The promise of probiotics in dentistry / A promessa dos probióticos em Odontologia

The aim of this review is to examine the potential mechanisms of probiotic bacteria in the oral cavity and to summarize the observed effects of probiotics with regard to oral health. Additionally, safety concerns and future aspects are briefly considered. Data sources: Studies suggest that probiotics may function not only by direct inhibition of—or enhanced competition with—pathogenic micro-organisms, but also by more subtle mechanisms including modulation of the mucosal immune system. Clinical studies reporting the anticariogenic effects of probiotics and their use in the treatment of periodontal disease and in the treatment of halitosis and Candida albicans have been identified. Study selection: The studies focus on probiotic Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria genera that are most used in various probiotic products. Conclusions: Although direct recommendations for the use of oral probiotics cannot yet be given, scientific evidence so far indicates that probiotic therapy may be a reality in dentistry in the future...

O objetivo desta revisão é analisar os mecanismos potenciais de bactérias probióticas na cavidade oral e resumir os efeitos observados de probióticos em relação à saúde oral. Além disso, preocupações com a segurança e os aspectos futuros são brevemente considerados. Fontes de dados: Estudos sugerem que os probióticos podem funcionar não só pela inibição direta – ou aumento da concorrência com – os micro-organismos patogênicos, mas também por mecanismos mais sutis, incluindo a modulação do sistema imunológico da mucosa. Foram identificados estudos clínicos relatando os efeitos anticariogênicos dos probióticos e sua utilização no tratamento de doenças periodontais e no tratamento de halitose e Candida albicans. Seleção dos estudos: Os estudos focam os probióticos lactobacilos e bifidobactérias, que são os mais utilizados em vários produtos probióticos. Conclusões: Apesar de não haver ainda possibilidade de se recomendar diretamente o uso de pro¬bióticos orais, as evidências científicas até o momento indicam que a terapia probiótica pode ser uma realidade na Odontologia no futuro...

Detection of vulnerable plaque in a murine model of atherosclerosis with optical coherence tomography.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to identify the components of vulnerable plaques in a well-established murine model of human atherosclerosis. BACKGROUND: Although the pathologic features that predict plaque rupture at autopsy are well known, the development of a technology to identify these high risk features in vivo is lacking. OCT uses reflected light to provide histology-like images of plaque with higher resolution than competing imaging modalities. Whether OCT can reliably identify the features of an atherosclerotic plaque that define it as vulnerable-thin fibrous cap, large lipid core, and high percent of lipid in the artery-requires further study. METHODS: OCT images of the atherosclerotic innominate artery segments from the apolipoprotein E knockout (apoE(-/-)) mice were recorded and correlated with histology in both in vivo (n = 7) and well as in ex vivo experiments (n = 12). RESULTS: Excellent correlation between the OCT and histology measurements for fibrous cap thickness, lipid core size, and percentage lipid content was found. The fibrous cap thicknesses examined span those of human fibrous caps known to rupture (< 65 microm). Regions of greatest light reflection in OCT images were observed when calcium hydroxy-apatite was scattered in lipid, less in fibrous tissue, and least in lipid. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that OCT holds promise for the identification of features defining vulnerable plaque including fibrous cap thickness, lipid core size, and the percentage of lipid content.