Gustatory dysfunction in relation to circumvallate papilla's taste buds structure upon unilateral maxillary molar extraction in Wistar rats: an in vivo study.

Background: The interaction between taste sensation and dentoalveolar innervation is still under research.  teeth loss can alter taste thresholds in humans, but the underlying mechanisms are still obscure. This study investigated the effect of unilateral maxillary molars extraction on the structure of circumvallate papilla in rats. Methods: Thirty-two male Wister rats, aged 3-4 months were randomly distributed into four groups (one control and 3 experimental ) each including 8 animals. The rats were euthanized 3, 6 or 9 weeks following the procedure. The changes in trough length and the taste buds structure and number of both sides of CVP were investigated using routine histological examination followed by statistical analysis. Results: the trough toward the extraction side was obviously shorter with a noticeable decrease of taste buds' number than the non-extraction side. Taste buds were reduced in size and most of them showed signs of degeneration which was more evident in group II followed by group III, less deformity detected in group IV in comparison to the preceding 2 experimental groups. the non-extraction side of all experimental groups showed normal trough length and generally normal histology of taste buds.   Conclusions: Maxillary molars extraction has a degenerative effect on the structure of  taste buds and gustatory epithelium which were more marked at the extraction side and showed improvement upon elongation of follow up period.

K-variant BCHE and pesticide exposure: Gene-environment interactions in a case-control study of Parkinson's disease in Egypt.

Pesticide exposure is associated with increased risk of Parkinson's disease (PD). We investigated in Egypt whether common variants in genes involved in pesticide detoxification or transport might modify the risk of PD evoked by pesticide exposure. We recruited 416 PD patients and 445 controls. Information on environmental factors was collected by questionnaire-based structured interviews. Candidate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in 15 pesticide-related genes were genotyped. We analyzed the influence of environmental factors and SNPs as well as the interaction of pesticide exposure and SNPs on the risk of PD. The risk of PD was reduced by coffee consumption [OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.43-0.90, P = 0.013] and increased by pesticide exposure [OR = 7.09, 95% CI: 1.12-44.01, P = 0.036]. The SNP rs1126680 in the butyrylcholinesterase gene BCHE reduced the risk of PD irrespective of pesticide exposure [OR = 0.38, 95% CI: 0.20-0.70, P = 0.002]. The SNP rs1803274, defining K-variant BCHE, interacted significantly with pesticide exposure (P = 0.007) and increased the risk of PD only in pesticide-exposed individuals [OR = 2.49, 95% CI: 1.50-4.19, P = 0.0005]. The K-variant BCHE reduces serum activity of butyrylcholinesterase, a known bioscavenger for pesticides. Individuals with K-variant BCHE appear to have an increased risk for PD when exposed to pesticides.

Biomimetic remineralization of acid etched enamel using agarose hydrogel model.

Background: Minimally invasive dentistry aims to prevent progression of caries and treats non-cavitated lesions through non-invasive approaches to preserve the integrity of tooth structure. The aim of this research was to investigate the possible biomimetic effect of agarose hydrogel in remineralizing a human demineralized enamel model. Methods: Mandibular third molars were distributed into three groups (G1, G2 and G3) according to the follow up time (2, 4 and 6 days respectively). Caries like lesion was prepared by applying 37% phosphoric acid gel for 1 minute and then remineralization was performed through applying agarose hydrogel on the demineralized surfaces. The specimens were placed in phosphate solution at 37˚C for 2, 4 & 6 days. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface microhardness (SMH) and surface roughness analysis (SR) were performed to assess the regenerated tissue. Results: SEM revealed mineral depositions on the demineralized enamel surface that increased in density by time resulting in a relatively smooth surface in G3. SR and SMH analysis revealed significant differences between the remineralized enamel surfaces of different groups (p< 0.00001) with the highest SR in G1 and the highest SMH in G3. Conclusions: Agarose hydrogel application is a promising approach to treat early carious lesion. Further studies are needed to clarify the stability of agarose hydrogels in clinical application.