Effect of Eicosapentaenoic Acid/Docosahexaenoic Acid on Coronary High-Intensity Plaques Detected Using Noncontrast T1-weighted Imaging: The AQUAMARINE EPA/DHA Randomized Study.

AIM: Omega-3 fatty acids have emerged as a new option for controlling the residual risk for coronary artery disease (CAD) in the statin era. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is associated with reduced CAD risk in the Reduction of Cardiovascular Events with Icosapent Ethyl-Intervention trial, whereas the Statin Residual Risk with Epanova in High Cardiovascular Risk Patients with Hypertriglyceridemia trial that used the combination EPA/docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) has failed to derive any clinical benefit. These contradictory results raise important questions about whether investigating the antiatherosclerotic effect of omega-3 fatty acids could help to understand their significance for CAD-risk reduction. METHODS: The Attempts at Plaque Vulnerability Quantification with Magnetic Resonance Imaging Using Noncontrast T1-weighted Technic EPA/DHA study is a single-center, triple-arm, randomized, controlled, open-label trial used to investigate the effect of EPA/DHA on high-risk coronary plaques after 12 months of treatment, detected using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) in patients with CAD receiving statin therapy. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to no-treatment, 2-g/day, and 4-g/day EPA/DHA groups. The primary endpoint was the change in the plaque-to-myocardium signal intensity ratio (PMR) of coronary high-intensity plaques detected by CMR. Coronary plaque assessment using computed tomography angiography (CTA) was also investigated. RESULTS: Overall, 84 patients (mean age: 68.2 years, male: 85%) who achieved low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of ＜100 mg/dL were enrolled. The PMR was reduced in each group over 12 months. There were no significant differences in PMR changes among the three groups in the primary analysis or analysis including total lesions. The changes in CTA parameters, including indexes for detecting high-risk features, also did not differ. CONCLUSION: The EPA/DHA therapy of 2 or 4 g/day did not significantly improve the high-risk features of coronary atherosclerotic plaques evaluated using CMR under statin therapy.

Effect of thickness of zirconia-ceramic crown frameworks on strength and fracture pattern.

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the fracture load and fracture mode of thin Ceria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals/Al(2)O(3 )nanocomposites (Ce-TZP/A) and Yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystals (Y-TZP) crown frameworks. Artificial maxillary second premolars were prepared for metal-ceramic crown and all-ceramic crown restorations and Co-Cr tooth analogs were duplicated. 10 standard (0.5 mm overall thickness) zirconia-ceramic crown frameworks (Y-TZPs) for all-ceramic crown preparation and 10 modified (a 0.3-mm-thick framework increased in thickness by adding a 1.0-mm-thick palatal margin with a height of 2.0 mm) zirconia-ceramic crown frameworks (Y-TZPm, Ce-TZP/Am) for metal-ceramic crown preparation were fabricated. The frameworks were cemented to the Co-Cr tooth analog and loaded vertically until fracture. The fracture load of Y-TZPs (180.0 N) and Ce-TZP/Am (183.7 N) were significantly higher than that of Y-TZPm (133.7 N). There was a significant difference in fracture mode between Y-TZPm and Ce-TZP/Am. Within the limitation of this study, Ce-TZP/Am provide sufficient strength for clinical application.

The effects of various finishing materials on the gloss and the color change of indirect prosthetic resin composites.

The effect of different polishing materials on the surface texture and the color change of indirect prosthetic resin composite materials exposed to a staining agent was studied. Six different resin composites were polished using the same procedures and were measured for the gloss. After exposed to a coffee solution, the changes were measured on the color properties. The six different types of resin composites were further divided into four groups of eight specimens each for the different surface polishing procedure. The gloss was measured by a gloss meter (TC-108D, Tokyo-Densyoku, Tokyo, Japan) with an angle of 45 degrees and expressed in gloss units (GU). Before and after exposure to the staining agent, the color measurements of all specimens were recorded with a colorimeter (TC-1800MKII, Tokyo-Densyoku, Tokyo, Japan) using CIE L* a* b*. All specimens were stored in the coffee solution for 5 weeks at 37 degrees C. Most of the resin composites showed the highest gloss and staining resistances when the fine silicone diamond polishing point was used. The results of this study suggested that there are differences in the gloss and the color changes depending on the filler type and the composition of the polishing materials.

Proteolytic cleavage and cellular toxicity of the human alpha1A calcium channel in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) is a neurodegenerative disease caused by small CAG repeat expansion in the alpha1A calcium channel gene. We found that the human alpha1A calcium channel protein expressed in human embryonic kidney 293T cells produces a 75 kDa C-terminal fragment. This fragment is more toxic to cells than the full-length alpha1A calcium channel, regardless of polyglutamine tract length. In cells stably transfected with plasmids of full-length alpha1A calcium channel cDNAs, the C-terminal fragment protein is present in the mutant transformant but not in the wild-type one, indicative that this C-terminal fragment with the expanded polyglutamine tract is more resistant to proteolysis than that with the normal sized polyglutamine tract. We speculate that the toxic C-terminal fragment, in which resistance to proteolysis is rendered by the expanded polyglutamine, has a key role in the pathological mechanism of SCA6.