Effect of non-surgical periodontal therapy on risk markers of cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in the world. Patients with periodontitis have a higher risk of CVD, although a causal relationship between these conditions remains unclear. Non-surgical periodontal therapy (NSPT) is able to control inflammation at local and systemic levels. This study aimed to analyze the effect of NSPT on CVD risk markers. METHODS: Four electronic databases were searched from their inception to April 1, 2023, to identify and select articles without any language restrictions. Eleven CVD-related markers (e.g., C-reactive protein [CRP], Interleukin-6 [IL-6]) were selected. Meta-analyses were performed using random and fixed effect models. The differences were expressed as weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). RESULTS: From 1353 studies, twenty-one randomized controlled clinical trials were included in the meta-analysis. Results showed a significant decrease in CRP, IL-6, and systolic blood pressure (SBP) after NSPT. CONCLUSION: Moderate certainty evidence shows that NSPT has a positive effect on the reduction of IL-6 and SBP in patients with periodontitis, while low certainty evidence shows that NSPT is effective for reduction of CRP. Moderate certainty evidence showed that NSPT did not show a positive effect on low-density lipoprotein (LDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG), and low certainty evidence showed that NSPT did not show a positive effect on Interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and flow-mediated dilatation (FMD). PROTOCOL REGISTRATION: The protocol was registered in the PROSPERO (International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews), number CRD42022377565.

Ropinirole suppresses LPS-induced periodontal inflammation by inhibiting the NAT10 in an ac4C-dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is a chronic osteolytic inflammatory disease, where anti-inflammatory intervention is critical for restricting periodontal damage and regenerating alveolar bone. Ropinirole, a dopamine D2 receptor agonist, has previously shown therapeutic potential for periodontitis but the underlying mechanism is still unclear. METHODS: Human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) treated with LPS were considered to mimic periodontitis in vitro. The dosage of Ropinirole was selected through the cell viability of HGFs evaluation. The protective effects of Ropinirole on HGFs were evaluated by detecting cell viability, cell apoptosis, and pro-inflammatory factor levels. The molecular docking between NAT10 and Ropinirole was performed. The interaction relationship between NAT10 and KLF6 was verified by ac4C Acetylated RNA Immunoprecipitation followed by qPCR (acRIP-qPCR) and dual-luciferase reporter assay. RESULTS: Ropinirole alleviates LPS-induced damage of HGFs by promoting cell viability, inhibiting cell apoptosis and the levels of IL-1ß, IL-18, and TNF-α. Overexpression of NAT10 weakens the effects of Ropinirole on protecting HGFs. Meanwhile, NAT10-mediated ac4C RNA acetylation promotes KLF6 mRNA stability. Upregulation of KLF6 reversed the effects of NAT10 inhibition on HGFs. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, Ropinirole protected HGFs through inhibiting the NAT10 ac4C RNA acetylation to decrease the KLF6 mRNA stability from LPS injury. The discovery of this pharmacological and molecular mechanism of Ropinirole further strengthens its therapeutic potential for periodontitis.

An overview of plutonium isotopes in soils, China: Distribution, spatial patterns, and sources.

Plutonium (Pu) is an anthropogenic radionuclide which has drawn significant attentions due to its radiotoxicity, and the sources of plutonium linked with nuclear accidents and contaminations. The 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio is source dependent and can be used as a fingerprint to determine the sources of radioactive contaminant. However, the distribution and sources of plutonium in soils of China have not yet been systematically studied at a national scale up to date. The distribution, spatial patterns, and sources of plutonium in soils of China were discussed in this work. The concentrations of 239,240Pu are in the range of 0.002-4.824 mBq/g with a large variation, and the 239,240Pu concentrations in surface soils increase with the increasing latitude, which affects by multi-factors such as organic matter and particle size, etc. The inventories of 239,240Pu are in the range of 7.31-554 Bq/m2. The weighted average of 240Pu/239Pu atom ratios (0.180 ± 0.004) in all surface samples is good agreement with the ratio of global fallout (0.180 ± 0.014) of the nuclear weapons tests, this indicate that the major source of plutonium in China is global fallout. However, among some sites, distinctly lower 240Pu/239Pu atom ratio compared to the global fallout values were observed in the northwest China, indicating a significant contribution from other source besides the global fallout. Furthermore, the spatial clustering patterns of hot spots (high values) and cold spots (low values) for plutonium showing the clear associations with nuclear tests, especially the Chinese Lop Nor nuclear weapons tests (CNTs) and the Semipalatinsk nuclear weapons tests (STS). Radioactive material including plutonium from the STS or CNTs was transported by the prevailing westerlies to the northwest China. This review about the fingerprints and distribution of plutonium in soils of China will help researchers to establish a reference database for future radiation risk assessment and environmental radioactive management.

Expression profile analysis of long noncoding RNA and messenger RNA during mouse cementoblast mineralization.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Emerging evidence has uncovered that long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and messenger RNAs (mRNAs) exert biofunctions on cellular mineralization and bone formation. In this study, we aimed to identify lncRNA-mRNA expression profiles and expression patterns, and explore their underlying biofunctions during cementoblast mineralization. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cementoblasts were cultured in mineralized medium for 0, 7, and 14 days. We used quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and western blot (WB) to detect expression levels of osteocalcin (OCN), bone sialoprotein (BSP), and Osterix (Osx). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining and alizarin red staining (ARS) were conducted to detect ALP activity and number of mineralized nodule. Total RNA was extracted from cells and used for high-throughput sequencing. EBSeq package was applied to analyze differentially expressed genes. Mfuzz R package was used to identify gene expression patterns. The weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was performed to explore co-expressed mRNAs of differentially expressed lncRNAs (DElncRNAs). Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analyses were adopted by Clusterprofile R package. RESULTS: Cementoblasts were successfully induced by osteogenic medium. Compared with those on day 0, 384 DElncRNAs and 4255 differentially expressed mRNAs (DEmRNAs), respectively, were found on day 7. Meanwhile, 645 DElncRNAs and 4717 DEmRNAs were detected on day 14. Both DElncRNAs and DEmRNAs were classified into six clusters with different expression patterns. DEmRNAs and co-expressed mRNA of DElncRNAs were predominantly related to cell process, binding, phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)-Akt signaling pathway, hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) signaling pathway, mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and hippo signaling pathway. CONCLUSION: The results demonstrated that both noncoding and coding RNAs were involved in the process of mineralization in cementoblasts, which may provide a new database for further study.

Assessing Heavy Metal Pollution of the Largest Nature Reserve in Tianjin City, China.

Beidagang Wetland (BW) Nature Reserve is centrally situated in Tianjin City, experiencing an extreme industrial development. This study uses index characteristic analysis systems for assessing the individual and combined heavy metal pollution loading in the water during the spring and autumn seasons. By combining the pollution level of single pollutant, a more comprehensive evaluation of water quality in BW was achieved. Water quality was worst during autumn due to high level of Cd and Pb, which indicate the type of anthropogenic activities have a serious effect on heavy metal pollution in BW. In addition, high exchangeable amounts of Cd (> 40%) were found in the sediments of BW, indicating Cd pollution has emerged. There is a need for appropriate abatement actions curbing heavy metal loading and improving water quality of the BW Nature Reserve, thereby ensuring a sustainable management of its ecosystem services.

Review on Health Impacts from Domestic Coal Burning: Emphasis on Endemic Fluorosis in Guizhou Province, Southwest China.

Endemic fluorosis in Guizhou Province, Southwest China was firstly reported by Lyth in 1946 and was extensively concerned since the early 1980s. Initially, the pathological cause of endemic fluorosis in Guizhou Province was instinctively ascribed to the drinking water. However, increasing evidences pointed that the major exposure route of fluorine for the local residents is via the roasted foodstuffs, especially the roasted pepper and corn. Source of fluorine in roasted foodstuffs was once blamed on the local coal and subsequently imputed to clay mixed in the coal. In fact, both are probably the source. Geogenic fluorine concentration in soil and clay is indeed high in Guizhou Province, but is not likely to be the direct cause for endemic fluorosis. The real culprit for endemic fluorosis in Guizhou Province is the unhealthy lifestyle of the local residents, who usually roasted their foodstuffs using local coal or briquettes (a mixture of coal and clay), resulting in the elevated fluorine in roasted foodstuffs. Nowadays, endemic fluorosis in Guizhou Province has substantially mitigated. Nevertheless, millions of confirmed cases of dental fluorosis remain left. In addition to endemic fluorosis, other health problems associated with domestic coal burning may also exist, because of the enrichment of toxic/harmful elements in the local coal. It is necessary to determine how serious the situation is and find out the possible solution. As people in other developing countries may suffer from similar health issues, same health issues around the world deserve more attention.

Effect mechanism of biochar application on soil structure and organic matter in semi-arid areas.

There are global concerns regarding soil remediation and water conservation in arid and semi-arid areas. Studying the mechanism and factors influencing soil structure and organic matter content is very important for soil remediation and the rational utilization of water resources. We tracked the changes in soil aggregates and organic matter content during the growth period of maize using different application rates of straw biochar (10, 20, 30, and 50 t/ha) to investigate the effects of biochar on the structure of weakly alkaline soil. The results were as follows: 1) Biochar significantly increased the content of water-stable soil aggregates. The content of water-stable macroaggregates (≥0.25 mm) increased by 8.3-35.0%, and the increase was the highest (35%) when biochar was applied at a rate of 30 t/ha 2) After applying biochar, the content of air-dried aggregates on the surface layer increased by 112.6-168.5%. 3). Biochar increased the organic matter content to varying degrees from the spatiotemporal aspect. In terms of soil depth, organic matter content increased by 2.15-5.88 g/kg. The jointing stage, which the time demand for organic matter is the highest, organic matter content increased by 35.4% when biochar was applied at 50 t/ha 4) We established a three-dimensional surface correlation equation based on the synergistic relationships among biochar, water-stable aggregates, and organic matter content. The particle size of soil aggregates was the highest when the biochar application rate was 29.38 t/ha and the organic matter content increased by 25.7%. It provided evidence that applies to biochar has good potential for water-saving irrigation and soil remediation.

MicroRNA-181b-5p modulates tumor necrosis factor-α-induced inflammatory responses by targeting interleukin-6 in cementoblasts.

Tooth cementum is a bone-like mineralized tissue and serves as a microbial barrier against invasion and destruction. Cementum is also responsible for tooth stability and defending pulp from outside stimuli, which is formed by cementoblasts. Although it is crucial for periodontal and periapical diseases, the mechanisms underlying the pathophysiological changes of cementoblasts and their inflammatory responses remain unclear. MiR-181b is found to modulate vascular inflammation and endotoxin tolerance. In this study, miR-181b-5p was downregulated in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-stimulated cementoblasts, whereas proinflammatory molecules increased. The mouse periapical lesions have similar results, which imitate an inflammatory environment for cementoblasts in vivo. The bioinformatics analysis and dual luciferase reporter assay suggested that miR-181b-5p targeted interleukin-6 (IL-6). Overexpressing miR-181b-5p negatively regulated IL-6 and proinflammatory chemokine. Western blot analysis and luciferase activity reporter assay verified that miR-181b-5p weakened the NF-κB activity. Hence, miR-181b-5p moderated proinflammatory chemokine production by targeting IL-6 in cementoblasts and NF-κB signaling pathway was involved. Furthermore, miR-181b-5p promoted cementoblast apoptosis, which may enhance the resolution of inflammation. Overall, our data revealed that miR-181b-5p was a negative regulator of TNF-α-induced inflammatory responses in cementoblasts.

Role of Osterix and MicroRNAs in Bone Formation and Tooth Development.

Osterix (Osx) is an osteoblast-specific transcription factor that is essential for bone formation. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are ~22-nucleotide-long noncoding RNAs that play important regulatory roles in animals and plants by targeting mRNAs for cleavage or translational repression. They can also control osteoblast-mediated bone formation and osteoclast-related bone remodeling. The vital roles of Osx and miRNAs during bone formation have been well studied, but very few studies have discussed their co-functions and the relationships between them. In this review, we outline the significant functions of Osx and miRNAs on certain cell types during osteogenesis and illustrate their roles during tooth development. More importantly, we discuss the relationship between Osx and miRNAs, which we believe could lead to a new treatment for skeletal and periodontal diseases.