Evaluation of bone morphogenic proteins in periodontal practice.

Forty years ago Marshal R. Urist discovered a substance in bone matrix that had inductive properties for the development of bone and cartilage, until date, at least 20 bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) have been identified, some of which have been shown in vitro to stimulate the process of stem cell differentiation into osteoblasts in human and animal models. The purpose of this paper is to give a brief overview of BMPs and to review critically the clinical data currently available on the use of BMPs in various periodontal applications. The literature on BMPs was reviewed. A comprehensive search was designed. The articles were independently screened for eligibility. Articles with authentic controls and proper randomization and pertaining specifically to their role in periodontal applications were included. The available literature was analyzed and compiled. The analysis indicates BMPs to be a promising, as well as an effective novel approach to reconstruct and engineer the periodontal apparatus. Here, we represent several articles, as well as recent texts that make up a special and an in-depth review on the subject. On the basis of the data provided in the studies that were reviewed BMPs provide revolutionary therapies in periodontal practice.

Prevalence and Characteristic of Headache in Dental Professionals: A Questionnaire Based Survey.

INTRODUCTION: Medical and dental streams in today's date are considered highly demanding and stressful educational environments. Dental professionals, students and faculty, encounter great deal of stress in form of academic stress and job performance. Headache is a major and common neurological problem and is the main reason for decreased work performance, absenteeism and behavioral disturbances in dental professionals. AIM: In current scenario of increasing stressful conditions in dental professionals, the present study was carried out with an aim to assess the prevalence and characteristic of headache in dental professionals in Udaipur, India. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional questionnaire based study was conducted in a private dental teaching hospital in Udaipur. The undergraduate, postgraduate dental students and faculty members, who gave consent, were included in the study. Information regarding the reason for headache and its various parameters was collected. Statistical analysis was done using SPSS version 22 and descriptive statistics was used to compare the results obtained. RESULTS: The headache was found to be prevalent in 87.1% of the subjects included in the study. Females (91.9%) were more frequently affected by headaches than males (87.1%). CONCLUSION: It can be concluded from the present study that headache was the main cause of absenteeism at school and work, mood and behavioral changes and inappropriate work actions.

A Critical Appraisal of Solubility Enhancement Techniques of Polyphenols.

Polyphenols constitute a family of natural substances distributed widely in plant kingdom. These are produced as secondary metabolites by plants and so far 8000 representatives of this family have been identified. Recently, there is an increased interest in the polyphenols because of the evidence of their role in prevention of degenerative diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Although a large number of drugs are available in the market for treatment of these diseases, however, the emphasis these days is on the exploitation of natural principles derived from plants. Most polyphenols show low in vivo bioavailability thus limiting their application for oral drug delivery. This low bioavailability could be associated with low aqueous solubility, first pass effect, metabolism in GIT, or irreversible binding to cellular DNA and proteins. Therefore, there is a need to devise strategies to improve oral bioavailability of polyphenols. Various approaches like nanosizing, self-microemulsifying drug delivery systems (SMEDDS), microencapsulation, complexation, and solid dispersion can be used to increase the bioavailability. This paper will highlight the various methods that have been employed till date for the solubility enhancement of various polyphenols so that a suitable drug delivery system can be formulated.

Papillary syncytial metaplasia of fallopian tube endometriosis: a potential pitfall in the diagnosis of serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma.

Histopathologic diagnosis of tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (TIC) has emerged as a significant challenge in the last few years. The avoidance of pitfalls in the diagnosis of TIC is crucial if a better understanding of its natural history and outcome is to be achieved. Herein, we present a case of a 52-year-old woman who underwent a risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy procedure. Histologic examination of a fallopian tube demonstrated a focus of atypical epithelial proliferation, which was initially considered to be a TIC. Complete study of the case indicated that the focus was, in fact, papillary syncytial metaplasia of tubal mucosal endometriosis. Papillary syncytial metaplasia may resemble TIC and should be considered in cases of proliferative lesions of the tubal epithelium.

Prehospital emergency management of avulsed permanent teeth: Knowledge and attitude of school teachers.

CONTEXT: Tooth avulsion is one of the most serious dental emergencies in children. Often these injuries occur in school and, therefore, the knowledge of school teachers regarding the appropriate measures to be taken immediately after tooth avulsion is crucial to good prognosis. AIMS: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate school teachers' knowledge and attitudes regarding immediate management of avulsed teeth in children. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 177 teachers from seven schools of Garhshankar town, Hoshiarpur District, Punjab, India, formed the sample of the study. A self-administered questionnaire consisting of 16 questions was used to assess the knowledge and attitudes of school teachers about tooth avulsion and its management. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used for analysis. Pair-wise comparison was done using Tukey's honestly significant difference (HSD) test. P ≤ 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. RESULTS: Markedly low knowledge levels were noted among the school teachers. The mean knowledge score was 5 (of a maximum possible score of 10). Only 0.6% of the teachers answered correctly that they would use milk as a transport medium. The number of correct responses was not affected by previous experience with tooth avulsion, sex, educational level, teaching experience, or teacher training. Overall, 85.9% of teachers showed a positive attitude towards this campaign. CONCLUSIONS: Knowledge regarding emergency management of dental trauma is poor amongst school teachers. Therefore, we suggest that orientation to management of avulsed tooth be part of the teacher training education.

New insight into the effects of lead modulation on antioxidant defense mechanism and trace element concentration in rat bone.

Risks of heavy metals-induced severe bone disorders generate interest to their toxicity. The present study was undertaken to monitor the biochemical and antioxidant status of bone of 30 and 80 days old male Wistar rats exposed to 5 week lead treatment. At the end of study, the rats were sacrificed, their long bone i.e. femur were excised, cleaned of soft tissue, minced and homogenized. Nucleic acid content, alkaline phosphatase, lipid peroxidation, catalase, glutathione S-transferase and superoxide dismutase were determined in bone. In both groups of treated animals lead treatment increased the production of malondialdehyde, while reducing activities of catalase, glutathione S-transferase and superoxide dismutase, indicating that it causes oxidative stress. Parallely with these effects lead significantly reduced the nucleic acid content and the activity of alkaline phosphatase, considered as biomarkers of osteoblast's function, conditions and development of bones. Moreover the concentrations of copper, zinc, iron and sodium were reduced in the excised bones. The present study indicates that the lead induced bone toxicity and its deteriorated development is the consequence of a primary oxidative stress. Our results may be helpful in understanding the modulation of biochemical parameters under lead toxicity.

Diabetes-induced extracellular matrix protein expression is mediated by transcription coactivator p300.

Increased fibronectin expression is a key feature of diabetic angiopathy. We have previously shown that nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) mediates fibronectin expression in endothelial cells and in organs affected by diabetes complications. p300, a transcription coactivator, may regulate NF-kappaB activity via poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) activation. Hence, we examined the role of p300 in fibronectin expression in diabetes. High glucose induced fibronectin expression in the endothelial cells, which was associated with increased p300, PARP activity, and NF-kappaB activation. This p300 alteration is mediated by mitogen-activated protein kinase and protein kinase C and B. We then used p300 small interfering RNA (siRNA) and showed decreased fibronectin and PARP expression, as well as NF-kappaB activation, in the endothelial cells. Examination of the heart tissues of streptozotocin-induced diabetic mice revealed increased fibronectin and p300 mRNA. Intravenous injection of p300 siRNA resulted in decreased p300 levels and normalized fibronectin expression in the heart. We further investigated retinal tissues from streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with intravitreal p300 siRNA injection. Similar to the heart, p300 siRNA inhibited fibronectin expression in the retina of the diabetic animals. These results indicate that transcriptional coactivator p300 may regulate fibronectin expression via PARP and NF-kappaB activation in diabetes.

Vascular endothelial dysfunction in diabetic cardiomyopathy: pathogenesis and potential treatment targets.

Cardiovascular complications account for significant morbidity and mortality in the diabetic population. Diabetic cardiomyopathy, a prominent cardiovascular complication, has been recognized as a microvascular disease that may lead to heart failure. Pathogenesis of diabetic cardiomyopathy involves vascular endothelial cell dysfunction, as well as myocyte necrosis. Clinical trials have identified hyperglycemia as the key determinant in the development of chronic diabetic complications. Sustained hyperglycemia induces several biochemical changes including increased non-enzymatic glycation, sorbitol-myoinositol-mediated changes, redox potential alterations, and protein kinase C (PKC) activation, all of which have been implicated in diabetic cardiomyopathy. Other contributing metabolic abnormalities may include defective glucose transport, increased myocyte fatty acid uptake, and dysmetabolism. These biochemical changes manifest as hemodynamic alterations and structural changes that include capillary basement membrane (BM) thickening, interstitial fibrosis, and myocyte hypertrophy and necrosis. Diabetes-mediated biochemical anomalies show cross-interaction and complex interplay culminating in the activation of several intracellular signaling molecules. Studies in both animal and human diabetes have shown alteration of several factors including vasoactive molecules that may be instrumental in mediating structural and functional deficits at both the early and the late stages of the disease. In this review, we will highlight some of the important vascular changes leading to diabetic cardiomyopathy and discuss the emerging potential therapeutic interventions.