Postoperative quality of life following single-visit root canal treatment performed by rotary or reciprocating instrumentation: a randomized clinical trial.

AIM: To compare the impact of rotary and reciprocating instrumentation on postoperative quality of life (POQoL) after single-visit primary root canal treatment. METHODOLOGY: A randomized controlled clinical trial was designed and carried out in a University endodontic practice in northern Italy. Healthy subjects with asymptomatic irreversible pulpitis, symptomatic irreversible pulpitis or pulp necrosis with or without apical periodontitis (symptomatic or asymptomatic) scheduled for primary root canal treatment were enrolled. Single-visit root canal treatment was performed with ProTaper™ S1-S2-F1-F2 (rotary group, n = 23) and WaveOne™ Primary (reciprocating group, n = 24). Irrigation was performed with 5% NaOCl and 10% EDTA. Root canal filling was performed with the continuous-wave technique and ZOE sealer. POQoL indicators were evaluated for 7 days post-treatment. The variation of each indicator over time was compared using anova for repeated measures (P < 0.05). The impact of each variable on POQoL was analysed with a multivariate logistic regression model (P < 0.05). RESULTS: Pain curves demonstrated a more favourable time-trend in the rotary group (mean, P = 0.077; maximum, P = 0.015). Difficulty in eating (P = 0.017), in performing daily activities (P = 0.023), in sleeping (P = 0.021) and in social relations (P = 0.077), was more evident in the reciprocating group. Patients' perception of the impact of treatment on POQoL was more favourable in the rotary group (P = 0.006). Multirooted tooth type and pre-existing periradicular inflammation were associated with a decrease in POQoL. CONCLUSION: Reciprocating instrumentation affected POQoL to a greater extent than rotary instrumentation.

Mitochondrial DNA variation in cultivated and wild potato species (Solanum spp.).

The European cultivated potato, Solanum tuberosum subsp. tuberosum, has 6 related cultivated species and more than 200 wild relatives. In Solanum spp., studies of cytoplasmic organelles have been mainly confined to the plastid DNA composition of cultivated and wild species. In this study, 53 genotypes of 30 potato species belonging to the subsections Estolonifera and Potatoe, 2 tomato species, and a black nightshade genotype were examined using PCR markers to evaluate mitochondrial DNA diversity and assess whether mtDNA variability was correlated with series classification, geographical origin, ploidy, and endosperm balance number (EBN). The markers used revealed interspecific mtDNA variability in Solanum spp. and identified 13 different haplotypes. Intraspecific variability was also observed in a few species and genomic regions. Cluster analysis allowed arrangement of the 13 haplotypes into 7 subgroups, and statistical association tests showed significant relationships between mitochondrial patterns detected by molecular analysis and ploidy, EBN, and geographical origin. On the whole, the evolutionary patterns for the genomic regions analyzed reflected the species relationships established on the basis of morphological and molecular (nuclear and plastidial DNA) data. The mtDNA variability shown is also important for better characterization of genetic resources for potato breeding.

Direct gene transfer in potato: a comparison of particle bombardment of leaf explants and PEG-mediated transformation of protoplasts.

Direct gene transfer methods in potato would facilitate the transfer of multiple genes and the manipulation of metabolic pathways in this species. In this study, up to 1.8 transformation events per shot (=0.5 per bombarded leaf) and 67.2 events per million protoplasts treated were obtained with particle bombardment and PEG-mediated direct DNA uptake, respectively. Limited disassociation of both HPT and GUS genes appeared to occur during the process of integration in only 19% of transformants. A large number of transformed potato plants with transgene expression at levels comparable to Agrobacterium-mediated transformation was obtained. High levels of GUS expression were only obtained in lines derived from PEG treatment. No correlation between the number of gene insertions and gene expression levels was found, suggesting that multiple insertions may have little or no effect on transgene expression.

The rpl5- rps14 mitochondrial region: a hot spot for DNA rearrangements in Solanum spp. somatic hybrids.

Southern analysis with rpl5 and rps14 mtDNA gene probes of Solanum tuberosum, S. commersonii and a sample of somatic hybrids detected polymorphisms between parents and the appearance of a novel restriction fragment in various hybrids. In one of them, detailed mtDNA analyses revealed various configurations of the rpl5- rps14 region present at different stoichiometries. Multiple inter-parental recombination events across homologous sequences were assumed to have caused these rearrangements. Sequence similarity searches detected one sequence putatively involved in the recombination upstream of the rpl5 gene. The presence of a second recombinogenic sequence was inferred. We propose two models to explain the mechanism responsible for obtaining the different rpl5- rps14 arrangements shown after somatic hybridization. Variability in the rpl5- rps14 region observed in both the parental species and their somatic hybrids suggests this region is a hot spot for mtDNA rearrangements in Solanum spp.

Organelle DNA variation in parental Solanum spp. genotypes and nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions in Solanum tuberosum (+) S. commersonii somatic hybrid-backcross progeny.

Nuclear-cytoplasmic interactions can influence fertility and agronomic performance of interspecific hybrids in potato as well as other species. With the aim of assessing the potential value of a novel recombinant cytoplasm derived by interspecific somatic hybridization, backcross progeny were produced by crossing a somatic hybrid between Solanum tuberosum (tbr) and the wild incongruous species S. commersonii (cmm) with various potato clones. BC1 clones were evaluated for male fertility and other agronomic traits. Male fertility clearly depended on the cross direction and the cytoplasm source. Genotypes with cytoplasms sensitive to nuclear genes derived from Solanum commersonii and inducing male sterility showed identical mtDNA composition, as based on mtDNA analyses with various PCR-based and RFLP markers. On the other hand, genotypes with cytoplasms not inducing male sterility in the presence of the cmm nuclear genes showed a different mtDNA organisation. Analysis of cpDNA confirmed similarity of cytoplasmic composition in CMS-inducing genotypes and clear differences with the others. Genotypes with recombinant cytoplasm induced by somatic hybridization generally showed similar agronomic performances in reciprocal hybrids with tbr cytoplasm, suggesting that the novel cytoplasm can be used in potato breeding.