Long-term cytotoxic effects of contemporary root canal sealers

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of root canal sealers on the cytotoxicity of 3T3 fibroblasts during a period of 5 weeks. Material and Methods: Fibroblasts (3T3, 1×105 cells per well) were incubated with elutes of fresh specimens from eight root canal sealers (AH Plus, Epiphany, Endomethasone N, EndoREZ, MTA Fillapex, Pulp Canal Sealer EWT, RoekoSeal and Sealapex) and with elutes of the same specimens for 5 succeeding weeks after immersing in simulated body fluid. The cytotoxicity of all root canal sealers was determined using the MTT assay. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey's test. Results: RoekoSeal was the only sealer that did not show any cytotoxic effects (p<0.05). All the other tested sealers exhibited severe toxicity initially (week 0). MTA Fillapex remained moderately cytotoxic after the end of experimental period. Toxicity of the other tested sealers decreased gradually over time. The evaluated root canal sealers presented varying degrees of cytotoxicity, mainly in fresh mode.Conclusions: RoekoSeal had no cytotoxic effect both freshly mixed and in the other tested time points. MTA Fillapex was associated with significantly less cell viability when compared to the other tested root canal sealers.

Morphological analysis of neonates of rats treated with dexamethasone in the initial phase of pregnancy / Análisis morfológico de neonatos de ratas tratadas con dexametasona en fase inicial de la preñez

The glucocorticoid dexamethasone has been largely used due to its anti-inflammatory effect. However, several authors report that the excessive exposition to it during pregnancy may cause a retard in the development in several tissues, mainly: liver, lungs and kidneys. But, the majority of the works are done with the application of dexamethasone in the late periods of pregnancy. Because of the lack of researches that evaluate the effects in the beginning of gestation, this paper aimed at evaluating the effect of dexamethasone administered in the initial phase of pregnancy, over the morphology of neonates rat. It was used 10 albino rats (Rattus norvegicus albinus) aged 90 days from the lineage Wistar. The female were coupled and divided in two groups: Group I - rats not submitted to the dexamethasone application (control); Group II - rats submitted to the dexamethasone application in the first 5 days of pregnancy. The results show that the treatment with dexamethasone in a dosage of 0.8mg/Kg during the 5 first days of pregnancy does not produces a weight and height reduction or malformation in the offspring, it does not cause changes in the development of the liver and kidneys of neonate rats, but it leads to a reduction in the denseness of the interalveolar septa causing a higher distension of the alveoli.

El glucocorticoide dexametasona ha sido ampliamente utilizado en virtud de su potencial antiinflamatorio. Sin embargo, varios autores relatan que la exposición excesiva a la dexametasona durante la preñez puede causar el retardo del desarrollo de varios tejidos, principalmente hígado, pulmones y riñones. La mayoría de los trabajos son llevados a cabo con la aplicación de dexametasona en los períodos tardíos de la gestación. El objetivo del trabajo fue evaluar el efecto de la dexametasona, sobre la morfología de ratones neonatos, administrada en la fase inicial de la preñez. Fueron utilizadas 10 ratas Wistar albinas (Rattus norvegicus albinus) con 90 días de edad. Las hembras fueron apareadas y divididas en dos grupos: Grupo I- ratas no sometidas a la dexametasona (grupo control) y Grupo II - ratas sometidas a la aplicación de dexametasona durante los cinco primeros días de preñez. Los resultados mostraron que el tratamiento con dexametasona en dosis de 0,8mg/Kg, a lo largo de los cinco primeros días de la preñez, no produce reducción de peso, longitud o malformación en la prole, tampoco causa alteraciones en el desarrollo del hígado y riñones en los ratones neonatos, pero sí reduce el grosor de los septos interalveolares, causando de esta manera, mayor distensión de los alvéolos.

Effect of Ocimum sanctum Linn. on normal and dexamethasone suppressed wound healing.

Ethanolic extract of leaves of O. sanctum was investigated for normal wound healing and dexamethasone depressed healing using incision, excision and dead space wound models in albino rats. The extract of O. sanctum significantly increased the wound breaking strength in incision wound model. The extract treated wounds were found to epithelialize faster and the rate of wound contraction was significantly increased as compared to control wounds. Significant increase in wet and dry granulation tissue weight, granulation tissue breaking strength and hydroxyproline content in dead space wound model was observed. The extract significantly decreased the antihealing activities of dexamethasone in all the wound models. The results indicated that the leaf extract promotes wound healing significantly and able to overcome the wound healing suppressing action of dexamethasone. Histological examination of granulation tissue to determine the pattern of lay-down for collagen confirmed the results.

Effect of dexamethasone on implantation and pregnancy in albino rats.

Administration of 3 mg/kg body weight of dexamethasone from day 1 or 3 to 7 of pregnancy did not prevent implantation in albino rats. But the same dose when administered from day 8 to 11 resulted in complete abortion / resorption in all rats. Administration of 2 mg / kg body weight of dexamethasone from day 8 to 11 of pregnancy held no effect on the foetal survival. The results indicate that a high dose of dexamethasone does not affect implantation but the same dose affects the more advanced stages of pregnancy.

Effect of dexamethazone on the development of the pancreas in albino rats

Twenty pregnant albino rats were used in this study and divided into control and treated groups. The animals of the treated group were injected intramuscularly by a single dose of dexamethasone [0.5 mg/day] from the 5th to the 19th day of pregnancy. The control animals were injected intramuscularly by oily solution in amounts and at times corresponding to the treated animals. It was found that dexamethasone administration during pregnancy caused a decrease of the maternal gestational body weight gain, high incidence of resorption and fetal death. It also impaired the fetal growth in the form of a significant decrease in the lengths and weights of the maternally treated fetuses. It was advised to avoid the use of dexamethasone in pregnant women throughout the period of pregnancy to avoid developing pancreatitis in mothers and their newborns and also to avoid its teratogenic effects

Simposio. Avances recientes con ifosfamida/mesna en el tratamiento de tumores sólidos malignos: etopósido, platino, ifosfamida y dexametasona como tratamiento de rescate en los linfomas no Hodgkin / Symposium on recent advances with ifosfamide/Mesna in the treatment of malignant solid tumors

Existen grandes avances en el manejo de los linfomas; desafortunadamente un porcentaje variable de casos recaerán a regímenes de primera línea. Se informan los resultados preliminares de 17 pacientes con diagnóstico de linfoma de Hodgkin refractarios a manejo de primera línea o refractarios. El esquema utilizado fue cada 3-4 semanas: combinación de etopósido 100 mg/m² por tres días, platino 100 mg/m² e ifosfamida 5g/m² fraccionados en tres días, mesna al 20 por ciento de la dosis diaria de ifosfamida por tres dosis; y dexametasona de 20 a 40 mg cada 24 horas por tres días. Trece de los 17 pacientes fueron evaluables para eficacia (dos aún en tratamiento; los otros dos abandonaron la terapia) y 16 fueron evaluables para toxicidad en 74 ciclos administrados. Se obtuvieron 11 respuestas totales (84 por ciento): seis respuestas (46 por ciento) Äcon supervivencia libre de enfermedad mínima de dos meses y máxima de 11 mesesÄ y cinco respuestas parciales (38 por ciento). La toxicidad más frecuente y grave fue neutropenia grado 4 (20 por ciento) con dos muertos por septicemia y plaquetopenia grado 4 (7 por ciento). El resto de los efectos tóxicos fueron leves y reversibles. No se observó toxicidad vasical. Concluimos que el esquema utilizado es efectivo, pero conlleva toxicidad grave en una cuarta parte de los ciclos. Consideramos que es conveniente incluir factores estimulantes de colonias en este tratamiento