Effects on Angina Pectoris and Exercise Tests of a 2% Nitroglycerin Gel Adhesive in Patients on Chronic β-Blockade

ABSTRACT. Twenty patients on chronic β-blockade for angina pectoris were included in a double-blind randomized cross-over placebo-controlled study on a 2% nitroglycerin gel administered transdermally by an adhesive, Topinitro. The dose, 2.5–10 mg/day, was individually titrated and each treatment period was 28 days. The effect was evaluated by exercise tests and diary cards for anginal attacks and nitroglycerin tablets consumed. Results. In the 17 patients who completed the trial, active treatment did not influence systolic and diastolic blood pressure or resting and maximal heart rate. Maximal performance increased insignificantly from 92±23 to 96±20 W. The level at which 1 mm of ST depression appeared increased from 62±26 to 73±28 W (p < 0.05). The number of attacks decreased significantly, from 92±30 to 14128/4 weeks. The reduction in the number of sublingual nitroglycerin tablets consumed was insignificant. Conclusion. Nitroglycerin adhesive, in individual dosages, may improve signs and symptoms of ischemia.     

A polarized light and scanning electron microscope study of the effect of Duraphat treatment on in vivo caries

Abstract – The present study was carried out to examine the effect of application of a fluoride varnish (Duraphat) on experimentally produced caries in vivo. After a 4-wk period of cariogenic challenge on homologous pairs of premolars, Duraphat was applied on one of the teeth while the other was extracted and saved as a control. The Daraphat treated teeth remained in a cariogenic environment for a new period of 2 wk prior to extraction. All the control teeth displayed the classical characteristics of active incipient subsurface carious lesions. The Duraphat treated lesions showed an increase in surface porosity relative to their controls while the subsurface porosity was dramatically reduced. When examined in the SEM, the corresponding surface appeared smooth with a leveling out of the original surface irregularities. High power microscopy disclosed, however, a distinct network of intercrystalline spaces. Application of Duraphat prior to reestablishment of cariogenic challenge apparently gives rise to a marked redistribution of minerals in active initial carious lesions.     

Ornithine®-vasopressin (POR-8) as a vasoconstrictor in anesthetics used for ordinary dental treatment

abstract – A double-blind clinical investigation was performed with 2% Carbocaine® with either adrenaline 1:200,000 or Ornithine® vasopressin (POR-8) 0.03 IU/ml respectively 0.05 IU/ml, and 3 % Citanest® with felypressin (Octopressin® 0.03 IU/ml. The series consisted of about 600 patients considered representative of an ordinary dental clientele. No differences were found between the anesthetic solutions regarding their anesthetic and ischemic effects. The duration of the analgesia of the soft tissues was shortest for the solution containing adrenaline. The lowest suitable concentration appears to be 0.05 IU/ml. Systemic side effects were noted only in four cases and in all of them they were considered to be of psychic origin. Finally, the compatibility of POR-8 with halothane and with tricyclic antidepressive drugs is mentioned.     

Interferon Production in Children with Undue Susceptibility to Infections

ABSTRACT. The interferon-producing ability of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes obtained from children with undue susceptibility to infections was investigated. Patients were grouped according to three clinical patterns, i.e. children with mainly upper respiratory tract infec-tions, with lower respiratory tract infections and with frequent middle ear infections. There WBS no evidence of impaired mean interferon-a responses to the inducers Sendai virus and beta-hemolytic Group G streptococci in patients compared with control children, and there were no differences in this respect between the patient subgroups. A tendency to increased Concanavalin A-induced interferon-y production was seen in patients, particularly those with middle ear infections. Leukocytes from patients displayed a higher proliferative response to the T cell mitogens Concanavalin A and Lens culinaris lectin. In a minority of patients (5128) reproducibly low interferon responses to Sendai virus were found but only one of these patients showed a response below the -2 SD limit for the control group. The results therefore indicate no major defects in the interferon responses of infection-prone children, and at the most suggest that a minority of such patients may be low responders to a viral interferon inducer. Key words: Integeron, lymphocytes, infection, children.     

Concanavalin-A-Activated Suppressor Cells in Patients with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis

Concanavalin-A-induced suppressor cell activity was investigated in 63 patients with a definite diagnosis of juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Peripheral blood lymphoid cells from these patients did not have the same ability as cells from normal individuals to suppress the proliferative response of autologous cells, responding to phytohaemaglutinin, Candida albicans antigen, or allogeneic cells. No correlation was found between suppressor activity, disease activity, or number of joints involved. Nor was there any significant association between decreased suppressor cell activity and HLA-A, -B, -C, -D antigens, although there was a tendency towards association between decreased suppressor cell activity and HLA-B27.     

Analysis of factors influencing the long-term effect of treatment of TMJ-pain dysfunction

A follow-up study on 154 females was performed approximately 7 years after the start of treatment for TMJ pain dysfunction. At the follow-up the function of the patients' masticatory system had on average greatly improved. The individual variation was great, however. In this paper the influence of such factors as diagnosis, age, general health, occlusal disharmonies, dentition and social environment on the long-term effect of treatment was analysed. Patients with TMJ osteoarthrosis had, on average, no more signs or symptoms of dysfunction at the follow-up than those judged to have had mainly neuromuscular problems. Poor general health was found to have a negative influence both on the immediate response to treatment of TMJ pain dysfunction and on the long-term prognosis. Few correlations were found between occlusal factors and dysfunction. Occlusal interferences showed no correlation to dysfunction at the first examination and at the follow-up were mainly correlated to some reported symptoms. Loss of molars and premolars was correlated to impaired TMJ-function. The patients with repeated periods of treatment (14%) did not differ from the rest with respect to signs and symptoms of dysfunction at the follow-up. In eight patients with extremely long periods of treatment general health problems and/or psychosocial factors were evident.     

Apical periodontitis induced by selected bacterial strains in root canals of immunized and nonimmunized monkeys

Abstract – Experimental infections in root canals with Streptococcus faecalisss. liqiuefaciens (Strep-MG4), Actinomyces bovis (Act-MO6) and Bacteroides oraiis (Bact-MC3) were studied in four immunized and five nonimmiLtnized monkeys. The immunization was performed using1 antigens of the homologous strains. The antibody level was checked by gel diffusion. In 56 root canals of the immunized animals and 60 root canals of the nonimmunized animals, viable cells of the three bacterial strains were enclosed in equal amounts in various combinations. After 6 months, samples from the root canals were subjected to qualitative and quantitative bacteriologic analyses and the apical area was radiographically and histologically examined. The analyses revealed no significant difference between the two groups of monkeys, although the viable cell recovery was slightly higher inmost of the root canals of nonimmunized monkeys. The cell proportion of the strains within the different bacterial combinations was equal in root canals of the two groups of animals. The radiograpihic and histologic examinations revealed no significant difference between the two groups of animals regarding the number of teeth with periapical lesions. The radiographic examination, however, showed a more distinct limitation of the process in the immunized than In the nonimmunized monkeys. Histologically the lesions were more encapsulated and had a sparser cell infiltration in immunized than in nonimmunized monkeys. In the latter, inflammatory cells had often infiltrated the bone. Mixed infections gave a more severe periapical reaction than single strain infections in both animal groups.     

The postnatal development of the inferior oblique muscle of the cat

Transversal sections of the inferior oblique muscle from kittens of various ages and from adult cats were stained for myofibrillar ATP-ase at Ph 9.4 and 4.35, succinic dehydrogenase (SDH) and fat. The same muscles had previously been submitted to studies of contractional and fatigue properties. With ATPase the fibers could be differentiated into types I, II and II C. The percentages of each fiber type remained approximately the same from birth onwards. In the inner, global layer of the muscle, type I fibers showed a linear increase in size, but types II and IIC fibers an accelerated growth after age 20 weeks. In the outer, orbital layer, where no type I fibers were seen, types II and IIC fibers showed the same growth pattern as in the global layer. The fiber content of SHD and fat was low at birth but increased after two weeks of age. Type I fibers were poor and type IIC fibers rich in SDH and fat. Type II fibers showed varying amounts of these substances. Provided that type 1 fibers are slow, type II fast and type II C intermediate in speed of contraction, like in other muscles, the findings on fiber growth and SDH content seem to support the idea that slow, fatigue resistant components in eye muscles reach maturity earlier than fast components.     

Further studies on the composition of the acquired enamel pellicle

Abstract – In the present study pellicle material was collected from human teeth 2, 4 and 6 hr after cleaning. The material obtained was examined by gel filtration, ion exchange chromatography on CM-Sephadex and DEAE-Sephadex with subsequent amino acid analyses of the major anionic component. No major changes were observed to occur either in the overall composition or in the main anionic component of the pellicle during the first 6 hr.