Efficacy of a single session protocol for endodontic treatment in primary teeth: in vivo study.

AIMS: To determine the efficacy of a single session protocol (SSP) in the reduction of septic content of primary teeth root canals and identify the persistence of bacterial species associated with unsuccessful treatment. METHODS: Primary teeth root canals (16) with pulp necrosis and peri-radicular lesions were treated. Samples were collected at baseline (T1), and after chemo-mechanical preparation, before filling (T2). Identification of the microorganisms was determined using checkerboard DNA-DNA hybridisation. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Wilcoxon test was applied for comparison of mean number of species, proportion and mean count of each species between the evaluation times. RESULTS: Significant reductions were found in the mean number of bacteria species between T1 and T2 (p < 0.05), but not for the reduction in proportion (p > 0.05). There was a reduction (6.0-4.6) of the mean number of species associated with failure, without statistical significance. CONCLUSION: The SSP was capable of significantly reducing the septic content, even though, many of the bacteria associated with failure persisted at the time of root canal filling.

Determinants of self-monitoring of blood glucose in patients with Type 1 diabetes: a multi-centre study in Brazil.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the daily frequency of self-monitoring of blood glucose and glycaemic control, demographic and socio-economic status in patients with Type 1 diabetes under routine clinical care in Brazil. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, multi-centre study conducted between December 2008 and December 2010 in 28 public clinics in 20 Brazilian cities. The data were obtained from 3176 patients, aged 22 ± 11.8 years, of whom 56.3% were female and 57.4% were Caucasian. The mean time since diabetes diagnosis was 11.7 ± 8.1 years. RESULTS: The prevalence of self-monitoring of blood glucose was 88.5%. There was a significant increase in self-monitoring frequency associated with female gender, lower ages, more intensive diabetes management and higher socio-economic status. A correlation between HbA(1c) levels and the daily frequency of self-monitoring was observed (r(s) = -0.13; P = 0.001). The mean HbA1c levels were related to the daily frequency of self-monitoring (P < 0.001) without additional benefit to patients who performed self-monitoring more than four times daily (9.2, 11.2, 10.2,15.2 and 15% for one, two, three, four, five or more self-monitoring tests daily, respectively; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of our patients (88.5%) performed three or more self-monitoring tests daily, with more frequent testing reported by females, younger patients, those on intensive insulin regimens and of higher socio-economic status. No additional benefit was found in patients who performed self-monitoring more than four times daily. The diabetes care team must improve patients' education regarding self-monitoring of blood glucose and its benefits.

Tooth slice/scaffold model of dental pulp tissue engineering.

Multipotency is a defining characteristic of post-natal stem cells. The human dental pulp contains a small subpopulation of stem cells that exhibit multipotency, as demonstrated by their ability to differentiate into odontoblasts, neural cells, and vascular endothelial cells. These discoveries highlight the fundamental role of stem cells in the biology of the dental pulp and suggest that these cells are uniquely suited for dental pulp tissue-engineering purposes. The availability of experimental approaches specifically designed for studies of the differentiation potential of dental pulp stem cells has played an important role in these discoveries. The objective of this review is to describe the development and characterization of the Tooth Slice/Scaffold Model of Dental Pulp Tissue Engineering. In addition, we discuss the multipotency of dental pulp stem cells, focusing on the differentiation of these cells into functional odontoblasts and into vascular endothelial cells.

Effect of PTK/ZK on the angiogenic switch in head and neck tumors.

Transformation of small avascular masses of tumor cells into rapidly progressive cancers is triggered by the angiogenic switch, a process that involves vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. We have shown that VEGF enhances the survival and angiogenic potential of endothelial cells by activating the Bcl-2-CXCL8 signaling axis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a small-molecule inhibitor of VEGF receptors (PTK/ZK) on the initial stages of head and neck tumor angiogenesis. In vitro, PTK/ZK blocked head and neck tumor cell (OSCC3 or UM-SCC-17B)-induced Bcl-2 and CXCL8 expression in endothelial cells. Oral administration of PTK/ZK decreased xenograft head and neck tumor microvessel density, and inhibited Bcl-2 and CXCL8 expression in tumor-associated endothelial cells. Analysis of these data demonstrates that PTK/ZK blocks downstream targets of VEGF signaling in endothelial cells, and suggests that PTK/ZK may inhibit the angiogenic switch in head and neck tumors.