Beekeeping Livelihood Development in Nepal: Value-Added Opportunities and Professional Support Needs.

Beekeeping contributes to poverty reduction in many developing countries, and in addition, provides pollination services for sustainable crop production. In Nepal, management practices associated with beekeeping are poorly characterized, and so the potential for this sector to further contribute to livelihood development remains unclear. This study sought to examine and identify factors associated with production efficiency and financial profitability of beekeeping with the aim of enhancing economic gains for Nepali beekeepers. Our study included a sample of 150 respondents from more than twenty commercial beekeeping districts across the Terai and mountainous regions of Nepal. Profitability of beekeeping with the European honeybee (Apis mellifera) Linnaeus, 1758 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and the Asian honeybee Apis cerana Fabricius, 1793 (Hymenoptera: Apidae) was quantified and disaggregated according to several variables, including hive-derived products produced, marketing strategy employed, number of beehives managed, and postharvest management practices. Our results showed that the different types of management practices adopted (such as number of beehives kept, colony multiplication, supplementary feeding, month of honey harvesting, and marketing approach) significantly influenced the productivity and economic profitability of beekeeping. Our results also revealed that professional supports, such as the availability of subsidies and training, were key factors to enhance productivity. As a whole, this study provides insight into the biological factors and management practices associated with higher economic returns from beekeeping. This work can help guide policymakers and professional support agencies to expand commercial beekeeping for sustainable livelihood development in Nepal and beyond.

Expression of myo-inositol cotransporters in the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia in experimental diabetes.

The transport of myo-inositol is the main mechanism for the maintenance of its high intracellular levels. We aimed to measure the mRNA and protein levels of myo-inositol cotransporters in the sciatic nerve (SN) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) during experimental diabetes. Streptozotocin-induced (STZ; 4, 8, and 12 weeks; 65 mg/kg; ip) diabetic rats (DB) and age-matched euglycemic (E) rats were used for the analysis of mRNA and protein levels of sodium myo-inositol cotransporters 1, 2 (SMIT1, SMIT2) or H+/myo-inositol cotransporter (HMIT). There was a significant reduction in the mRNA levels for SMIT1 in the SN and DRG (by 36.9 and 31.0%) in the 4-week DB (DB4) group compared to the E group. SMIT2 was not expressed in SN. The mRNA level for SMIT2 was up-regulated only in the DRG in the DB4 group. On the other hand, the protein level of SMIT1 decreased by 42.5, 41.3, and 44.8% in the SN after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of diabetes, respectively. In addition, there was a decrease of 64.3 and 58.0% of HMIT in membrane and cytosolic fractions, respectively, in the SN of the DB4 group. In the DRG, there was an increase of 230 and 86.3% for SMIT1 and HMIT, respectively, in the DB12 group. The levels of the main inositol transporters, SMIT1 and HMIT, were greatly reduced in the SN but not in the DRG. SMIT-1 was selectively reduced in the sciatic nerve during experimental STZ-induced diabetes.

Expression of myo-inositol cotransporters in the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglia in experimental diabetes

The transport of myo-inositol is the main mechanism for the maintenance of its high intracellular levels. We aimed to measure the mRNA and protein levels of myo-inositol cotransporters in the sciatic nerve (SN) and dorsal root ganglia (DRG) during experimental diabetes. Streptozotocin-induced (STZ; 4, 8, and 12 weeks; 65 mg/kg; ip) diabetic rats (DB) and age-matched euglycemic (E) rats were used for the analysis of mRNA and protein levels of sodium myo-inositol cotransporters 1, 2 (SMIT1, SMIT2) or H+/myo-inositol cotransporter (HMIT). There was a significant reduction in the mRNA levels for SMIT1 in the SN and DRG (by 36.9 and 31.0%) in the 4-week DB (DB4) group compared to the E group. SMIT2 was not expressed in SN. The mRNA level for SMIT2 was up-regulated only in the DRG in the DB4 group. On the other hand, the protein level of SMIT1 decreased by 42.5, 41.3, and 44.8% in the SN after 4, 8, and 12 weeks of diabetes, respectively. In addition, there was a decrease of 64.3 and 58.0% of HMIT in membrane and cytosolic fractions, respectively, in the SN of the DB4 group. In the DRG, there was an increase of 230 and 86.3% for SMIT1 and HMIT, respectively, in the DB12 group. The levels of the main inositol transporters, SMIT1 and HMIT, were greatly reduced in the SN but not in the DRG. SMIT-1 was selectively reduced in the sciatic nerve during experimental STZ-induced diabetes.

Essential oil of Pterodon polygalaeflorus Benth attenuates nociception in mice.

Essential oils (EO) are volatile liquids responsible for the aroma of plants. Pterodon polygalaeflorus seeds have received widespread use in folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. For this reason and because Pterodon polygalaeflorus seeds have great EO content, which is frequently pharmacologically active, the present study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of EO from Pterodon polygalaeflorus (EOPPgfl) and its acute toxic effects. The EEOPPgfl sample, which was extracted by steam distillation of the seeds, had a yield of 2.4% of the seeds weight and had, as major constituents, beta-elemene (48.19%), trans-caryophyllene (19.51%), and epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene (12.24%). The EOPPgfl sample showed mild acute toxicity and its calculated median lethal dose (LD50) was 3.38 g/kg. EOPPgfl (20-60 mg/kg) showed antinociceptive activity as evidenced by several tests and inhibited writhing induced by acetic acid. The maximum effect was obtained with the 30 mg/kg dose and at 60 min after its administration. EOPPgfl also decreased formalin-induced nociception, as verified by the inhibition of the first and second phase of the formalin test. At 30 mg/kg, EOPPgfl also decreased thermally stimulated nociception. Nociception may be related to inflammatory and antiedematogenic activity and at doses ranging 10-100 mg/kg, EOPPgfl blocked dextran- and carrageenan-induced edema. The results demonstrated that EOPPgfl presented, at doses approximately 100 times smaller than LD50, an antinociceptive effect that probably was due to anti-inflammatory activities.

Essential oil of Pterodon polygalaeflorus Benth attenuates nociception in mice

Essential oils (EO) are volatile liquids responsible for the aroma of plants. Pterodon polygalaeflorus seeds have received widespread use in folk medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. For this reason and because Pterodon polygalaeflorus seeds have great EO content, which is frequently pharmacologically active, the present study aimed to evaluate the antinociceptive effect of EO from Pterodon polygalaeflorus (EOPPgfl) and its acute toxic effects. The EEOPPgfl sample, which was extracted by steam distillation of the seeds, had a yield of 2.4% of the seeds weight and had, as major constituents, beta-elemene (48.19%), trans-caryophyllene (19.51%), and epi-bicyclosesquiphellandrene (12.24%). The EOPPgfl sample showed mild acute toxicity and its calculated median lethal dose (LD50) was 3.38 g/kg. EOPPgfl (20-60 mg/kg) showed antinociceptive activity as evidenced by several tests and inhibited writhing induced by acetic acid. The maximum effect was obtained with the 30 mg/kg dose and at 60 min after its administration. EOPPgfl also decreased formalin-induced nociception, as verified by the inhibition of the first and second phase of the formalin test. At 30 mg/kg, EOPPgfl also decreased thermally stimulated nociception. Nociception may be related to inflammatory and antiedematogenic activity and at doses ranging 10-100 mg/kg, EOPPgfl blocked dextran- and carrageenan-induced edema. The results demonstrated that EOPPgfl presented, at doses approximately 100 times smaller than LD50, an antinociceptive effect that probably was due to anti-inflammatory activities.

Efficacy of oral diclofenac with or without codeine for pain control after invasive bilateral third molar extractions.

Postoperative pain and inflammation after oral surgery is mostly managed using non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). However, opioids combined with NSAIDs may improve pain management in patients, especially after traumatic oral surgery. Few studies have compared NSAIDs with and without opioid use after oral and maxillofacial surgery. This randomized, double-blind, cross-over study compared the clinical efficacy of either diclofenac (50mg) and codeine (50mg) or diclofenac alone (50mg) for the management of postoperative pain after invasive third molar surgery. Volunteers (n=46) who were scheduled to undergo the removal of symmetrically positioned lower third molars in two separate appointments were included. They reported significantly less postoperative pain at various time points within 24h after surgery and also consumed significantly less rescue medication (paracetamol (acetaminophen)) throughout the study when they took diclofenac combined with codeine than when they took only diclofenac. In conclusion, oral diclofenac with codeine was more effective for managing postoperative pain than diclofenac without codeine. It was expected that patients taking two pain medications after surgery would generally have less pain than when taking only one of the two medications. The prospective cross-over design of the present work makes this study distinct from many others.

Relaxant effect of a metal-based drug in human corpora cavernosa and its mechanism of action.

We studied the mechanisms involved in the human corpora cavernosa (HCC) relaxation induced by a new metal-based nitric oxide (NO) donor, the ruthenium complex cis-[Ru(bpy)2Imn(NO)](+3) (FOR0811). FOR0811 produced relaxation in phenylephrine (PE)-precontracted HCC with a maximal response that achieved 112.9 ± 10.6%. There was no difference between the maximal relaxation induced by FOR0811 when compared with sodium nitroprusside (SNP) (106.8 ± 7.3%), BAY41-2272 (107.6 ± 4.1%) or vardenafil (103.4 ± 3.8%), however, FOR0811 was less potent than SNP and vardenafil. L-N(G)-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME), a NO synthase inhibitor, had no effect in the concentration-response curve elicited by FOR0811. 1H-[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3-a]quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), a heme-site inhibitor of soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) was able to either block or reverse the relaxation induced by FOR0811. On the other hand, the relaxation induced by FOR0811 was not affected by glibenclamide, a blocker of ATP-sensitive potassium channels. FOR0811 (10 µM) was able to increase cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) levels in corpora cavernosa strips. FOR0811 completely relaxes HCC by a sGC-cGMP-dependent mechanism and can be a lead compound in the development of new stable NO donors.

An alien in the group: eusocial male bees sharing nonspecific reproductive aggregations.

Sexual selection predicts that individuals competing for access to sexual partners should maximize their chances of mating by looking for sites where the chances of finding partners are more likely to occur. However, males of stingless bees have been observed sharing nonspecific reproductive aggregations. This uncommon behavior appears to confer no obvious increase of individual fitness. It has been suggested that this reproductive strategy is due to the similarity between male odors common to different stingless bee species. Cuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) are candidate odors of interest because their nonvolatile pheromone nature allows them to play an important role in sexual behavior and species recognition. Here, we review the literature to evaluate whether any phylogenetic patterns exist among male stingless bees that aggregate with closely or distantly related species. We also compared the CHC profiles of males of Neotropical stingless bee species (Plebeia sp. Schwarz, Trigona spinipes (F.), Tetragona clavipes (F.), Nannotrigona testaceicornis (Lepeletier), Scaptotrigona aff. depilis (Moure), Tetragonisca angustula (Latreille), and Melipona subnitida (Ducke) to reveal any chemical similarities among their male odors. We found males of 21 stingless bee species involved in interspecific interactions mainly from Neotropical and Indo-Malayan/Australasian regions. Alien males did not necessarily visit host aggregations of closely related species. Furthermore, the CHC profiles of different studied species were very distinct from each other and do not overlapped at all. It is unclear yet why this apparently nonadaptive behavior carried out by some stingless bee males.

Efficacy and Safety of 2% and 4% Articaine for Lower Third Molar Surgery.

This double-blind crossover randomized clinical trial compared the efficacy of 2 concentrations of articaine, 2% (A2) and 4% (A4), with 1:200,000 epinephrine, for lower third molar removal. During 2 separate appointments with either A2 or A4, both similarly positioned lower third molars in 46 volunteers were extracted. The following were evaluated: onset and duration of anesthetic action on soft tissues, intraoperative bleeding, hemodynamic parameters, postoperative analgesia, and mouth opening and wound healing during the 7th postoperative day, along with the incidence, type, and severity of adverse reactions. Nearly identical volumes of both anesthetic solutions were used for each appointment: 3.4 ± 0.9 mL ≈ 68 mg of articaine (A2) and 3.3 ± 0.8 mL ≈ 132 mg of articaine (A4). Statistical analysis indicated no differences in onset or duration of anesthetic action on soft tissues or duration of postoperative analgesia evoked by A2 and A4 anesthetic solutions (P > 0.05). The surgeon's rating of intraoperative bleeding was considered minimal throughout all surgery with both anesthetic solutions. While transient changes in blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen saturation were observed, these factors were clinically insignificant and were uninfluenced by articaine concentration (P > 0.05). No systemic or local adverse reactions were observed in the preoperative and postoperative periods due to A2 or A4, but 1 case of bilateral paresthesia was observed. There were no significant differences between preoperative and postoperative (7th day) values of mouth opening and wound healing whether volunteers received A2 or A4 (P > 0.05). In conclusion, both A2 and A4, administered in equal volumes, were effective and safe during lower third molar surgery, and no significant differences were found between their efficacy and safety (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02457325).

Aerobic training prevents dexamethasone-induced peripheral insulin resistance.

This study investigated how proteins of the insulin signaling cascade could modulate insulin resistance after dexamethasone (Dexa) treatment and aerobic training. Rats were distributed into 4 groups: sedentary control (SC), sedentary+Dexa (SD), trained control (TC), and trained+Dexa (TD), and underwent aerobic training for 70 days or remained sedentary. Dexa was administered during the last 10 days (1 mg · kg(-1) per day i. p.). After 70 days, an intraperitoneal glucose tolerance test (ipGTT) was performed. Protein levels of IRS-1, AKT, and PKC-α in the tibialis anterior (TA) muscle were identified using Western blots. Dexa treatment increased blood glucose and the area under the curve (AUC) of ipGTT. Training attenuated the hyperglycemia and the AUC induced by Dexa. Dexa reduced IRS-1 (- 16%) and AKT (- 43%) protein level with no changes in PKC-α levels. Moreover, these effects on IRS-1 and AKT protein level were prevented in trained animals. These results show for the first time that aerobic exercise prevented reductions of IRS-1 and AKT level induced by Dexa in the TA muscle, suggesting that aerobic exercise is a good strategy to prevent Dexa-induced peripheral insulin resistance.

Caries experience, mutans streptococci and total protein concentrations in children with protein-energy undernutrition.

BACKGROUND: The highest prevalence of protein-energy undernutrition is observed during early childhood, being also a time in which the presence of dental caries can be unusually aggressive. The present study aimed to verify if different levels of undernutrition could influence the risk of early childhood caries (ECC), in the presence of other predisposing factors. METHODS: One hundred and twenty undernourished 12-70 month old children, with or without ECC, were selected. Undernourished children were classified as being mildly, moderately or severely undernourished. All children were examined for determination of decayed, missing and filled surfaces (dmfs). Total protein concentration in saliva was analysed by the Bradford method. For microbiological analysis, mitis salivarius-bacitracin agar medium was used. A binary logistic regression model was applied to test the simultaneous influence of different variables over caries experience. RESULTS: The risk of ECC was significantly higher with an increase in age (p = 0.000) and mutans streptococci counts (p = 0.032). Comparisons with the normal-weight group showed that mildly (p = 0.004) and severely undernourished children (p = 0.037) had a higher risk of experiencing ECC, but this risk was not significantly elevated among moderately undernourished children (p = 0.158). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that mildly and severely undernourished children have an increased risk of experiencing dental caries. Age is highly associated with the disease in this population.

Predictive equations overestimate the resting metabolic rate in postmenopausal women.

UNLABELLED: The resting energetic dispenses on postmenopausal stage should be well known in order to elaborate obesity prevention programs. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare the resting metabolic rate (RMR) measured by indirect calorimetry (RMRmeasured) with predictive equations (RMRestimated) and verify which preexisting equation is more indicated for this population, in inactive, postmenopausal women. DESIGN: 43 postmenopausal women volunteered for the present study. MEASUREMENTS: RMRestimated value was achieved by indirect calorimetry. The predictive equations used were: Harris-Benedict equation (HB), Henry e Ree (HR), Mifflin-St Jeor equation (MSJ), World Health Organization equation (WHO) and Female Brazilian Population (FBP). Body composition was obtained through skinfolds method. RESULTS: All equations showed significant difference values for kcal/day (p<0.00001) (HB 1313.07±73.46; HR 1310.95±81.41; MSJ 1207.93±93.17; WHO 1375.73±61.01 and FBP 1250.05±73.54 kcal/day) in relation to RMRestimated (1063.79±157.82). The WHO equation was the one which most overestimated the RMR values with a difference of more than 300 kcal/day. CONCLUSION: None of the equations to approach, in this study showed precision in the estimative of RMR, all prediction equations overestimated RMR values in Brazilians' postmenopausal women, although the MSJ predictive equation showed the greater approximation of RMRmeasured for this population.

Towards a better understanding of Ipomoea asarifolia toxicity: evidence of the involvement of a leaf lectin.

Natural intoxication of livestock by ingestion of Ipomoea asarifolia leaves has been reported to occur widely in Brazil. Previous studies carried out by our research group provided strong evidence that a lectin could be involved with the toxic properties of I. asarifolia. To reinforce this hypothesis, a lectin-enriched fraction (LEF) was isolated from I. asarifolia leaves and its toxic effects were assessed. Leaves of I. asarifolia were excised from plants growing widely in the field, mechanically wounded and maintained in a chamber at 25 ± 3 °C for 72h in the dark, under near 100% relative humidity. The leaf proteins were extracted, ammonium sulfate precipitated, chromatographed on DEAE-cellulose and Phenyl-Sepharose to produce LEF that under SDS-PAGE showed a molecular mass of 44.0 kDa and after N-terminal amino acid analysis a primary sequence composed of AGYTPVLDIGAEVLAAGEPY. The in vivo toxicity of LEF assessed by intraorbital injection in mice showed induced severe uncoordinated movements without death. LEF reduced the muscular contraction in a dose depend way and at 29.8 µg/mL (CE(50)) it produces 50% inhibition of contraction, suggesting that LEF blunts autonomic neurotransmission. Isolated rat kidneys were perfused with LEF and no effects on the perfusion pressure or renal vascular resistance were observed, but urinary flow and glomerular filtration rate increased. Moreover, the percentage of tubular transport of Na(+), K(+) and Cl(-) decreased. Histological examination of the kidneys perfused with LEF exhibited little alterations. These toxic effects observed above were concomitant with the increase of LEF hemagglutination activity, which strongly suggest that one of the toxic principles of I. asarifolia is a lectin present in its leaves.

Bat-species richness in the Pantanal floodplain and its surrounding uplands.

We studied the bat fauna of the Pantanal floodplain and its surrounding plateaus in Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, based on the scientific collection at Universidade Anhanguera-Uniderp and on the Projeto Morcegos do Pantanal data bank at UFMS, comprising 9,037 captures of 56 species recorded from 1994 to 2007. The Pantanal surveys were carried out in the Nhecolândia, Aquidauana, Miranda, and Paraguai sub-regions; the uplands surveys took place in the Maracaju, Bodoquena, and Urucum formations. Bat specimens were mist-netted over 376 nights in 35 sites, predominantly near fruiting trees, bat shelters, and forest patches. In the floodplain 46 species were recorded (n = 6,292 individuals), and 44 species were found in the uplands (n = 2,745 individuals). Six families were recorded: Phyllostomidae (30 species), Molossidae (12 species), Verpertilionidae (nine species) Noctilionidae (two species), Emballorunidae (two species) and Mormoopidae (one species). The bat fauna was predominantly composed of insectivore (32) and frugivore (15) species. The frugivorous Artibeus planirostris (n = 3,101 individuals) was the commonest species in floodplain and uplands. Other common species were Myotis nigricans (n = 762), Molossus molossus (n = 692), Noctilio albiventris (n = 681), Platyrrhinus lineatus (n = 633), Sturnira lilium (n = 461), Carollia perspicillata (n = 451), Glossophaga soricina (n = 436), Artibeus lituratus (n = 320), and Desmodus rotundus (n = 281). In the floodplain there were three insectivores among the most common species, contrasting with the uplands dominated by the frugivores. The diversity for the 35 sites assembled (H' = 2.5) is comparable to that recorded for tropical forests. The bat fauna presented here represents 34% of the Brazilian bat species, and 62% of species reported for the Upper Paraguay River Basin. Additionally, five species are reported for the first time in Mato Grosso do Sul.

High prevalence of oral human papillomavirus infection in Fanconi's anemia patients.

BACKGROUND: Fanconi's anemia (FA) is a rare recessive genetic disorder characterized by bone marrow failure, developmental and congenital abnormalities, which frequently evolves to aplastic anemia and neoplasias, primarily acute leukemia and head-neck carcinomas. Risk of malignancies increases after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and the role of human papillomavirus (HPV) in FA carcinogenesis have been proposed. OBJECTIVE: To investigate prevalence of oral HPV in FA patients without oral malignant lesions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After oral examination, 76 subjects without detectable oral malignant lesions were included and classified in four groups: 20 FA submitted to HSCT (I), 22 FA not submitted to HSCT (II), 18 severe aplastic anemia (SAA) submitted to HSCT (III) and 16 healthy subjects (IV). Liquid-based cytology sampling, HPV screening by polymerase chain reaction and genotyping by reverse hybridization were performed. RESULTS: The HPV detection rates were: group I 35%, group II 27.3%, group III 38% and group IV 6.25%. Prevalence of high risk HPV types, mainly HPV16, was detected. Compared with control group, suggestions for increased likelihood of being HPV infected in SAA (OR = 9.55, 95% CI: 1.01-125.41) and FA patients submitted to HSCT (OR = 8.08, 0.83-72.29) emerged. CONCLUSION: Patients without oral malignant lesions submitted to HSCT, have high prevalence of oral HPV. HPV screening and close follow up should be considered in these patients.

Chronic treatment with D-chiro-inositol prevents autonomic and somatic neuropathy in STZ-induced diabetic mice.

AIM: D-chiro-inositol (DCI) has been shown to prevent and reverse endothelial dysfunction in diabetic rats and rabbits. The present study evaluates the preventive effect of DCI on experimental diabetic neuropathy (DN). METHODS: Streptozotocin-induced (STZ) diabetic mice were treated by oral gavage for 60 days with DCI (20 mg/kg/12 h) or saline (NaCl 0.9%; 0.1 ml/10 g/12 h; Diab) and compared with euglycaemic groups treated with saline (0.1 ml/10 g/12 h; Eugly). We compared the response of the isolated sciatic nerve, corpora cavernosa or vas deferens to electrical stimulation. RESULTS: The electrically evoked compound action potential of the sciatic nerve was greatly blunted by diabetes. The peak-to-peak amplitude (PPA) was decreased from 3.24 ± 0.7 to 0.9 ± 0.2 mV (p < 0.05), the conduction velocity (CV) of the first component was reduced from 46.78 ± 4.5 to 26.69 ± 3.8 ms (p < 0.05) and chronaxy was increased from 60.43 ± 1.9 to 69.67 ± 1.4 ms (p < 0.05). These parameters were improved in nerves from DCI-treated mice (p < 0.05). PPA in the DCI group was 5.79 ± 0.8 mV (vs. 0.9 ± 0.2 mV-Diab; p < 0.05) and CV was 45.91 ± 3.6 ms (vs. 26.69 ± 3.8 ms-Diab; p < 0.05). Maximal relaxation of the corpus cavernosum evoked by electrical stimulation (2-64 Hz) in the Diab group was 36.4 ± 3.8% compared to 65.4 ± 2.8% in Eugly and 59.3 ± 5.5% in the DCI group (p < 0.05). Maximal contraction obtained in the vas deferens was 38.0 ± 9.2% in Eugly and 11.5 ± 2.6% in Diab (decrease of 69.7%; p < 0.05), compared to 25.2 ± 2.3% in the DCI group (p < 0.05 vs. diabetic). Electron microscopy of the sciatic nerves showed prevention of neuronal damage. CONCLUSIONS: DCI has a neuroprotective action in both autonomic and somatic nerves in STZ-induced DN.

Comparison of oral versus sublingual piroxicam during postoperative pain management after lower third molar extraction.

In this study, 53 patients received piroxicam, administered orally or sublingually, after undergoing removal of symmetrically positioned lower third molars, during two separate appointments. This study used a randomized, blind, cross-over protocol. Objective and subjective parameters were recorded for comparison of postoperative results for 7 days after surgery. Patients treated with oral or sublingual piroxicam reported low postoperative pain scores. The patients who received piroxicam orally took a similar average amount of analgesic rescue medication compared with patients who received piroxicam sublingually (p>0.05). Patients exhibited similar values for mouth opening measured just before surgery and immediately following suture removal 7 days later (p>0.05), and showed no significant differences between routes of piroxicam administration for swelling control during the second or seventh postoperative days (p>0.05). In summary, pain, trismus and swelling after lower third molar extraction, independent of surgical difficulty, could be controlled by piroxicam 20mg administered orally or sublingually and no significant differences were observed between the route of delivery used in this study.

SHED differentiate into functional odontoblasts and endothelium.

Studies on mechanisms underlying the differentiation of dental pulp stem cells are critical for the understanding of the biology of odontogenesis and for dental tissue engineering. Here, we tested the hypothesis that stem cells from exfoliated deciduous teeth (SHED) differentiate into functional odontoblasts and endothelial cells. SHED were seeded in tooth slice/scaffolds and implanted subcutaneously into immunodeficient mice. SHED differentiated into functional odontoblasts that generated tubular dentin, as determined by tetracycline staining and confocal microscopy. These cells also differentiated into vascular endothelial cells, as determined by beta-galactosidase staining of LacZ-tagged SHED. In vitro, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) induced SHED to express VEGFR2, CD31, and VE-Cadherin (markers of endothelium) and to organize into capillary-like sprouts. VEGF induced ERK and AKT phosphorylation (indicative of differentiation), while inhibiting phosphorylation of STAT3 (indicative of 'stemness'). Collectively, this work demonstrates that SHED can differentiate into angiogenic endothelial cells and odontoblasts capable of generating tubular dentin.

Pulpotomy of human primary molars with MTA and Portland cement: a randomised controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the clinical and radiographic effectiveness of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and Portland cement (PC) as pulp dressing agents in carious primary teeth. METHODOLOGY: Thirty carious primary mandibular molars of children aged 5-9 years old were randomly assigned to MTA or PC groups, and treated by a conventional pulpotomy technique. The teeth were restored with resin modified glass ionomer cement. Clinical and radiographic successes and failures were recorded at 6, 12, 18 and 24-month follow-up. RESULTS: All pulpotomised teeth were clinically and radiographically successful at all follow-up appointments. Six out of 15 teeth in the PC group and five out of 14 teeth in the MTA group exfoliated throughout the follow-up period. No statistically significant difference regarding dentine bridge formation was found between both groups throughout the follow-up period. As far as pulp canal obliteration is concerned, a statistically significant difference was detected at 6-month follow-up (p <0.05), since the beginning of mineralised material deposition could be radiographically detected in 100% and 57.14% of the teeth treated with PC and MTA, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: PC may serve as an effective and less expensive MTA substitute in primary molar pulpotomies. Further studies and longer follow-up assessments are needed.

Characterization of a local renin-angiotensin system in rat gingival tissue.

BACKGROUND: The systemic renin-angiotensin system (RAS) promotes the plasmatic production of angiotensin (Ang) II, which acts through interaction with specific receptors. There is growing evidence that local systems in various tissues and organs are capable of generating angiotensins independently of circulating RAS. The aims of this study were to investigate the expression and localization of RAS components in rat gingival tissue and evaluate the in vitro production of Ang II and other peptides catalyzed by rat gingival tissue homogenates incubated with different Ang II precursors. METHODS: Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assessed mRNA expression. Immunohistochemical analysis aimed to detect and localize renin. A standardized fluorimetric method with tripeptide hippuryl-histidyl-leucine was used to measure tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) activity, whereas high performance liquid chromatography showed products formed after the incubation of tissue homogenates with Ang I or tetradecapeptide renin substrate (TDP). RESULTS: mRNA for renin, angiotensinogen, ACE, and Ang II receptors (AT(1a), AT(1b), and AT(2)) was detected in gingival tissue; cultured gingival fibroblasts expressed renin, angiotensinogen, and AT(1a) receptor. Renin was present in the vascular endothelium and was intensely expressed in the epithelial basal layer of periodontally affected gingival tissue. ACE activity was detected (4.95 +/- 0.89 nmol histidyl-leucine/g/minute). When Ang I was used as substrate, Ang 1-9 (0.576 +/- 0.128 nmol/mg/minute), Ang II (0.066 +/- 0.008 nmol/mg/minute), and Ang 1-7 (0.111 +/- 0.017 nmol/mg/minute) were formed, whereas these same peptides (0.139 +/- 0.031, 0.206 +/- 0.046, and 0.039 +/- 0.007 nmol/mg/minute, respectively) and Ang I (0.973 +/- 0.139 nmol/mg/minute) were formed when TDP was the substrate. CONCLUSION: Local RAS exists in rat gingival tissue and is capable of generating Ang II and other vasoactive peptides in vitro.