Distinctive features of the microbiota associated with different forms of apical periodontitis

Microorganisms infecting the dental root canal system play an unequivocal role as causative agents of apical periodontitis. Although fungi, archaea, and viruses have been found in association with some forms of apical periodontitis, bacteria are the main microbial etiologic agents of this disease. Bacteria colonizing the root canal are usually organized in communities similar to biofilm structures. Culture and molecular biology technologies have demonstrated that the endodontic bacterial communities vary in species richness and abundance depending on the different types of infection and different forms of apical periodontitis. This review paper highlights the distinctive features of the endodontic microbiota associated with diverse clinical conditions

IN VITRO ANTIOXIDANT CAPACITY, PHENOLIC, ASCORBIC ACID AND LYCOPENE CONTENT OF GUAVA (Psidium guajava L.) JUICES AND NECTARS

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)The aim of this work was to determine the antioxidant capacity in vitro of three different brands of guava nectars and juices, through free radicals scavenging methods, 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazine (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid (ABTS(.+)), and its correlation with the total polyphenolic content, total lycopene and ascorbic acid. Brands revealed statistical differences (p <= 0.05) in antioxidant capacity, ranging from 1.9 to 7.7 molTE/mL. Antioxidant capacity presented positive correlation for ascorbic acid content and polyphenolic compounds, being relatively low for the lycopene. Different process can influence the content of these compounds as well as interfere in their antioxidant capacity. The control of the production process is important to add value to guava products and fulfill the new tendency of the market.272175182Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq

TRAIL signals through the ubiquitin ligase MID1 to promote pulmonary fibrosis

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Tumour necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) has previously been demonstrated to play a pro-inflammatory role in allergic airways disease and COPD through the upregulation of the E3 ubiquitin ligase MID1 and the subsequent deactivation of protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A). Methods: Biopsies were taken from eight IPF patients presenting to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Jilin University, China between January 2013 and February 2014 with control samples obtained from resected lung cancers. Serum TRAIL, MID1 protein and PP2A activity in biopsies, and patients' lung function were measured. Wild type and TRAIL deficient Tnfsf10 -/- BALB/c mice were administered bleomycin to induce fibrosis and some groups were treated with the FTY720 analogue AAL(s) to activate PP2A. Mouse fibroblasts were treated with recombinant TRAIL and fibrotic responses were assessed. Results: TRAIL in serum and MID1 protein levels in biopsies from IPF patients were increased compared to controls. MID1 levels were inversely associated while PP2A activity levels correlated with DLco. Tnfsf10 -/- and mice treated with the PP2A activator AAL(s) were largely protected against bleomycin-induced reductions in lung function and fibrotic changes. Addition of recombinant TRAIL to mouse fibroblasts in-vitro increased collagen production which was reversed by PP2A activation with AAL(s). Conclusion: TRAIL signalling through MID1 deactivates PP2A and promotes fibrosis with corresponding lung function decline. This may provide novel therapeutic targets for IPF

Comparing the Bacterial Diversity of Acute and Chronic Dental Root Canal Infections

This study performed barcoded multiplex pyrosequencing with a 454 FLX instrument to compare the microbiota of dental root canal infections associated with acute (symptomatic) or chronic (asymptomatic) apical periodontitis. Analysis of samples from 9 acute abscesses and 8 chronic infections yielded partial 16S rRNA gene sequences that were taxonomically classified into 916 bacterial species-level operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (at 3% divergence) belonging to 67 genera and 13 phyla. The most abundant phyla in acute infections were Firmicutes (52%), Fusobacteria (17%) and Bacteroidetes (13%), while in chronic infections the dominant were Firmicutes (59%), Bacteroidetes (14%) and Actinobacteria (10%). Members of Fusobacteria were much more prevalent in acute (89%) than in chronic cases (50%). The most abundant/prevalent genera in acute infections were Fusobacterium and Parvimonas. Twenty genera were exclusively detected in acute infections and 18 in chronic infections. Only 18% (n = 165) of the OTUs at 3% divergence were shared by acute and chronic infections. Diversity and richness estimators revealed that acute infections were significantly more diverse than chronic infections. Although a high interindividual variation in bacterial communities was observed, many samples tended to group together according to the type of infection (acute or chronic). This study is one of the most comprehensive in-deep comparisons of the microbiota associated with acute and chronic dental root canal infections and highlights the role of diverse polymicrobial communities as the unit of pathogenicity in acute infections. The overall diversity of endodontic infections as revealed by the pyrosequencing technique was much higher than previously reported for endodontic infections

In vitro and in vivo antileishmanial efficacy of a combination therapy of diminazene and artesunate against Leishmania donovani in BALB /c mice

The in vitro and in vivo activity of diminazene (Dim), artesunate (Art) and combination of Dim and Art (Dim-Art) against Leishmania donovani was compared to reference drug; amphotericin B. IC50 of Dim-Art was found to be $2.28 \pm 0.24 \mu$ g/mL while those of Dim and Art were $9.16 \pm 0.3 \mu$ g/mL and $4.64 \pm 0.48 \mu$ g/mL respectively. The IC50 for Amphot B was $0.16 \pm 0.32 \mu$ g/mL against stationary-phase promastigotes. In vivo evaluation in the L. donovani BALB/c mice model indicated that treatments with the combined drug therapy at doses of 12.5 mg/kg for 28 consecutive days significantly ($p < 0.001$) reduced parasite burden in the spleen as compared to the single drug treatments given at the same dosages. Although parasite burden was slightly lower ($p < 0.05$) in the Amphot B group than in the Dim-Art treatment group, the present study demonstrates the positive advantage and the potential use of the combined therapy of Dim-Art over the constituent drugs, Dim or Art when used alone. Further evaluation is recommended to determine the most efficacious combination ratio of the two compounds.Comment: 4 Pages, 3 Figure

Genotype by environment interaction in Nelore cattle from five Brazilian states

Records from 75,941 Nelore cattle were used to determine the importance of genotype by environment interaction (GEI) in five Brazilian states. (Co)variance components were estimated by single-trait analysis (with yearling weight, W450, considered to be the same trait in all states) and multiple-trait analysis (with the record from each state considered to be a different trait). The direct heritability estimates for yearling weight were 0.51, 0.39, 0.44, 0.37 and 0.41 in the states of Goiás, Mato Grosso, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais, respectively. The across-state genetic correlation estimates between Goiás and Mato Grosso, Goiás and Minas Gerais, São Paulo and Minas Gerais, and Mato Grosso do Sul and Minas Gerais ranged from 0.67 to 0.75. These estimates indicate that GEIs are biologically important. No interactions were observed between Goiás and São Paulo, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and São Paulo, Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and Minas Gerais, or São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul (0.82 to 0.97). Comparison of single and multiple-trait analyses showed that selection based on the former was less efficient in the presence of GEI, with substantial losses (up to 10%) during selection