The effect of light-emitting diode and laser on mandibular growth in rats

Objective:To evaluate the effect of a light-emitting diode (LED) and/or low-level laser (LLL) with or without the use of anterior bite jumping appliances (also known as functional appliances [FAs]) on mandibular growth in rats.Materials and Methods:Thirty-six 8-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats weighing 200 g were obtained from Charles River Canada (St. Constant, QC, Canada) and were divided into six groups of six animals each. Groups were as follows: group 1: LLL; group 2: LLL + FA; group 3: LED; group 4: LED + FA; group 5: FA; and group 6: control (no treatment). Mandibular growth was evaluated by histomorphometric and micro computed tomographic (microCT) analyses.Results:The LED and LED + FA groups showed an increase in all condylar tissue parameters compared with other groups.Conclusion:The LED-treated groups showed more mandibular growth stimulation compared with the laser groups.     

Calcium Antagonists in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension

Hypertension is twice as common in patients with diabetes compared to those without diabetes. It accounts for up to 75% of cardiovascular disease risk leading to the substantial increase in morbidity and mortality. Control of blood pressure in people with diabetes has been shown in randomized controlled trials to decrease cardiovascular risk and improve outcome especially in preventing stroke. A target blood pressure goal of <130/80 mm Hg is currently recommended for patients with diabetes. However, less than 1/3 of these patients achieve such a goal. This is in part due to the inherent difficulty in controlling blood pressure in these patients where hypertension is usually associated with increased salt sensitivity, volume expansion and isolated systolic hypertension. Therefore, patients with diabetes usually require multiple medications for optimal blood pressure control. Calcium channel antagonists have been shown in large clinical trials to be both safe and effective in controlling blood pressure in diabetic patients and will continue to play a major role in the management of hypertension in this population, particularly in the combination therapy that these patients usually require.     

Deletion of the lon gene augments expression of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island (SPI)-1 and metal ion uptake genes leading to the accumulation of bactericidal hydroxyl radicals and host pro-inflammatory cytokine-mediated rapid intracellular clearance

ABSTRACT

In the present study, we characterized the involvement of Lon protease in bacterial virulence and intracellular survival in Salmonella under abiotic stress conditions resembling the conditions of a natural infection. Wild type (JOL401) and the lon mutant (JOL909) Salmonella Typhimurium were exposed to low temperature, pH, osmotic, and oxidative stress conditions and changes in gene expression profiles related to virulence and metal ion uptake were investigated. Expression of candidate genes invF and hilC of Salmonella Pathogenicity Island (SPI)-1 and sifA and sseJ of SPI-2 revealed that Lon protease controls SPI-1 genes and not SPI-2 genes under all stress conditions tested. The lon mutant exhibited increased accumulation of hydroxyl (OH·) ions that lead to cell damage due to oxidative stress. This oxidative damage can also be linked to an unregulated influx of iron due to the upregulation of ion channel genes such as fepA in the lon mutant. The deletion of lon from the Salmonella genome causes oxidative damage and increased expression of virulence genes. It also prompts the secretion of host pro-inflammatory cytokines leading to early clearance of the bacteria from host cells. We conclude that poor bacterial recovery from mice infected with the lon mutant is a result of disrupted bacterial intracellular equilibrium and rapid activation of cytokine expression leading to bacterial lysis.     

Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase deficiency with confirmed molecular diagnosis: An important cause of hypoglycemia in children

Objectives:To draw attention towards fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase (FBPase) deficiency as an important cause of hypoglycemia and lactic acidosis and to implement preventive strategies.Methods:This observational, cross-sectional study was conducted on 7 Saudi patients with genetically confirmed FBPase deficiency from 2008 to 2018 at Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.Results:Participants ranged in age from 1-10 years, and all presented with recurrent hypoglycemia. All but one had associated severe metabolic acidosis, and 3 patients (42.9%) presented with hypoglycemia and severe acidosis since birth. The mean duration from presentation to diagnosis was 39.4 months, as other diagnoses, like glycogen storage diseases and mitochondrial diseases needed to be ruled out. Development was normal apart from speech delay in one patient with a novel variant of the FBP1 gene. All patients have homozygous variants in the FBP1 gene.Conclusion:Fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase is an important cause of hypoglycemia and acidosis; therefore, it is important to offer early molecular diagnostics in any child presenting with these symptoms. Molecular diagnostics should always be undertaken to confirm the diagnosis and for further preventive strategies.