Application of apical negative pressure irrigation in the nonsurgical treatment of radicular cysts:A case report

BACKGROUND Radicular cysts are one of the most common odontogenic cystic lesions found in the jaw.Nonsurgical treatment of large radicular cysts is a topic of ongoing debate,and there is still no clear consensus on the most effective therapies.The apical negative pressure irrigation system aspirates the cystic fluid and releases the static pressure in the radicular cyst,representing a minimally invasive approach for decompression.In this case,the radicular cyst was in close proximity to the mandibular nerve canal.We used nonsurgical endodontic treatment with a homemade apical negative pressure irrigation system and the prognosis was good.CASE SUMMARY A 27-year-old male presented to our Department of General Dentistry with complaints of pain in the mandibular right molar when chewing.The patient had no history of drug allergies or systemic disease.A multidisciplinary management approach was designed and included root canal retreatment with a homemade apical negative pressure irrigation system,deep margin elevation and prosthodontic treatment.According to a 1-year follow-up period,the patient showed a favorable outcome.CONCLUSION This report reveals that nonsurgical treatment with an apical negative pressure irrigation system may provide new insights into the treatment of radicular cysts.

Effect of NLRC5 on activation and reversion of hepatic stellate cells by regulating the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway

BACKGROUND The formation of liver fibrosis is mainly caused by the activation of hepatic stellate cells(HSCs)and the imbalance of extracellular matrix(ECM)production and degradation.The treatment of liver fibrosis mainly includes removing the cause,inhibiting the activation of HSCs,and inhibiting inflammation.NOD-like receptor(NLR)family,caspase activation and recruitment domain(CARD)domain containing 5/NOD27/CLR16.1(NLRC5)is a highly conserved member of the NLR family and is involved in inflammation and immune responses by regulating various signaling pathways such as nuclear factor-κB(NF-κB)signaling.It has been found that NLRC5 plays an important role in liver fibrosis,but its specific effect and possible mechanism remain to be fully elucidated.AIM To investigate the role of NLRC5 in the activation and reversion of HSCs induced with transforming growth factor-β(TGF-β)and MDI,and to explore its relationship with liver fibrosis.METHODS A total of 24 male C57BL/6 mice were randomly divided into three groups,including normal,fibrosis,and recovery groups.Twenty-four hours after a liver fibrosis and spontaneous reversion model was established,the mice were sacrificed and pathological examination of liver tissue was performed to observe the degree of liver fibrosis in each group.LX-2 cells were cultured in vitro and treated with TGF-β1 and MDI.Real-time quantitative PCR(qPCR)and Western blot were used to analyze the expression levels of NLRC5,α-smooth muscle actin(α-SMA),and collagen type I alpha1(Col1a1)in each group.The activity of NF-κB in each group of cells transfected with NLRC5-siRNA was detected.RESULTS Compared with the normal mice,the expression level of NLRC5 increased significantly(P<0.01)in the fibrosis group,but decreased significantly in the recovery group(P<0.01).In in vitro experiments,the content of NLRC5 was enhanced after TGF-β1 stimulation and decreased to a lower level when treated with MDI(P<0.01).The expression ofα-SMA and Col1a1 proteins and mRNAs in TGF-β1-mediated cells was suppressed by transfection with NLRC5-siRNA(P<0.01).Western blot analysis showed that the expression of NF-κB p65 protein and phosphorylated IκBα(p-IκBα)was increased in the liver of mice in the fibrosis group but decreased in the recovery group(P<0.01),and the protein level of nuclear p65 and p-IκBαwas significantly increased after treatment with NLRC5-siRNA(P<0.01).CONCLUSION NLRC5 may play a key role in the development and reversal of hepatic fibrosis through the NF-κB signaling pathway,and it is expected to be one of the clinical therapeutic targets.

Management of the palato-radicular groove with a periodontal regenerative procedure and prosthodontic treatment:A case report

BACKGROUND Palato-radicular groove(PRG)is defined as an anomalous formation of teeth.The etiology of PRG remains unclear.The prognosis of a tooth with a PRG is unfavorable.The treatment of combined periodontal-endodontic lesions requires multidisciplinary management to control the progression of bone defects.Some researchers reported cases that had short-term observations.The management of teeth with PRGs is of great clinical significance.However,to date,no case reports have been documented on the use of bone regeneration and prosthodontic treatment for PRGs.CASE SUMMARY This case reported the management of a 40-year-old male patient with the chief complaint of slight mobility and abscess in the upper right anterior tooth for 15 d and was diagnosed with type II PRG of tooth 12 with combined endodonticperiodontal lesions.The accumulation of plaque and calculus caused primary periodontitis and a secondary endodontic infection.A multidisciplinary management approach was designed that included root canal therapy,groove sealing,a periodontal regenerative procedure,and prosthodontic treatment.During a 2-year follow-up period,a good prognosis was observed.CONCLUSION This report indicates that bone regeneration and prosthodontic treatment may contribute to the long-term favorable prognosis of teeth with PRGs.

Effect of “Tongji” electroacupuncture on pain and inflammatory factors in patients with lumbar disc herniation in remission stage

Background:Lumbar disc herniation is the most common back pain disorder characterized by lumbago-leg pain in clinical practice.The treatment of lumbar disc herniation in Western medicine mainly contains the operative or non-operative interventions(nerve block therapy,etc.)to relieve pain.Although the pain relief is fast and the short-term effect is clear,it often ignores the degeneration of intervertebral disc,resulting in recurrent symptoms,prolonged course of treatment,and easy to cause sequelae such as lumbar instability.Acupuncture has been used for a long time in the clinical treatment of lumbago-leg pain with definite and long-lasting effect.Methods:116 cases of lumbar disc herniation were randomly divided into treatment group(n=59)and control group(n=57).The control group was treated with oral analgesics,and the observation group was treated with“Tongji”electro-acupuncture(the acupoints were selected at 1.3 inch away from the midline after level T12(the 12th thoracic vertebra),L1(the 1st lumbar vertebra),L2(the 2nd lumbar vertebra),L3(the 3rd lumbar vertebra),L4(the 4th lumbar vertebra),L5(the 5th lumbar vertebra)and S1(the 1st sacral vertebra),the left and right sides are symmetrical)plus oral analgesics.Visual analog scale score and Japanese Orthopaedic Association score were evaluated before treatment and 5 days,10 days and 1 month after treatment,respectively.The contents of interleukin-6 and substance P in peripheral serum were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method,and the total clinical effective rate was calculated.Results:Both the pain visual analog scale score and Japanese Orthopaedic Association score in the treatment group and the control group after treatment were improved as compared with those before treatment(P<0.05).There were also significant differences in these two scores between the treatment group and the control group(P<0.05).Furthermore,there was no significant difference between 1 month and 10 days after treatment(P>0.05),indicating the long-term effect of“Tongji”electroacupuncture on improving lumbago-leg pain was significant.After treatment,the contents of interleukin-6 and substance P in both the control group and the treatment group were lower than those before treatment,and there was significant difference between the control group and the treatment group(P<0.05 and P<0.01 respectively).The total effective rate after treatment was 94.92%,which was higher than that of 87.72%in the control group(P<0.01).Conclusion:The intervention of“Tongji”electroacupuncture plus the routine oral analgesic can significantly improve the lumbar function of patients with lumbar disc herniation,alleviate the pain and improve the clinical symptoms of lumbar disc herniation via decreasing the production of inflammatory factors interleukin-6 and substance P,suggesting a better curative effect than oral analgesic alone.

Radical organometallic nanocages with redox switchable poly-NHC ligands

Developing discrete radical organometallic nanocages is essential for fabricating functional materials.In this study,we construct a series of poly-NHC-based(NHC=N-heterocyclic carbene)organometallic nanocages 3a-3c with different sizes by employing redox-active bis(triarylamine)derivatives with differentπ-conjugated spacers as building blocks.The varied sizes of nanocages 3a-3c modulate the distance of the redox-active centers and reversibly convert them to radical nanocages 3a^(2+)-3c^(2+)through chemical and electrochemical oxidation.Radical nanocages 3a^(2+)-3c^(2+)display clear bond and angle alteration and retention of their three-dimensional topologies.This work not only merely proves that these nanocages are excellent stimulus-responsive materials but also opens a door to the rational design of novel radical organometallic nanocages.

Preparation of high-affinity rabbit monoclonal antibodies for ciprofloxacin and development of an indirect competitive ELISA for residues in milk

A convenient competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA) for ciprofloxacin(CPFX) was developed by using rabbit monoclonal antibodies(RabMAbs) against a hapten-protein conjugate of CPFX-bovine serum albumin(BSA).The indirect competitive ELISA of CPFX had a concentration at 50% inhibition(IC50) of 1.47 ng/ml and a limit of detection(LOD) of 0.095 ng/ml.The mAb exhibited some cross-reactivity,however,not so high with enrofloxacin(28.8%),ofloxacin(13.1%),norfloxacin(11.0%),fleroxacin(22.6%),and pefloxacin(20.4%).And it showed almost no cross-reactivity with other antibiotics or sulfonamides evaluated in this study.The competitive ELISA kit developed here could be used as a screening tool to detect and control illegal addition of CPFX in food products.This kit had been applied to milk detection and the recovery rates from samples spiked by CPFX were in a range of 63.02%-84.60%,with coefficients of variation of less than 12.2%.

Possible aerosol transmission of COVID-19 and special precautions in dentistry

Since its emergence in December 2019,corona virus disease 2019(COVID-19)has impacted several countries,affecting more than 90 thousand patients and making it a global public threat.The routes of transmission are direct contact,and droplet and possible aerosol transmissions.Due to the unique nature of dentistry,most dental procedures generate significant amounts of droplets and aerosols,posing potential risks of infection transmission.Understanding the significance of aerosol transmission and its implications in dentistry can facilitate the identification and correction of negligence in daily dental practice.In addition to the standard precautions,some special precautions that should be implemented during an outbreak have been raised in this review.

Electrocatalytic response of poly(cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine)/multi-walled carbon nanotubes-Nafion modified electrode toward sulfadiazine in urine

A highly sensitive amperometric sulfadiazine sensor fabricated by electrochemical deposition of poly(cobalt tetraaminophthalocyanine) (poly(Co II TAPc)) on the surface of a multi-walled carbon nanotubes-Nafion (MWCNTs-Nafion) modified electrode is described.This electrode showed a very attractive performance by combining the advantages of Co II TAPc,MWCNTs,and Nafion.Compared with the bare glassy carbon electrode (GCE) and the MWCNTs-Nafion modified electrode,the electrocatalytic activity of poly(Co II TAPc)-coated MWCNTs-Nafion GCE generated greatly improved electrochemical detections toward sulfadiazine including low oxidation potential,high current responses,and good anti-fouling performance.The oxidation peak currents of sulfadiazine obtained on the new modified electrode increased linearly while increasing the concentration of sulfadiazine from 0.5 to 43.5 μmol/L with the detection limit of 0.17 μmol/L.

Effects on cytotoxicity and antibacterial properties of the incorporations of silver nanoparticles into the surface coating of dental alloys

The aim of this study was to research the changes in cytotoxicity and antibacterial properties after silver nanoparticles （AgNPs） were incorporated into the surface coating of dental alloys. AgNPs were attached to cobalt chromium alloys and pure titanium using a hydrothermal method, according to the reaction： AgNO3＋NaBH4-, Ag＋1/2H2＋1/2B2H6＋NaNO3. A 3-（4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl）-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide （MTT） assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of the alloys when in contact with osteogenic precursor cells （MC3T3-E1） from mice and mesenchymal stem cells （BMSC） from rats. The antibacterial properties of dental alloys incorporating three different concentrations （10, 4, and 2 μmol/L）of AgNPs were tested on Staphylococcus aureus （SA）and Streptococcus mutans （MS）. High cytotoxicity values were observed for all dental alloys that contained 0% of AgNPs （the control groups）. The incorporation of AgNPs reduced cytotoxicity values. No significant difference was observed for antibacterial performance when comparing dental alloys containing AgNPs to the respective control groups. The results demonstrated that the cobalt chromium alloys and pure titanium all had cytotoxicity to MC3T3-E1 and BMSC and that the incorpo- ration of AgNPs could reduce this cytotoxicity. The concentrations of AgNPs adopted in this study were found to have no antibacterial action against SA or MS.

High-elevation landforms are experiencing more remarkable wetting trends in arid Central Asia

Since the 1980s,a warming and weting trend in arid Central Asia(ACA)has been widely reported.However,no consistent knowledge has been presented about whether warming and weting trends are evenly distributed throughout ACA or whether there are noticeable topographical differences.We combined the ERA5-Land reanalysis dataset and data from Google Earth Engine to analyze the topographic differences of ACA from 1981 to 2020.The findings indicate that significant(p<0.05)warming has a broader geographic scale in ACA and that warming rate of low-elevation landforms(high plains and hlls)is higher than that of high-elevation landforms(mountains and tablelands).However,the weting trend does not fllow this patern.By contrast,high-elevation landforms have a higher wetting rate than low-elevation landforms and are the main areas of wetting.Additionaly,low-elevation landforms continue to maintain the warming and drying trends.Notably,the wetting trend of high-elevation landforms is amplified with altitude.Meanwhile,the wetting trend is negatively related to the warming trend(p<0.01)across the entire elevation range.Collectively,the findings provide new insights into the current research hotspot of warming-wetting"trend in ACA and highlight the differences in the responses of different landforms to climate change.

Toxicity testing of four silver nanoparticle-coated dental castings in 3-D LO2 cell cultures

To address the controversial issue of the toxicity of dental alloys and silver nanoparticles in medical ap- plications, an in vivo-like LO2 3-D model was constructed within polyvinylidene fluoride hollow fiber materials to mimic the microenvironment of liver tissue. The use of microscopy methods and the measurement of liver-specific functions optimized the model for best cell performances and also proved the superiority of the 3-D LO2 model when compared with the traditional monolayer model. Toxicity tests were conducted using the newly constructed model, finding that four dental castings coated with silver nanoparticles were toxic to human hepatocytes after cell viability assays. In general, the toxicity of both the castings and the coated silver nanoparticles aggravated as time increased, yet the nanoparticles attenuated the general toxicity by preventing metal ion release, especially at high concentrations.