The effect of etching on bacterial microleakage of an adhesive composite restoration.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of bacterial microleakage, pulp inflammation and necrosis associated with dentine etching treatments prior to restoration are not known. Consequently, to resolve some of the controversy surrounding the effects and importance of vital dentine etching, the authors investigated these factors. METHODS: 110 standardised class V cavities were cut into buccal dentine, without exposing the pulp of teeth scheduled for extraction for orthodontic reasons. Cavities were either left unetched, or etched with the non-equivalent treatments of phosphoric acid gel for 60s or Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) for 30s, prior to placement of composite resin. Teeth were collected and pulp responses were evaluated according to ISO guidelines, using pathohistomorphometric analysis and ANOVA statistics. RESULTS: Etching was found to be correlated to bacterial microleakage (p=0.0001) and tertiary dentine formation (p=0.0023). Bacterial microleakage was correlated to inflammatory activity (p=0.0001). The frequency of bacterial microleakage was: no etching (65%), EDTA (51%) and phosphoric acid (PA) (20%). SIGNIFICANCE: Vital dentine etching treatment is of extreme importance for the placement of RC to minimise bacterial microleakage. PA etching proved to be more effective at preventing bacterial microleakage than non-etching, and etching with EDTA.     

Stimulatory and inhibitory epitopes in the T cell responses of mice to Der p 1

BACKGROUND: The responses of mice to the mite allergen Der p 1 have been used to study the mechanisms of allergic sensitization and the development of new types of immunotherapy. Many of the studies require a knowledge of the T cell epitopes, and because Der p 1 is polymorphic, the effect of natural amino acid substitution in the allergen. The intranasal administration of peptides containing T cell epitopes can induce a mucosal tolerance but it is not known if the major activity is limited to stimulatory peptides and if, as found for autoimmunity, some epitopes are not inhibitory. OBJECTIVE: To determine and compare the sequences of Der p 1 which contain stimulatory epitopes for the high responding H-2(b) and H-2(q) mice and the sequences which induce tolerance by intranasal administration of peptides. METHODS: T cell responses of mice immunized with Der p 1 were measured by in vitro T cell stimulation assays so an extensive study of epitope recognition and intranasal tolerance could be made. Synthetic peptides were used to examine the stimulatory and inhibitory ability of all Der p 1 sequences and to map the major H-2(b) epitope in detail. This included the effect of the common polymorphic amino acid 124 substitution found within this epitope. RESULTS: Three and two regions, respectively, were found to contain stimulatory T cell epitopes for H-2(b) and H-2(q) mice. The peptides in these regions were also the most active at inducing intranasal tolerance for the responding haplotype. The correspondence between inhibitory and stimulatory peptides was maintained for the fine mapping of the major H-2(b) epitope. This was found about a core region of 118-126 which was overlapping but separate to a consensus sequence for the binding of endogeneous peptides. Peptides with alanine at the naturally polymorphic residue 124 stimulated and inhibited responses to Der p 1 more effectively, while peptides with the valine 124 variant were immunogenic but poorly cross-reactive. CONCLUSIONS: The intranasal administration of peptides representing each of five epitopes recognized by two strains of mice were able to induce mucosal tolerance and the major tolerizing activity was limited to these epitopes. The position of the core major epitope for C57 mice, which differs from a previously predicted epitope, and its specificity for the natural alanine 124 variant is described.     

Effects of partial hepatectomy on organ-specific toxic response to 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP)

The organ-specific toxic potency of subcutaneously administered 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP) was compared in partially hepatectomized and sham-operated rats over a dose range of 20--80 mg kg-1 to assess the roles of hepatic and extrahepatic metabolism in protection against acute renal and gonadal injury. Relative kidney weight and the severity of DBCP-induced renal proximal tubular cell necrosis were increased in rats subjected to a partial (70%) surgical hepatectomy 48 h prior to treatment with DBCP at 80 mg kg-1. Relative liver weight was reduced by DBCP in the hepatectomized, but not in the sham-operated rats. The severity of DBCP-induced (80 mg kg-1) hepatocellular centrilobular necrosis was greater in hepatectomized than in sham rats. DBCP reduced the relative weights of the testis and epididymis in a progressive manner and produced dose-dependent seminiferous tubular atrophy within 12 days of treatment. The morphologically apparent lesions of the testis and epididymis were enhanced by hepatectomy. The concentration of non-protein sulfhydryl groups (NPS) in rat liver was increased by partial hepatectomy. Because of the resulting decrease in liver size, however, the total amount of hepatic NPS per kg body weight 48 h post-surgery was lower than in sham rats. The surgery had no effect on renal, testicular or epididymal NPS concentrations of organ weights. Partial hepatectomy greatly increased pentobarbital and ethanol sleeping times, while sleep induction time for pentobarbital was decreased.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

The brain/mind complex. An epistemological approach.

It is stressed that the brain/mind complex constitutes a monolithic system that functions with emergent properties at several levels of hierarchical organization. These hierarchical levels are non-reducible to one another; they are at least three (neuronal, functional, and semantic), and they function within an interactional plan. From the epistemological view-point, the brain/mind complex uses logical and non-logical mechanisms to deal with day-to-day problems. Logic is necessary for the thinking process, but it is not sufficient. Emphasis is given to non-logical mechanisms; fuzzy logic and heuristics, which allow the mind to develop strategies to find solutions, are analysed.     

Cycling program effects on one rheumatoid arthritic

These researchers investigated the effects of a progressive resistive, cycle ergometric exercise program on cardio-vascular endurance in one rheumatoid arthritic. The 46 yr. old, male subject exercised three days/week for 14 weeks. Workouts included interval-type training using 5 minute intervals for a total of 20-30 minutes (work rate set at 50-75 watts for each interval), not including 3-minute warm-up and cool-down periods (work rate set at zero resistance). Maximal exercise stress testing on the cycle ergometer was completed and blood samples collected before and after the exercise program. Also, psychological and physical health and lifestyle data were gathered before, during and after completion of the program. The conditioning program produced a training effect (greater than 75% of the HR max after the second exercise session) and blood values improved (10-28%) from the beginning to the end of the program. Finally, the program appeared to have a positive influence on various physical and psychological parameters as perceived by the subject and his wife.     

Practical value of a new serum digitoxin assay

The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new fluorescence polarization immunoassay, TDx, for digitoxin by comparing the results of this assay with those of a radioimmunoassay (RIA). Thirty-three serum samples were obtained from 15 patients during, and for 4 weeks after, a 4-week course of digitoxin therapy. Each sample was separated by centrifugation, coded, and frozen until analysis. At the time of analysis, each sample was divided and analyzed simultaneously by TDx and RIA. Nine samples yielded results less than 2 ng/ml (limit of assay sensitivity) by one or both methods and were excluded from further data analysis. Linear regression analysis of the results of the remaining 24 paired samples (x = TDx, y = RIA) revealed a strong correlation coefficient of r2 = 0.95, slope = 0.95, and a y intercept of -0.99 (y = -0.99 + 0.95x). Additionally, the TDx results were lower than the RIA values in only five of 33 paired samples; and these occurred in four patients who had a significantly lower mean estimated creatinine clearance than that of the other 11 patients (39.0 +/- 9.1 ml/min/1.73 m2 vs. 63.3 +/- 11.8 ml/min/1.73 m2, p less than 0.01). The TDx system is a comparable alternative to the RIA method, but differences in specificity and sensitivity may exist and should be evaluated more thoroughly.