120 research outputs found
Prokineticin 2 upregulation in the peripheral nervous system has a major role in triggering and maintaining neuropathic pain in the chronic constriction injury model
The new chemokine Prokineticin 2 (PROK2) and its receptors (PKR1 and PKR2) have a role in inflammatory pain and
immunomodulation. Here we identified PROK2 as a critical mediator of neuropathic pain in the chronic constriction injury (CCI)
of the sciatic nerve in mice and demonstrated that blocking the prokineticin receptors with two PKR1-preferring antagonists (PC1
and PC7) reduces pain and nerve damage. PROK2 mRNA expression was upregulated in the injured nerve since day 3 post injury
(dpi) and in the ipsilateral DRG since 6 dpi. PROK2 protein overexpression was evident in Schwann Cells, infiltrating macrophages
and axons in the peripheral nerve and in the neuronal bodies and some satellite cells in the DRG. Therapeutic treatment of
neuropathic mice with the PKR-antagonist, PC1, impaired the PROK2 upregulation and signalling. This fact, besides alleviating
pain, brought down the burden of proinflammatory cytokines in the damaged nerve and prompted an anti-inflammatory repair
program. Such a treatment also reduced intraneural oedema and axon degeneration as demonstrated by the physiological skin
innervation and thickness conserved in CCI-PC1 mice. These findings suggest that PROK2 plays a crucial role in neuropathic pain
and might represent a novel target of treatment for this disease
Reduction of precocious peri-implant resorption cone
Aim: After implant-insertion, bone tissue, newly-formed on peri-implant crest, undergoes to a mild marginal osseous readjustment due to build-up of inflammatory cell tissue (ICT). The present study verifies the possibility to limit bone resorption by placing implant fixtures 0.5 mm outside cortical bone edge. Methods: A clinically-controlled randomized study on 100 implants has been performed to compare early resorption process of implant fixtures placed 0.5 mm outside cortical bone edge with implant-fixtures inserted according to juxtacortical bone conventional protocols. Results: After 6 months, bone implant level was higher with emersion approach (-1.01\ub10.54 mm, mean\ub1SD) than with submerged treatment (-1.56\ub10.5 mm) (P<0.001). Conclusion: Factors to achieve an excellent result at mean-long term seem to be very good, even though the latter have to be confirmed by follow-up
Role of heme oxygenase in modulating endothelial function in mesenteric small resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats.
It has been proposed that endothelial dysfunction is due to the excessive degradation of nitric oxide (NO) by oxidative stress. The enzyme heme-oxygenase (HO) seems to exert a protective effect on oxidative stress in the vasculature, both in animal models and in humans. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of inhibition or activation of HO on endothelial function in mesenteric small resistance arteries of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Six SHR were treated with cobalt protoporphyrin IX 50 mg/Kg (CoPP), an activator of HO; six SHR with stannous mesoporphyrin 30 mg/Kg (SnMP), an inhibitor of HO, and six SHR with saline. As controls, six Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) were treated with CoPP, six WKY with SnMP, and six WKY with saline. Drugs were injected in the peritoneum once a week for 2 weeks. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) was measured (tail cuff method) before and after treatment. Mesenteric small resistance arteries were mounted on a micromyograph. Endothelial function was evaluated as a cumulative concentration-response curve to acetylcholine (ACH), before and after pre-incubation with N(G)-methyl-L-arginine (L-NMMA, inhibitor of NO synthase), and to bradykinin (BK). In SHR treatment with CoPP, improved ACH-and BK-induced vasodilatation (ANOVA p < 0.001) and this improvement was abolished by L-NMMA (ANOVA p < 0.001). SnMP was devoid of effects on endothelial function. In WKY, both activation and inhibition of HO did not substantially affect endothelium-mediated vasodilatation. The stimulation of HO seems to induce an improvement of endothelial dysfunction in SHR by possibly reducing oxidative stress and increasing NO availability
Tensile strength assay comparing the resistance between two different autologous platelet concentrates (leucocyte-platelet rich fibrin versus advanced-platelet rich fibrin): a pilot study
Background: Since the leucocyte-platelet rich fibrin (L-PRF) was published in 2001, many studies have been developed, analyzing its properties, and also verifying new possibilities to improve it. Thereby, it emerges the advanced-platelet rich fibrin (A-PRF) with a protocol that optimizes the properties obtained by the L-PRF. Nonetheless, there is a gap in the literature to landmark the evolutive process concerning the mechanical properties in specific the resistance to tensile strength which consequently may influence the time for membrane degradation. Thus, this study had the goal to compare the resistance to the traction of membranes produced with the original L-PRF and A-PRF protocols, being the first to this direct comparison. Findings: The harvest of blood from a healthy single person, with no history of anticoagulant usage. We performed the protocols described in the literature, within a total of 13 membranes produced for each protocol (n = 26). Afterward, the membranes were prepared and submitted to a traction test assessing the maximal and the average traction achieved for each membrane. The data were analyzed statistically using the unpaired t test. Regarding average traction, A-PRF obtained a value of 0.0288 N mm−2 and L-PRF 0.0192 N mm−2 (p < 0.05 using unpaired t test). For maximal traction, A-PRF obtained 0.0752 N mm−2 and L-PRF 0.0425 N mm−2 (p < 0.05 using unpaired t test). Conclusion: With this study, it was possible to conclude that indeed A-PRF has a significative higher maximal traction score and higher average traction compared to L-PRF, indicating that it had a higher resistance when two opposing forces are applied.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
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