Repair of anterior staphyloma with dehydrated dura mater patch graft

A case of postoperative large anterior staphyloma of the sclera was treated with a dehydrated cadaveric dura mater patch graft. Structural integrity of the globe and a good cosmetic result were obtained after the surgery. During the follow-up of 2 years, no recurrence of staphyloma developed.     

Observer ability to detect ex vivo simulated internal or external cervical root resorption

Introduction

The objective of this study was to assess observer ability to detect ex vivo simulated internal and external cervical root resorption.

Methods

A total of 90 single-rooted mandibular anterior teeth were split along the coronal plane. By using a 0.5-mm diameter round bur, 50 of the teeth were drilled to simulate resorptive cavities (25 internal and 25 external cervical resorption), and the remaining 40 teeth were left without surface defects. The sectioned teeth were rejoined and placed in the alveolar sockets of a dry human mandible in groups of 6 and imaged with intraoral film by using 3 different angulations and with a cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) unit. Film and CBCT image sets were evaluated twice by 3 separate observers. Teeth were scored for the presence and location of resorption by using a 5-point scale. Intraobserver and interobserver kappa coefficients and Az values were calculated for each observer and image set. Differences between modalities were compared by using z statistics, with the significance level set at α = 0.05.

Results

Both intraobserver and interobserver agreements were statistically higher (p < .05) for the Iluma CBCT images than for the intraoral images. Az values for CBCT images were also statistically higher (p < .05) than for film images for all observers and readings. In addition, kappa and Az values of external cervical resorption cavities were statistically higher (p < .05) than those of internal cervical resorption cavities for all observers, image types, and readings.

Conclusions

High-resolution Iluma CBCT images performed better than film in the ex vivo detection and localization of simulated internal and external cervical root resorption.     

Vasodilation Responses to Non-Selective α-Adrenergic Blockage of Coronary Bypass Grafts in Diabetic and Non-Diabetic Patients: In Vitro Study

Background: Adrenergic tonus is increased in atherosclerotic coronary arteries. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate in vitro effects of phentolamine, a reversible nonselective alpha (α) adrenergic blocker, on coronary artery bypass grafts (CABG) and compare its effects in diabetic and nondiabetic patients.Methods: A total number of 30 patients (15 diabetic and 15 nondiabetic) who were assigned to elective CABG surgery were enrolled into the study. For both groups of patients, 16 internal mammarian artery (IMA) samples, 16 saphenous vein (SV) samples and 16 radial artery (RA) samples were collected and studied in the tissue bath system. The vasodilatation responses to increasing doses of phentolamine were recorded.Results: When grafts were compared in terms of amount of vasodilatation to phentolamine, IMA had the most prominent vasodilatation followed by RA and SV respectively. Although the vasodilatation responses in nondiabetic patients were numerically higher than diabetic patients, there was no statistically difference between the groups.Conclusion: Phentolamine, a nonselective α adrenergic blocker, is proven to have equal vasodilatory effects in diabetic and nondiabetic CABG grafts and can safely be used both intravenously and topically in the perioperative period.     

Chronic administration of fluoxetine impairs neurogenic and endothelium-dependent relaxation of the rabbit corpus cavernosum smooth muscle

Antidepressants, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), cause erectile dysfunction; however, the mechanism by which they cause erectile function is unclear. We investigated the reactivity of the corpus cavernosum after chronic fluoxetine treatment in rabbits. Twelve rabbits were randomly divided into two groups: control (n = 6) or 20 mg/kg/day of fluoxetine delivered i.p. (n = 6). The reactivity of the corpus cavernosum tissue from the fluoxetine-treated and control groups was studied in organ chambers after 21 days of fluoxetine injection. In the fluoxetine-treated group, endothelium-dependent relaxation of the corpus cavernosum in response to acetylcholine was significantly decreased compared to the control group. However, the sensitivity (i.e., pD₂) of the fluoxetine-treated cavernosal tissue strips to acetylcholine was not changed with respect to controls. Electrical field stimulation (EFS)-induced neurogenic relaxation was also significantly reduced in the fluoxetine-treated group. Relaxation in response to the nitric oxide (NO) donor sodium nitroprusside was similar between the cavernosal tissues from the two groups. There was also no change in agonist potency between the two groups. Additionally, chronic fluoxetine treatment had no effect on KCl-induced contractile responses. When tissue contraction was produced with phenylephrine to study relaxation in response to various stimuli, the tension induced was similar between the fluoxetine-treated and control groups. This study suggests that chronic fluoxetine treatment causes significant functional changes to the penile erectile tissue of rabbits, and these changes may contribute to the development of impotence.     

Beneficial effects of resveratrol on scopolamine but not mecamylamine induced memory impairment in the passive avoidance and Morris water maze tests in rats

Resveratrol (3,5,4-trihydroxy-trans-stilbene), which is found in grapes and red wine has been shown to protect neuronal cells with its antioxidant activity, improve memory function in dementia and reverse acetylcholine esterase (AChE) activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of resveratrol on emotional and spatial memory in naive rats, as well as on scopolamine- and mecamylamine-induced memory impairment in the passive avoidance and Morris water maze (MWM) tests. Resveratrol (12.5, 25 and 50 mg/kg), scopolamine (0.6 mg/kg) and mecamylamine (10 mg/kg) were administered to male Wistar rats. In the passive avoidance test, there was no significant difference in the first day latency between all groups, whereas scopolamine and mecamylamine significantly shortened the second day latency compared to the control group. Resveratrol reversed the effect of scopolamine at all doses used, but it had no effect on mecamylamine-induced memory impairment in the passive avoidance test. Both scopolamine and mecamylamine significantly decreased the time spent in the escape platform quadrant during the probe trial of the MWM test compared to the control group. Resveratrol reversed the effect of scopolamine at all doses, but did not change the effect of mecamylamine in the MWM test. There were no significant differences in the locomotor activities of any of the groups. In conclusion, we suggested that resveratrol had improving effects on learning and memory by acting on muscarinic cholinergic receptors and at least in part, may reverse AChE activity.     

Exercise in patients coping with breast cancer: An overview

Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in women, but fortunately has high survival rates. Many studies have been performed to investigate the effects of exercise in patients diagnosed with breast cancer. There is evidence that exercise after the diagnosis of breast cancer improves mortality, morbidity, health related quality of life, fatigue, physical functioning, muscle strength, and emotional wellbeing. Based on scientific data, breast cancer patients should be recommended to participate in rehabilitation programs including aerobic and strength training. The aim of this article is to review the recently published data on the effect of exercise in patients with breast cancer in order to present the current perspective on the topic.