Melatonin levels in human diabetic dental pulp tissue and its effects on dental pulp cells under hyperglycaemic conditions.

AIM: To investigate melatonin (MEL) levels in human dental pulp tissue (hDP) in type 2 diabetic (T2D) participants and the underlying molecular mechanisms of its effects in human dental pulp cells (hDPCs) under hyperglycaemia. METHODOLOGY: The study included 16 healthy and 16 T2D participants who underwent vital pulp extirpation for hDP and four healthy participants undergoing third molar extraction for hDPCs analyses. MTT and NRU were used as tests for cytotoxicity. The pulp tissue levels of MEL, inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, as well as iNOS, histone acetyltransferase p300 (p300) and SOD activity levels in hDPCs incubated with MEL (0.1 and 1.0 mmol L-1 ) under normoglycaemia and hyperglycaemia were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Comparisons between the two groups were made by unpaired t-tests or Mann-Whitney test whilst the chi-square test was used for dichotomous variables. To compare more groups, the Kruskal-Wallis test with Dunn's multiple comparison was used, whilst Spearman correlation was used to assess association between two variables. RESULTS: Melatonin was decreased (124.30 ± 21.6 vs. 240.0 ± 19.1 pg mL-1 , P < 0.01), whilst iNOS levels increased (0.92 ± 0.08 vs. 0.32 ± 0.09 ng mL-1 , P < 0.01) in hDP from T2D compared to nondiabetic participants. In hDPCs, MEL (0.1 and 1.0 mmol L-1 ) had no cytotoxicity. Incubation with 1.0 mmol L-1 of MEL (24 h) decreased hyperglycaemia-induced increases of iNOS (0.34 ± 0.01 ng mL-1 vs. 0.40 ± 0.01 ng mL-1 , P < 0.01) and p300 (11.59 ± 0.58 ng mL-1 vs. 16.12 ± 0.39 ng mL-1 , P < 0.01), and also, increased SOD activity (87.11 ± 3.10% vs. 68.56 ± 3.77%, P < 0.01) to the levels comparable to the normoglycaemic; iNOS and p300 protein expression levels showed strong positive correlation under hyperglycaemia (Spearman r = 0.8242, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Type 2 diabetic participants had decreased MEL in hDP. At pharmacological concentrations, MEL is not cytotoxic for hDPCs and normalizes iNOS and SOD activity levels in hyperglyceamic hDPCs suggesting its antioxidant and protective effects in human dental pulp tissue under hyperglycaemia.

[Status of information technology in health care institutions of Serbia]. / Analiza stanja informaticke tehnologije u zdravstvenim ustanovama Srbije.

The basic purpose of this study was to analyse the condition of the information technology in the health care institutions of Serbia in 1994. and to compare the results with similar investigation from 1992. in order to determine the state of its development and progress. The instrument used for the collection of data was questionnaire with 24 questions which was distributed to all independent health care institutions in the Republic of Serbia (total 238). The response rate was 40.8 percent. Out of the number of responded health institutions, 86 percent of them own computers which are in use, almost duble the number of institutions which had and used this equipment in 1992. The great majority of institutions had one or two PCs. Organized units for medical information systems were formed in 27.2 percent of institutions. Each of them in average uses two application softwares, from which one is for billing and payroll accounting. The development of information system technology has improved in relation to 1992. and is, with certain suggestions and activities a good basis for designing of a unique health care information system in Republic of Serbia.