Anti-inflammatory activity of citrus pectin on chicken monocytes' immune response.

Pectin is a dietary fibre composed of galacturonic acid, primarily found in the citrus fruits' cell walls. Citrus pectin (CP) has demonstrated antioxidative, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory properties in humans and animals. In broilers, CP supplementation improves energy utilization and nutrient digestibility, but limited information on its effects on chicken immunity is available so far. This study aimed to assess the in vitro impact of CP on chicken monocytes' immune response. Cells were purified from whole blood of healthy chickens and incubated with increasing concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1 mg/mL) of CP to determine CP working concentration. The effects of different CP concentrations on cells' apoptosis and viability were assessed by measuring caspase-3 and -7 and the cells' metabolic activity (MTT assay), respectively. CP had no dose-dependent effect on monocyte apoptosis and viability.Then, the effects of CP (0.5 mg/mL) on chicken monocytes' chemotaxis and phagocytosis were assessed by measuring transwell migration and fluorescein-labelled E. coli incorporation, respectively. CP inhibited both monocytes' chemotaxis and phagocytosis.These data demonstrate that CP exerts an immunomodulatory role in chicken monocytes, supporting its integration in nutrition strategies that might be beneficial for the animal's immunity and health.

The use of calcium sulphate in the surgical treatment of a 'through and through' periradicular lesion.

AIM: This randomized, controlled, clinical study was designed to evaluate the adjunctive effect of calcium sulphate grafts on the surgical treatment of through and through periradicular lesions. METHODOLOGY: Twenty patients each with one tooth showing evidence radiologically of a periradicular lesion wider than 10 mm, with lack of both buccal and lingual cortical bony plates and an indication for surgery were selected for the study. Ten teeth were treated with apicectomy, root-end filling and grafting of the bone defect with calcium sulphate prior to suturing (test group). The other 10 teeth received the same surgical therapy but no grafting with calcium sulphate (control group). The outcome of the healing process was evaluated at 6 and 12 months radiographically following the criteria reported by Rud and Andreasen. RESULTS: At the six- and 12-month evaluation the test group had seven teeth with complete healing and two with incomplete healing, whilst the control group showed three teeth with complete healing, five with incomplete healing and one with unsatisfactory healing. One tooth in each group had to be extracted because of a vertical fracture that occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study demonstrate that the addition of calcium sulphate as a bone graft during the conventional surgical treatment of through and through lesions improves the clinical outcome. Histological analysis is desirable to investigate the quality of tissues formed using the two surgical procedures.

Prospective study on the augmentation of the maxillary sinus with calcium sulfate: histological results.

BACKGROUND: The main goal of the sinus elevation procedure is the formation of vital bone to allow the tissue integration of endosseous implants to support prosthetic restorations in the edentulous posterior maxilla. The ideal graft material is yet to be found. The present study investigated the histologic results of a sinus augmentation procedure performed with calcium sulfate as the grafting material. METHODS: The clinical trial consisted of 2 groups: a first (control) group of 12 patients (15 sinuses) in which the material was carefully placed but not stratified. In the second (test) group, 45 patients (50 sinuses) were treated by modifying the application. The calcium sulfate was putty-like in consistency and placed as it hardened in layers, avoiding fluid contamination. The histologic samples were collected, either at 9 months, at the uncovering procedure (for implants placed simultaneously with grafting material), or at 6 months at the time of implant insertion (for implants placed at a later stage). RESULTS: The augmentation procedure resulted in good, new tissue formation within the sinuses when clinically and radiographically evaluated. The technique used in the test group produced a reduction in the graft shrinkage during healing, therefore slowing down the material resorption rate. Histologically, new bone formation with progressive lamellar maturation was found in both groups. Some particles produced by calcium sulfate resorption were still present after 6 months in the test group specimens, but no longer detectable after 9 months. Samples from the control group showed a mean histomorphometric bone density of 34.25% +/- 10.02, while samples from the test group showed a mean value of 55.54% +/- 19.82. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicate that calcium sulfate appears to be an effective material for sinus augmentation, yielding vital bone suitable for implant integration. In addition, the technique used in the test group seemed to improve the quality and quantity of bone formation.

Source memory and eyewitness suggestibility in older adults.

The authors investigated the influence of test format on the source-memory performance of older adults (N = 128). Each participant viewed a picture and wrote a description of the scene. Then half of the participants (control group) read a text that accurately described the scene; the other half (misled group) read a text that contained misinformation. After writing another scene description, the participants were given a surprise memory test. Half were given a yes/no recognition test, and half were given a source-monitoring test. The misled yes/no participants mistakenly indicated more often than the control yes/no participants that misleading-text items were in the picture (suggestibility effect). There was no suggestibility effect for source-monitoring participants. The data are discussed in terms of the source monitoring framework.

Short-term healing following the use of calcium sulfate as a grafting material for sinus augmentation: a clinical report.

Because of the frequent lack of bone in the posterior maxilla, sinus augmentation has become a commonly practiced treatment modality. Many different materials have been used for augmenting the sinus, and the ideal graft is yet to be found. The present article reports the results of sinuses grafted with calcium sulfate in 2 patients. Bone biopsies were harvested 9 months after the augmentation procedure. In the first patient, 3 titanium threaded-cylinder implants were placed in the grafted area after 9 months, while in the second, 1 acid-etched, screw-shaped titanium implant was placed simultaneously with the graft. Light microscopic evaluation revealed new bone formation with ongoing remodeling and progressive lamellar maturation in the specimens. No remnants of the alloplastic material were detectable in any section, either within the bone or in the medullary tissue. When reevaluated at the uncovering procedure, the implants were radiographically and clinically judged to be osseointegrated. These observations suggest that, when used in the appropriate form and with the proper technique, calcium sulfate is a promising graft material for sinus augmentation, producing adequate quantity and quality of new bone for implant placement.