Enzyme linked immunosorbent assay for total potent estrogenic miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pueraria candollei</Emphasis>, a Thai herb for menopause remedy

Miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol are the most potent phytoestrogens of Pueraria candollei var. mirifica, having been proved as an effective herb for menopausal symptoms in folk medicines and clinical trials. To ensure efficacy and safety of P. candollei var. mirifica involved in nutraceutical products being available worldwide, the content of potent phytoestrogens as active ingredients should be specified. Therefore, in this study, we produced a monoclonal antibody for total analysis of potent estrogenic miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol, for which an analytical method was developed using a procedure for an indirect competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The antibody exhibited equal reactivity against miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol. The sensitivity of determination was in the range of 31.3–500 ng/ml with high precision. The analytical parameters, such as accuracy (99.6–106% recovery) and high correlation with a HPLC–UV method, indicated the reliability of analysis. This method is of high performance, and it is cheap to control optimal miroestrol and deoxymiroestrol doses of P. candollei var. mirifica nutraceutical products.     

Determination of (E)-ferulic acid content in the root of Angelica acutiloba: a simple chemical evaluation method for crude drug quality control

Journal of Natural Medicines - The root of Angelica acutiloba Kitagawa is an important crude drug in Kampo medicines (traditional Japanese medicine). Chemical evaluation of crude drugs is crucial...     

Accuracy and reliability of continuous blood glucose monitoring during pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass

Journal of Artificial Organs - The purpose of this study was to assess the accuracy and reliability of a continuous blood glucose monitoring system (artificial endocrine pancreas; STG-55, Nikkiso,...     

Expression of immunoregulatory molecules PD-L1 and PD-1 in oral cancer and precancerous lesions: A cohort study of Japanese patients

Objective

An association of the programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and its ligand PD-L1 with various types of malignant tumors has been established. This study aimed to investigate the role of the PD-L1/PD-1 pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral epithelial precursor lesions (OEPL).

Cross-cultural comparison of the attitudes of dental students in three countries

The aim of this study was to identify and compare the attitudes of dental students toward their career choice and dental education in three different countries. Three hundred thirty-six dental students from the University of British Columbia, Canada; Mahidol University and Chiang Mai University, Thailand; and Nippon Dental University, Japan, participated in this study. Information was derived from a questionnaire consisting of career choice items and dental education items. Significant differences in the responses of the participants from each of the three countries were detected for each of the questionnaire items (P<0.001). Regarding factors that may have served as motivations for career choice, the majority of dental students from each country indicated positive reasons such as interpersonal motives, caring for other people, and academic interest. For future career options, the majority of Japanese and Canadian students planned to work as general dentists. Thai students were more likely than Japanese or Canadian to prefer specialization than practicing general dentistry. Nearly three-quarters of the Canadian and Thai students were satisfied with the teaching faculty of their schools, while only a quarter of the Japanese students indicated satisfaction. The findings from this study enhance our understanding of differences and/or similarities among dental students in three nations; this information may help to define strategies to improve the quality of international student exchange programs.     

Effects of basic fibroblast growth factor administration on vascular changes in wound healing of rat palates.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the vascular changes induced by mucoperiosteal denudation of rat palate and to elucidate the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) administration on the palatal vascular network in wound healing. METHODS: A total of 117 male Wistar rats were used for the study on their 20th postnatal day. The animals were divided into three groups: a scar formation group, a basic fibroblast growth factor group, and a control group. The scar formation and basic fibroblast growth factor groups had lateral mucoperiosteum excised from the palate. In the basic fibroblast growth factor group, a solution of basic fibroblast growth factor was injected into the operated area 1 week after excision. At 6, 8, and 10 weeks postoperatively, palatal vascular changes were investigated by immunohistochemical staining and corrosion cast techniques. RESULTS: Throughout the experimental period, there were significantly fewer vessels in the scar formation group than in the control and basic fibroblast growth factor groups. In the basic fibroblast growth factor group, the elongation of new vessels and capillary proliferation proceeded, and after 10 weeks a highly organized vascular network was established. The scar formation group showed few Volkmann's canals that were shrunken or closed, whereas the basic fibroblast growth factor group evidenced Volkmann's canals with arterioles or venules, as seen in the control. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that injection of basic fibroblast growth factor into palatal wounds improves the vascular supply to the operated mucosa and underlying bone during and after palatal wound healing, which may contribute to tissue remodeling of the palate during growth.     

The effect of extracellular calcium ion on gene expression of bone-related proteins in human pulp cells

Calcium hydroxide is often used for induction of reparative dentin formation in endodontic treatment. However, little is known about the mechanism by which calcium hydroxide works. The calcium ion (Ca2+) is an important regulator of cell functions. In this study, we examined the effect of extracellular Ca2+ on gene expression of bone-related proteins in human cultured pulp cells in serum-free conditions. A Ca2+ level elevated by 0.7 mM induced an increase in mRNA expression of osteopontin and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2. However, mRNA levels of BMP-4 and alkaline phosphatase decreased under the elevated Ca2+ culture condition. The same concentration of additional magnesium ions had little effect on expressions of the examined bone-related protein mRNAs. These findings suggest that Ca2+ in Ca(OH)2 specifically modulates osteopontin and BMP-2 levels during calcification in pulp.