Cystolithiasis in a Syrian hamster: a different outcome.

A 14-month-old intact male Syrian hamster was admitted for lethargy and hematuria. A total body radiographic image and abdominal ultrasonography showed the presence of a vesical calculus. During cystotomy, a sterile urine sample was obtained and sent to the diagnostic laboratory along with the urolith for analysis. Urine culture was found negative for bacterial growth, and the urolith was identified as a calcium-oxalate stone. Diet supplementation with palmitoylethanolamide, glucosamine and hesperidin was adopted the day after discharge. One year follow up revealed no presence of vesical calculi. Although this is the report of a single clinical case, this outcome differs from the results reported in the literature characterized by recurrences after few months. Considering the positive outcome and the beneficial properties of palmitoylethanolamide, glucosamine, and hesperidin, these nutritional elements in Syrian hamsters, are recommended to reduce recurrence after surgical treatment of urolithiasis.

Pharmacokinetic profiles of meloxicam in turtles (Trachemys scripta scripta) after single oral, intracoelomic and intramuscular administrations.

Meloxicam is an anti-inflammatory and analgesic drug used to treat many pathological conditions in turtles. With the aim to fill the lack of data about its pharmacokinetic in this species, eighteen turtles (Trachemys scripta scripta) were divided in three groups and treated with a single dose of meloxicam (0.2 mg/kg) by intramuscular, intracoelomic and oral route, respectively. At scheduled time points, blood samples were collected and meloxicam concentrations were determined by HPLC. Pharmacokinetic parameters were calculated from the obtained concentration-time curves. After intramuscular treatment, a plasma peak of meloxicam equal to 1590.03 ± 1845.32 ng/mL (mean ± SD) and a Tmax of 1.17 ± 0.45 h were reached, indicating a quick absorption of the drug. The intracoelomic administration brought to the largest AUC (12621.04 ± 6203.79 h*ng/mL) and to a Cmax and a Tmax equal to 1154.52 ± 662.78 ng/mL and 2.82 ± 1.39 h, respectively. Following oral treatment, the plasma concentrations of meloxicam were very low indicating a scarce absorption. Further studies are warranted to determine the effective plasma concentration of meloxicam in turtles and, consequently, the dosage regimen.

Scanning electron microscopy study on nanoemulsions and solid lipid nanoparticles containing high amounts of ceramides.

Ceramides are the most important intercellular lipids of the stratum corneum, regulating the barrier function of the skin and participating as second signal messenger in stress-induced apoptosis. The high lipophilicity of ceramides presents a pharmacological problem. In order to overcome this problem two lipophilic delivery systems were used for the incorporation of the ceramides: (1) nanoemulsions (NE) and (2) solid lipid nanoparticles (SLN). The influence of the incorporation of ceramides on the particle shape, size and Polydispersity Index was investigated by photon correlation spectroscopy (PCS) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results showed that NE can incorporate larger amounts of ceramides than SLN (up to 23.2% and 5% of lipid matrix, respectively) without any significant alteration on the morphology of the dispersed particles. The incorporation of higher amounts of ceramides into SLN, leads to anisometric platelet-like formations that are known to be caused by the transition of triglycerides from alpha- to beta-mesomorph. The results of this study can be useful for the design of appropriate delivery systems and for further pharmacological evaluations.

Bacterial and viral DNA in periodontal disease: a study using multiplex PCR.

Recent studies have suggested an association between periodontal disease and the presence of Herpesviruses, in particular: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and Human Cytomegalovirus (CMV) (Contreras et al., 1999--Contreras et al., 2000--Slots et al., 2000--Ting et al., 2000). In the work reported in this paper, we use a multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) to compare the presence of Herpesviruses and putative bacterial pathogens in patients with periodontal disease and in healthy individuals. Direct detection of microorganisms with PCR is shown to offer significant advantages in terms of time, effort and cost. The study detected no statistically significant differences between the prevalence of EBV and CMV in patients and controls. The failure to replicate previous findings may be due to differences in the age composition and the geographical and social origins of the study groups. The study detected a significant excess of HSV-1 in periodontal patients. This suggests that the role of Herpesviruses in the pathogenesis of periodontal disease deserves further investigation. The bacterial assay confirmed the results of previous studies showing a strong association between periodontitis and the presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans, P. gingivalis and P. intermedia.

Inferior alveolar nerve paresthesia caused by endodontic pathosis: a case report and review of the literature.

Sensory disturbances such as anesthesia, hypoesthesia, hyperesthesia, and paresthesia may be present in the oral cavity, stemming from many local and systemic factors. Paresthesia of the inferior alveolar nerve is quite rare because of the unique anatomy of this nerve. Among other effects, periapical lesions can damage the nerve, resulting in paresthesia of its innervated area. Only a few cases of paresthesia caused by these lesions are reported in the literature. In this report we present a case of paresthesia of the right inferior alveolar nerve; discuss the anatomy, pathobiology, and etiology; and suggest that a periapical lesion affecting the lower right second molar (No. 31) may have been the cause. The routine x-rays (intraoral and panorex) and the axial and cross-sectional tomographs of the mandible by means of computed tomography contribute to making this case a good example of nerve injury.

Antitumor activity of the polyamine analog N(1), N(11)-diethylnorspermine against human prostate carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies indicate that N-terminally bis-ethylated-polyamine analogs have significant antitumor activity in several human solid-tumor models. In this study, the in vitro and in vivo antitumor potential of the polyamine analog N(1), N(11)-diethylnorspermine (DENSpm) in human prostate carcinoma cells was examined. METHODS: The antiproliferative and biochemical effects of DENSpm were tested in four human prostate cancer cell lines, i.e., PC-3, TSU-pr1, DU-145, and JCA-1. The in vivo antitumor potential was explored in two groups of nude mice bearing small or more developed xenografts of the DU-145 cell line. The mice were treated with 40 mg/kg DENSpm, three times per day for two cycles of 6 days, on days 1-6 and 8-13. RESULTS: In vitro studies showed that all four tested human prostate carcinoma cell lines were sensitive to DENSpm in micromolar concentrations. In tumor-bearing mice, DENSpm clearly prevented tumor growth in both size groups, which became significant after day 17. Treatment with DENSpm evoked intracellular accumulation of the analog and various regulatory responses, e.g., downregulation of the polyamine biosynthesis, the induction of the catabolic enzyme spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase (SSAT), and the depletion or decrease of natural polyamines. The cellular sensitivity to growth inhibition by DENSpm only correlated with the degree of ODC inhibition and SSAT induction. CONCLUSIONS: DENSpm has sustained inhibitory effects on the growth of human prostate carcinoma cells in vitro as well in vivo. This polyamine analog may provide a new tool in the chemotherapy of prostate cancers with various phenotypes.

Antioxidant status and dialysis: plasma and saliva antioxidant activity in patients with fluctuating urate levels.

The present study is concerned with the influence of processes occurring during dialysis on the antioxidant capacity of plasma and saliva. The biological fluids were also tested for uric acid and total protein content. Before hemodialysis, plasma antioxidant status of hemodialyzed patients appears slightly higher than the corresponding status in normal subjects; after hemodialysis it is found unchanged. The result can be explained by a balance between a reduction in uric acid plasma content, due to the dialytic procedure, and an increase in protein content, possibly due to a dialysis-related hemoconcentration. Moreover, pre-dialysis total antioxidant capacity of whole saliva samples is higher than in healthy individuals and drastically decreases towards normal values following dialytic procedure. Our data indicate a certain concentration of the uric acid in the saliva of hemodialyzed patients and evidence that both total protein concentration and uric acid level show a good correlation with saliva total antioxidant capacity, suggesting that proteins are major antioxidants of this fluid. Further observations are needed to assess whether this improved saliva antioxidant ability has any consequence on the periodontal conditions of hemodialyzed subjects.

[Oxytalan fibers in the condylar cartilage. Methodologic and experimental contribution of histologic studies conducted on dogs, rabbits and rats]. / Le fibre oxytalan nella cartilagine condilare. Contributo metodologico e sperimentale nell' indagine istologica condotta su cane, coniglio e ratto.

BACKGROUND: Oxytalan fibers were identified by Fullmer and Lillie in 1958 for the first time, using the same coloring methods utilized for the elastic fibers. However, the istologic preparation had been previously treated with strong oxidation. Oxytalan fibers were found in many organs and tissues of different animal species and seem to be a type of "immature" elastic fiber in a precocious state of development. Anyway, the functional role of oxytalan fibers is still not clear. The oxytalan fibers, located in particular mechanical stress anatomic sides, seem to be connected to a more compact connective tissue in this sides. The purpose of our study is to analyze the anatomic arrangement of the oxytalan fibers in the temporomandibUlar joint of three different animal species: the rat [correction of mouse], the rabbit and the dog. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Up to now, a coloring method specific for the oxytalan fibers has not been developed. Therefore, a correct evaluation of their presence requires a systematic approach in which two contiguous sections of a sample, one heavily oxidized and the other non oxidized, are compared. RESULTS: Our results show the presence of the oxytalan fibers differently located depending of the animal species and the age of the animals.