Nasomaxillary effects of miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion and two surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion approaches.

This retrospective study was performed to evaluate nasomaxillary changes in 36 patients at an advanced stage of skeletal maturity who underwent miniscrew-assisted rapid palatal expansion (MARPE) or surgically assisted rapid palatal expansion (SARPE) with/without an alar base cinch. Cone beam computed tomography images taken before and after expansion were analysed. Changes in the width of the dental arch (D66S, D66I), maxillary base (MxMol), and nasal floor and nasal cavity in the molar and canine regions (NaFMol, NaFCan, NaCMol, NaCCan) were compared, as well as changes in the choanal aperture (CA) and nasal soft tissue (NW). The MARPE technique produced smaller dental changes (D66S; P=0.025) and greater nasomaxillary expansion (MxMol, P=0.010; NaCMol, P=0.016; NaCCan, P=0.017; NaFMol, P=0.001; CA, P=0.002) than both SARPE techniques. Changes in NW did not differ significantly between the groups (P=0.200). MARPE uniformly increased the anterior and posterior widths of the nasal cavity. SARPE expanded the nasal cavity in a 'V-shape' pattern. Changes in the nasal cavity and choanal aperture related to the amount of dental arch expansion were greater for MARPE than for SARPE. All three approaches increased the width of the nasal soft tissue, although the cinch in SARPE limited this increase.

Enhancing the fungicidal activity of amphotericin B via vacuole disruption by benzyl isothiocyanate, a cruciferous plant constituent.

Amphotericin B (AmB), a typical polyene macrolide antifungal agent, is widely used to treat systemic mycoses. In the present study, we show that the fungicidal activity of AmB was enhanced by benzyl isothiocyanate (BITC), a cruciferous plant-derived compound, in the budding yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In addition to forming a molecular complex with ergosterol present in fungal cell membranes to form K+ -permeable ion channels, AmB has been recognized to mediate vacuolar membrane disruption resulting in lethal effects. BITC showed no effect on AmB-induced plasma membrane permeability; however, it amplified AmB-induced vacuolar membrane disruption in S. cerevisiae. Furthermore, the BITC-enhanced fungicidal effects of AmB significantly decreased cell viability due to the disruption of vacuoles in the pathogenic fungus Candida albicans. The application of the combinatorial antifungal effect of AmB and BITC may aid in dose reduction of AmB in clinical antifungal therapy and consequently decrease side effects in patients. These results also have significant implications for the development of vacuole-targeting chemotherapy against fungal infections.

Enhancement of paraben-fungicidal activity by sulforaphane, a cruciferous vegetable-derived isothiocyanate, via membrane structural damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Parabens have been widely used as antimicrobial preservatives in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, foods and beverages. Commonly, methyl-, ethyl-, propyl- and butylparaben are used independently or in combination to maintain the quality of industrial products, and they are considered to have low toxicity. However, recent evidence has suggested that parabens are toxic in mammalian cells, and parabens have been associated with allergic-contact dermatitis, breast cancer and changes in testosterone levels. Sulforaphane, a cruciferous vegetable-derived isothiocyanate, was effective in decreasing the growth inhibitory concentrations of ethyl-, propyl-, butyl- and methylparaben in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The sulforaphane-enhanced fungicidal effects of methylparaben were deemed to be caused by drastic cell membrane damage and the leakage of internal substances, such as nucleotides, from S. cerevisiae cells. Moreover sulforaphane markedly decreased the minimum concentration of methyl- and ethylparaben required to inhibit the growth of various microbes, such as the pathogenic yeast that causes severe mycosis, Candida albicans; the filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger; and the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli. Enhanced antimicrobial activity from the beneficial components of edible plants may increase paraben efficacy at low concentrations and minimize preservative-induced side effects in consumers. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Sulforaphane, a natural and beneficial cruciferous vegetable-derived isothiocyanate, increased the ability of parabens to disrupt fungal cell membranes. Paraben-containing products have been reported to cause allergic contact dermatitis and drug hypersensitivity; therefore, methods to preserve organic products that may reduce the concentrations of parabens are both timely and necessary. In this study, we found that the combined antimicrobial effects of sulforaphane and parabens had the potential to reduce the paraben concentration needed to preserve organic products, thereby indicating that paraben toxicity may be reduced without affecting its activity as a preservative.