Etiopathogenesis, prevention and therapeutic strategies of snoring pathologies.

The sleep of adults and childrens is often disturbed from obstructive respiratory desorders evidenced from snoring. Scientific literature agrees in considering that as a dangerous pathology called roncopathy. Statistics show that about 50% of adult population over 50 yrs snores (exspecially males) and some of that has a dangerous period of prolonged and frequent obstructive sleep apneas. Results of polisomnographic tests show that 4% of total population suffer of apneas extremely severe and dangerous for life. Roncopathy is often associated to a lot of troubles: pulmonary, gastroenterologic, endocrinologic, of behaviour and especially cardiovascular and neurologic and this could explain the motif of high nocturnal percentage of myocardial infarction, ictus and sudden death. In this work we evidence the anatomical and functional etiology of snoring and sleep apneas and expose the surgical and medical therapeutic options up to day available.

[State of the art: posture and occlusion]. / Etat de l'art: posture et occlusion.

The Authors of this work propose to give an evaluation about actual relationship between posture and occlusion, trying of to give some indications about posture's meaning, organizing the relation about five points: Posture's definition Posture's history Posture's models of study Occlusal support en posture Diagnostic procedures.

Effects of Nd: YAG laser irradiation on the root canal wall dentin of human teeth: a SEM study.

The purpose of this study was to observe the morphological and histological changes on the root canal walls after Nd:YAG laser application. Twenty vital, recently extracted single-rooted human teeth were used for this study. Root canals were cleaned and shaped by a conventional step-back technique--by means of k files up to a 20 k-file type at working length--and subsequently shaped by Ni-Ti root-canal rotary instrumentation up to 30/06 and irrigated with 2.5% hypochlorite solution. Ten teeth (control group) were left unlased, while the other ten teeth were irradiated with Nd:YAG laser by means of a 320 microns fibre inserted in the root canal at 1 mm from the apex with a power of 1.5 Watt and a frequency of 15 pps for five seconds in retraction with rotating movements. The control specimen showed debris and smear layer on the root canal surface obscuring the dentin tubules. The root canal walls irradiated with Nd:YAG laser showed a clear glazed surface, some open dentinal tubules and some surface craters with cracks. Such results confirm that smear layer and debris are removable with Nd:YAG laser, however clearing all root canal walls is still difficult and, if the energy level and duration of application are inadequate, a certain degree of thermal damage and morphological changes in dentin structure are observable.

Influence of amalgam fillings on Hg levels and total antioxidant activity in plasma of healthy donors.

In order to evaluate the influence of mercury (Hg) levels on antioxidant power in human plasma, 26 healthy people were evaluated by a dentist and their plasma analyzed for Hg content by atomic absorption and total antioxidant activity (TAA) by FRAP method. Hg plasma concentration correlated with number of amalgam restorations, suggesting that Hg released from fillings is a source of Hg in non-occupational exposed people. Fish consumption, in fact, showed no influence on Hg plasma levels, perhaps because Italian subjects examined in the present group used low quantity of fish at week or kinds of fish with light contamination. TAA negatively correlated with Hg plasma revealing a pro-oxidant role of Hg released from amalgam fillings.

[In vitro and in vivo biocompatibility tests of some endodontic cements]. / Considerazioni su prove di biocompatibilità "in vitro" ed "in vivo" di alcuni cementi endodontici.

The major goal of endodontic therapy has been achieved by condensing filling materials into the root canal. It is not uncommon to find excess material in the periapical tissue. It therefore becomes obligatory to use filling materials that have acceptable biocompatibility. The purpose of this investigation was to obtain a "toxicity profile" of some root canal materials and to compare our observations to study results found in literature. Gutta-percha and five endodontic filling cements were tested in vivo and in vitro. The in vivo biocompatibility involved the placement of the test material in 10 mm teflon tubes with an outer diameter of 1,3 mm which were then implanted subcutaneously into rats. The implants were left in situ for periods of 30 and 90 days. The hemolysis test was used for in vitro evaluations. The histological examination showed cellular responses of different intensity and extent. In some cases severe infiltration of inflammatory cells and areas with necrostis were observed. As a result, the root canal materials evaluated showed slight, moderate, and severe reactions, therefore, a different pattern in tissue response.

Behaviour of adenylic and pyridinic compounds in gingival tissue after a short-term exposure to air.

Biochemical variations of adenine and pyridine compounds in human gingival grafts during the period between excision and implantation have been studied. These groups of compounds are considered as "indicators" of the metabolic and energetic status of the living cells. Adenylic compounds such as ATP, ADP and AMP are involved in numerous metabolic processes as "modulators" of allosteric enzymes. NAD+ and NADP+ are involved in the carbohydrate metabolism as co-factors of many reactions of oxydoreduction. The exposure to air of the gingival tissue induces modifications in the energy state of the cells as well as in the ox-reox system. No variation is detectable in the intermediates of the pyridine compounds cycle.

Non specific acid esterase activity in human periapical inflammatory cells.

The fine structural localization of non specific acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase activity (ANAE) in human periapical inflammatory cells was studied in sections of paraffin embedded tissue of 20 human periapical lesions (granulomas). Examination of specimens incubated with ANAE resulted in ANAE+ cells interpreted as T-lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages, giant cells and plasma cells. ANAE- lymphocytes were interpreted as B cells. Our findings do not seem to confirm the presence among human periapical inflammatory cells of NK (natural killer) cells. T-lymphocytes were the most represented cellular type. The macrophages with ANAE+ reaction were numerous in all specimens observed and the variation in staining intensity could reflect a varying stage of activation. These findings allow conclusions about the role of T-lymphocyte mediated immune reaction in the pathogenesis of periapical lesions. The possibility that the activated T-lymphocytes within the periapical lesions may have a critical role in establishing and maintaining granuloma formation is also discussed.