experiment 1, participants were exposed to a set of brand names pertaining to a range of product categories. Following this, participants practiced retrieving a subset of the brands before taking an explicit or implicit test for the brands. The explicit test, required recall of the brands in response to product category cues. The implicit test required the generation of the first brand names that came to mind. In both tests, prior retrieval produced retrieval-induced forgetting of the non-practiced brands. Experiment 2 replicated this effect under conditions designed to reduce explicit contamination. In addition, Experiment 2 found that increasing the amount of retrieval practice also increased the magnitude of retrieval-induced forgetting on the explicit but not the implicit test. Implications for advertising and marketing are considered. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd