Effects of low-energy laser irradiation on bone remodeling during experimental tooth movement in rats

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Low-energy laser irradiation has many anabolic effects such as the acceleration of bone formation. However, its effects on tooth movement, performed by bone resorption and formation, have not been well characterized. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 10 g of orthodontic force was applied to rat molars to cause experimental tooth movement. A Ga-Al-As diode laser was used to irradiate the area around the moved tooth, and after 12 days, the amount of tooth movement was measured. Calcein was injected subcutaneously to label the newly formed alveolar bone for quantitative analysis. Immunohistochemical staining of proliferating cell nuclear antigen was performed to evaluate cellular proliferation. TRAPase staining was also performed to facilitate the identification of osteoclasts. RESULTS: In the laser irradiation group, the amount of tooth movement was significantly greater (1. 3-fold) than that of the nonirradiation group in the end of the experiment. The amount of bone formation and rate of cellular proliferation in the tension side and the number of osteoclasts in the pressure side were all significantly increased in the irradiation group when compared with the nonirradiation group (P < 0. 01). CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that low-energy laser irradiation can accelerate tooth movement accompanied with alveolar bone remodeling.     

Membranous glomerulonephritis with nephrotic syndrome associated with chronic lymphocytic leukemia

A 66-year-old woman was admitted to our hospital for evaluation of edema of the extremities. Laboratory findings suggested that she had nephrotic syndrome and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Renal biopsy (with PAM staining) showed a spike formation in the capillary wall. Immunofluorescent staining revealed deposition of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and the third component of complement in the glomerular basement membrane. Electron microscopy showed fibrillary deposits in the subepithelium. These findings indicated membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN). In addition, focal segmental sclerosis and interstitial lymphocytic infiltration were observed in the renal biopsy specimen. In CLL patients nephrotic syndrome occurs rarely. Even if the complication occurs, MGN is not frequent. Both diseases are suspected to occur in association with each other, and immunologic abnormality contributes to their coexistence. Although administration of prednisolone and endoxan improved leukocytosis, proteinuria was not sufficiently improved with combination therapy.     

Cell biological basis for combination radiotherapy using heavy-ion beams and high-energy X-rays.

We investigated the biological effect of combining carbon-beam and X-ray in vitro. The results showed that when we employed Gray equivalent as the indication of therapeutic dose, the effects could be explained with simple additive way in the treatment plan. This fact provides important information about the combined therapy of carbon-beam and X-ray.     

Effects of perioperative protease inhibitor on inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins in patients with hepatic resection

AIM: The objective of this study was to examine the effects of perioperative administration of ulinastatin, or urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI), on inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins induced by inflammatory cytokines in patients who had undergone hepatic resection. METHOD: Twenty patients admitted to the hospital for hepatic resection were equally randomized to one of two groups: the UTI group, those who were administered perioperative UTI, and the control group. RESULTS: The UTI group had no adverse effects from using UTI. Production of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) tended to be attenuated in the UTI group when compared with the control group. Moreover, the UTI group had significantly decreased positive acute-phase C-reactive protein (p < 0.05) and significantly increased negative acute-phase protein prealbumin and retinol-binding protein (p < 0.05). Serum IL-6 levels significantly correlated with serum C-reactive protein levels on postoperative day 1 (r = 0.70, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: These results suggest that perioperative administration of UTI might deserve further assessment for use in modulating acute-phase responses without adverse effects in patients who have undergone hepatic resection.     

Overexpression of truncated I kappa B alpha potentiates TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in mesangial cells

BACKGROUND: Dysregulation of apoptosis is one of the likely underlying mechanisms of mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (GN), a disease in which proinflammatory cytokines exhibit a wide range of biological activities. Among them, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) induces two conflicting pathways, one leading to activation of the nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B), and the other leading to caspase-mediated apoptosis. We investigated whether or not specific inhibition of NF-kappa B affects TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis in rat mesangial cells (MCs). METHODS: To specifically inhibit NF-kappa B activation, we constructed a recombinant adenovirus vector expressing a truncated form of I kappa B alpha (AdexI kappa B delta N) that lacks the phosphorylation sites essential for the activation of NF-kappa B. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay was performed to evaluate NF-kappa B activity. Nuclear morphology was observed by staining with Hoechst-33258. DNA fragmentation was detected using an ELISA kit with an antihistone antibody. To investigate the regulation of apoptosis, we measured caspase-3 and caspase-8 activity by ELISA, and examined the Bcl-2 and Bax protein level by Western blot. RESULTS: TNF-alpha-induced NF-kappa B activation was blocked by overexpression of I kappa B delta N. Overexpression of I kappa B delta N potentiated TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis compared to mock transfection, and the potentiation was abolished by treatment with a caspase-3 inhibitor, Z-DEVD-FMK. Overexpression of I kappa B delta N augmented TNF-alpha-induced caspase-3 and caspase-8 activity, but did not affect Bcl-2 or Bax protein expression. CONCLUSION: Overexpression of I kappa B delta N potentiates TNF-alpha-induced apoptosis and augments caspase-8 and caspase-3 activity in rat MCs without changing Bcl-2 or Bax protein expression. These results suggest the potential usefulness of AdexI kappa B delta N to induce apoptosis in MCs under inflammatory conditions.     

Intragraft events preceding chronic renal allograft rejection in a modified tolerance protocol

BACKGROUND: Inbred miniature swine treated for 12 days with high-dose cyclosporine A develop tolerance to histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I-mismatched renal allografts. When this protocol was modified by adding thymectomy before transplant, all animals developed acute rejection. Thereafter, by day 100, one half developed chronic rejection (progression group) and the other half recovered (recovery group). This provides an excellent experimental model to identify the mechanisms of chronic rejection as well as the early changes that may predict chronic rejection. METHODS: We assessed the cellular infiltration, immune activation, humoral immunity, and cell- and antibody-mediated graft injury in the progression and the recovery groups. In addition, we also examined circulating donor reactive cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) and antidonor antibody in both groups. RESULTS: From days 8 to 18 after transplantation, the two groups were indistinguishable. Both showed acute rejection with endarteritis (type II); had IgG and IgM deposition in glomeruli and small vessels; had an infiltrate with similar numbers of T cells, proliferating (PCNA+) and activated (interleukin-2 receptor+) cells; and had a similar degree of parenchymal cell apoptosis [in situ DNA nick-end labeling (TUNEL)+]. However, by days 30 to 60, the two groups could be distinguished by several intragraft features. The recovery group became tolerant and had diminished T-cell infiltration, activation and proliferation, and no detectable antibody deposition. The number of TUNEL+-injured parenchymal cells decreased. In contrast, the progression group showed persistent cell infiltration with activation and proliferation. Significantly prominent TUNEL+ apoptotic parenchymal cells in tubules, glomeruli, peritubular capillaries and arteries were seen from day 30 to day 100. Circulating donor reactive CTL and antidonor class I IgG were detected in the progression group at higher levels than in the recovery group from days 30 to 60. CONCLUSION: In tolerance-induction protocols, unstable tolerance induction is associated with the persistent immunologic activation that mediates immunologic destruction of graft parenchymal cells and chronic rejection. Certain of the described immunopathologic findings (activation, proliferation, apoptosis, and antibody deposition) may be useful in distinguishing the type of rejection, that is, whether the allograft will progress to chronic rejection or recovery.     

Echocardiographic assessment of patent ductus arteriosus shunt flow pattern in premature infants

AIMS—To identify the patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) shunt flow pattern using Doppler echocardiography; and to assess whether it could be used to predict the development of clinically significant PDA.
METHODS—Premature infants weighing under 1500 g, who required mechanical ventilation, and in whom daily echocardiography could be performed from day 1 until the ductus closed, and on day 7 to confirm closure, were studied. The PDA shunt flow was identified from four Doppler patterns, and the closed pattern of a closed duct was also presented. Clinically significant PDA was diagnosed when there was colour Doppler echocardiographic evidence of left to right ductal shunt associated with at least two of the following clinical signs: heart murmur (systolic or continuous); persistent tachycardia (heart rate>160/min); hyperactive precordial pulsation; bounding pulses; and radiographic evidence of cardiomegaly or pulmonary congestion.
RESULTS—Of 68 infants enrolled into this study, clincally significant PDA developed in 31. The most recordable sequence of transition change of shunt flow pattern for clinically significant PDA was: pulmonary hypertension pattern, to growing pattern, to pulsatile pattern, to closing pattern, to closed pattern. And that for non-clinically significant PDA was: pulmonary hypertension pattern, to closing pattern, to closed pattern. The growing and the pulsatile patterns were mostly documented in infants with clinically significant PDA. The first documented growing pattern to predict clinically significant PDA gave a sensitivity of 64.5% and a specificity of 81.1%; the first documented pulsatile pattern gave a sensitivity of 93.5% and a specificity of 100%.
CONCLUSION—Doppler echocardiographic assessment of PDA shunt flow pattern during the first 4 days of life is useful for predicting the development of clinically significant PDA in premature infants. At that stage, the closing or closed Doppler pattern indicates that infants are not at risk of developing clinically significant PDA; the growing or pulsatile Doppler pattern indicates a continuing risk of developing clinically significant PDA.

     

Association of diet with the onset of menopause in Japanese women

A prospective study was conducted in Takayama, Gifu, Japan, to evaluate the association between diet and the onset of menopause. A total of 1,130 female residents aged 35-54 years who were premenopausal and completed a validated semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire in 1992 were contacted by mail with a follow-up questionnaire in 1998 to update information on menopause. Onset of menopause was defined as a woman's age at the last menstrual period prior to stopping menstruation for 12 months. During the 6-year study period, 296 women experienced natural menopause. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to estimate hazard ratios of the onset of menopause after controlling for age, total energy, body mass index, years of smoking, and age at which regular menstrual cycle began. The authors found that green and yellow vegetable intake was significantly inversely associated with the 6-year incidence of menopause (hazard ratio = 0.71, 95% confidence interval: 0.54, 0.95 for the highest vs. lowest tertile of intake, p for trend = 0.02). Association of carotene intake with the incidence of menopause was of borderline significance (hazard ratio = 0.78, 95% confidence interval: 0.59, 1.04, p for trend = 0.07).