Exploratory studies of the potential anti-cancer effects of creatine.

Two experiments were performed, in which male Wistar Walker 256 tumor-bearing rats were inoculated with 4 × 10(7) tumor cells subcutaneously and received either creatine (300 mg/kg body weight/day; CR) or placebo (water; PL) supplementation via intragastric gavage. In experiment 1, 50 rats were given PL (n = 22) or CR (n = 22) and a non-supplemented, non-inoculated group served as control CT (n = 6), for 40 days, and the survival rate and tumor mass were assessed. In experiment 2, 25 rats were given CR or PL for 15 days and sacrificed for biochemical analysis. Again, a non-supplemented, non-inoculated group served as control (CT; n = 6). Tumor and muscle creatine kinase (CK) activity and total creatine content, acidosis, inflammatory cytokines, and antioxidant capacity were assessed. Tumor growth was significantly reduced by approximately 30 % in CR when compared with PL (p = 0.03), although the survival rate was not significantly different between CR and PL (p = 0.65). Tumor creatine content tended to be higher in CR than PL (p = 0.096). Tumor CK activity in the cytosolic fraction was higher in CR than PL (p < 0.0001). Blood pCO2 was higher in CT and CR than PL (p = 0.0007 and p = 0.004, respectively). HCO3 was augmented in CT compared to PL (p = 0.03) and CR (p = 0.001). Plasma IL-6 was lower and IL-10 level was higher in CR than PL (p = 0.03 and p = 0.0007, respectively) and TNF-alpha featured a tendency of decrease in CR compared to PL (p = 0.08). Additionally, total antioxidant capacity tended to be lower in CT than PL (p = 0.07). Creatine supplementation was able to slow tumor growth without affecting the overall survival rate, probably due to the re-establishment of the CK-creatine system in cancer cells, leading to attenuation in acidosis, inflammation, and oxidative stress. These findings support the role of creatine as a putative anti-cancer agent as well as help in expanding our knowledge on its potential mechanisms of action in malignancies.

Prevalence assessment of periodontal disease in 3-6 year old children through PSR--a pilot study.

Increasing amounts of information emphasise the relevance of prevention, early diagnosis and early treatment of periodontal diseases in children. Children and adolescents affected by periodontal disease, mainly those who present a fast and severe attachment loss, are considered to be at risk of developing early or advanced periodontitis. Alternatively they may be presenting a reflex of systemic conditions affecting the periodontium. This study was aimed at verifying the acceptability of the use of the Simplified PSR (Periodontal Screening and Recording) Index in a very young population since a previous study in Bahia, Brazil, indicated a very high need for periodontal treatment in adolescents and young adults. A total of 200 children aged 3-6 years from private schools in Bahia, Brazil, were examined by four trained undergraduate students. The screening system was well accepted by the subjects and the fact that it is a fast tool was considered important for the successful examination of all sextants without behavioural disturbance. A high prevalence and a low severity of parameters related to periodontal disease were found in this population. A statistically higher prevalence of PSR code 2 (61.5%) [54.50-68.49] CI 95% when compared to PSR codes 0 (23.5%) 117.93-30.10] CI 95%, 1 (14.5%) 110.07-20.32] CI 95% and 3 (0.5%) 10.02-3.18] CI 95% were shown. There was no statistically significant difference between female and male children for any PSR code. The finding of more parameters related to periodontal health in S5 when compared to sextants S6 and S4 showed statistical significance (CI 95%).