Effect of Daily Usage Time of 4% Hydrogen Peroxide on the Efficacy and Bleaching-induced Tooth Sensitivity: A Single-blind Randomized Clinical Trial.

OBJECTIVE: Compare the risk/intensity of tooth sensitivity (TS) and color change of a 30-minute vs. the recommended 120-minute application time of 4% hydrogen peroxide (HP) for at-home bleaching. METHODS: A single-blind, parallel, randomized clinical trial was conducted with 92 adult patients with caries and restoration-free anterior teeth A2 or darker, randomly allocated to two groups. Bleaching trays containing 4% HP were used for three-weeks. A four-week regimen was also offered to the patients for the 30-min group after the end of the 3-week protocol. The color change was assessed with the Vita Classical (VITA Zahnfabrik, Bad Säckingen, Germany) and Vita Bleachedguide shade guides (VITA Zahnfabrik) and the Vita Easyshade spectrophotometer (VITA Zahnfabrik) at baseline, weekly, and 30 days after the bleaching. The absolute risk and the intensity of TS were assessed daily using the 0-10 visual analogue scale (VAS) and 5-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) scale, and patient satisfaction was recorded with a Likert 0-7 scale. Risk of TS (Fisher's test), intensity of TS in NRS scale (Mann-Whitney test), VAS scale (t-test), and a color change (t-test) were compared. RESULTS: The 30-minute group saw color change of around 1 SGU inferior to the 120-minute group in all-time assessments (p<0.05). After an extra week of bleaching, mean color change was similar (p>0.05). Patient satisfaction was high for both groups (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: A four-week protocol of at-home dental bleaching with 4% HP for 30 minutes/day whitened teeth similarly to the 120 minutes/day protocol, with low intensity of dental sensitivity and high patient satisfaction.

Atorvastatin and diacerein reduce insulin resistance and increase disease tolerance in rats with sepsis.

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death among hospitalized patients. At the onset of this condition, there is an over-production of pro-inflammatory mediators that contribute to organ failure and death. The excess production of pro-inflammatory mediators also impairs insulin signaling, which may be a pathophysiological tissue marker of proinflammatory cytokine action before organ failure. Statins and diacerein have pleiotropic effects, such as the blockage of inflammatory signaling pathways, suggesting that these drugs may be an attractive therapeutic or prophylactic strategy against sepsis. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether a statin or diacerein can improve insulin signaling, disease tolerance and survival in sepsis by inhibiting inflammatory pathways. METHODS: We investigated the effect of these drugs on survival, tissue insulin signaling and inflammatory pathways in the liver and muscle of rats with sepsis induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). RESULTS: The results showed that administration of medications, with anti-inflammatory ability, to septic animals increased survival and improved disease tolerance and insulin resistance in the liver and muscle. The treatment also attenuated ER stress, NF-κB, JNK activation and restored glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase) levels in the liver. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that atorvastatin and diacerein treatment can modulate inflammatory pathways and, in parallel, attenuate insulin resistance in sepsis. Since these two drugs have safety profiles and minimal side effects, we suggest that these drugs may be alternative therapies for the prevention or therapies for the treatment of insulin resistance in sepsis, which could potentially reduce mortality in patients with sepsis.

Chemical composition and analgesic activity of Calophyllum brasiliense leaves.

This paper describes a phytochemical and pharmacological study with Calophyllum brasiliense leaves, a medicinal plant employed in folk medicine for the treatment of several ailments. Based on spectroscopic evidence, five phenolic compounds were identified as hyperin (hyperoside), amentoflavone, quercetin, gallic acid, and protocatechuic acid. The fractions and some phenolic compounds exhibited significant analgesic activity against the writhing test and in relation to the second phase (inflammatory pain) of the formalin test in mice, suggesting that this plant can be useful for the treatment of dolorous processes.

I3-naringenin-II8--4'OMe-eriodictyol: a new potential analgesic agent isolated from Rheedia gardneriana leaves.

This paper describes the isolation, identification and analgesic activity of a new biflavonoid from Rheedia gardneriana leaves, which correspond to I3-naringenin-II8-4'-OMe-eriodictyol (GB-2a-II-4'-OMe) (1), with a methoxyl group in position 4 of ring-II. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic data and confirmed by an alkaline hydrolysis. Its analgesic effect was evaluated in a writhing test and a formalin test in mice. It was found that this compound exhibits potent and dose-related analgesic action in both experimental models, with ID50's values of 4.5 micromol/kg against the writhing test and 8.2 and 6.8 micromol/kg against the first and second phase of the formalin test, respectively. It was several times more potent than some well-known analgesic drugs used as reference.

Phytochemical and pharmacognositc investigation of Bauhinia forficata Link (Leguminosae).

We have isolated two phytoconstituents present in the B. forficata leaves, a medicinal plant employed in folk medicine specially for the treatment of diabetes. These compounds were isolated by column chromatography and identified as beta-sitosterol and kaempferol-3,7-dirhamnoside (kaempferitrin) by spectroscopical data and comparison with authentic samples. A comparative study with different parts of the plant indicated that the latter is present only in the leaves, suggesting that it might be useful for a suitable quality control of phytotherapeutics which contain this organ of B. forficata in its composition.