Targeting hexokinase 1 alleviates NLRP3-mediated inflammation in apical periodontitis: A laboratory investigation.

AIM: The aim of the study was to explore whether hexokinase 1 (HK1) is involved in the inhibition of inflammation mediated by nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptor protein 3 (NLRP3) signalling pathway in the development of apical periodontitis (AP). METHODOLOGY: Human AP tissues and normal control tissues were collected in the clinic. First, the levels of glucose, pyruvate, lactate and hexokinase activity were examined in human AP tissues. ECAR and OCR were further measured to detect the level of glycolysis in vitro model of inflammation, which established with lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW264.7 cell line. Secondly, the expression of HK1, NLRP3, caspase-1 and interleukin (IL)-1ß were measured by Western blot, immunohistochemistry or RT-qPCR. Finally, lentiviral short hairpin RNA (shRNA) silencing technique or the inhibitor 2-deoxy-d-glucose (2-DG) were used to further detect the relationship between HK1-mediated glycolysis and NLRP3-mediated inflammation in the development of AP in vitro. RESULTS: Initially, the level of glycolysis was significantly increased in human AP tissues. Subsequently, the expression of HK1, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1ß were upregulated significantly in human AP tissues. Furthermore, in the model of AP in vitro, a high level of glycolysis and the high expression of HK1, NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1ß was observed. Finally, the expression of NLRP3, caspase-1 and IL-1ß mediated by LPS stimulation was significantly reduced via HK1 knockdown or 2-DG treatment in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: Our data support that HK1-mediated glycolysis plays a crucial role in the development of AP via upregulating the NLRP3 signalling pathway. Moreover, targeting HK1 may contribute to prevent the progression of AP, which has a potential clinical translation.

An Overlooked Entry Pathway of Microplastics into Agricultural Soils from Application of Sludge-Based Fertilizers.

The widespread application of sewage sludge produced from wastewater treatment plants for agricultural use has been regarded as a primary source of microplastics (MPs) into soils. However, little is known regarding MPs in sludge-based fertilizers and their relevant fate in soils as being applied in agriculture. We comprehensively investigated the abundance, polymer size, type, and morphology of MPs in dewatered sludge, sewage sludge composts, sludge-based fertilizer-amended soils, and earthworms by stereoscopy and micro Fourier transform infrared (µ-FTIR) spectrometry methods. The results clearly showed that the quantity of MPs in soils exhibited a close correlation with the application rate of sludge-based fertilizers. The total abundances of MPs were 545.9 and 87.6 items/kg in soils after annual amendment with 30 (field A) and 15 t/ha (field B) of sludge composts, which is significantly higher than that without compost application (field C, 5.0 items/kg). Correspondingly, MPs were found in earthworms with low quantities of 1.8 and 0.4 items/individual in fields A and B, respectively, while no MP was detected in field C. We speculate that sludge composts may act as a vehicle of MPs into soils and then enter soil biota and in turn influence the spread of MPs in the environment.

Comparison of clinical efficacy and safety between articaine and lidocaine in the anaesthesia management of tooth pulp disease.

To evaluate and compare the clinical efficacy and safety between articaine and lidocaine in the anaesthesia management of tooth pulp disease. The 160 patients with tooth pulp disease treated at our hospital were enrolled. After informed consent was obtained, patients were randomly assigned to study group and control group, with 80 patients in each group. Of those, lidocaine was administered to the control group while articaine was given to the study group. The onset time, analgesic effect and adverse events were recorded. Compared with control group, the onset time was significantly reduced in study group (p<0.05). Patients treated with articaine had better analgesic effect than patients in control group (p<0.05). And the incidence of adverse events was notably lower in study group (p<0.05). Compared with lidocaine, articaine presents higher analgesic efficacy and safety for patients with tooth pulp disease.

Ultrasound enhanced activation of peroxydisulfate by activated carbon fiber for decolorization of azo dye.

Activated carbon fiber (ACF) has become an emerging activator for peroxydisulfate (PDS) to generate sulfate radical (SO4•-). However, the relative low activation efficiency and poor contaminant mineralization limited its widespread application. Herein, ultrasound (US) was introduced to the ACF activated PDS system, and the synergistic effect of US and ACF in PDS activation and the enhancement of contaminant mineralization were investigated. The synergistic effect of US and ACF was observed in the PDS activation to decolorize orange G (OG). The decolorization efficiency increased with increasing ACF loading and US power, and PDS/OG ratio from 1 to 40. The activation energy was determined to be 24.065 kJ/mol. The radical-induced decolorization of OG took place on the surface of ACF, and both SO4•- and hydroxyl radical (•OH) contributed to OG decolorization. The azo bond and naphthalene ring on OG were destructed to other aromatic intermediates and finally mineralized to CO2 and H2O. The introduction of US in the ACF/PDS system significantly enhanced the mineralization of OG. The combination of US and PDS was highly efficient to activate PDS to decolorize azo dyes. Moreover, the introduction of US remarkably improved the contaminant mineralization.

iTRAQ-based quantitative analysis of alveolar bone resorption in rats with experimental periodontitis.

OBJECTIVE: Periapical periodontitis results in alveolar bone resorption around the root apex. During the progression of inflammation, host cells release various inflammatory mediators and pro-inflammatory cytokines through immune responses. However, the pathological mechanisms associated with periapical bone destruction remain unclear. This study was objected to identify differentially regulated proteins in periapical periodontitis via a quantitative proteomics approach using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantification (iTRAQ) labelling of peptides. METHODS: A model of periapical periodontitis by sealing LPS into the pulp chambers of rats was established. iTRAQ was employed to screen differentially expressed proteins in alveolar bone between periapical lesions and healthy controls. These proteins were further analysed by bioinformatics. And four proteins were validated by western bolt. RESULTS: We identified 4398 proteins, of which 7 were up-regulated and 151 were down-regulated in periapical periodontitis compared to normal tissue. Using bioinformatics tools such as GO and KEGG pathway analysis, we found that our proteomics strategy could identify and quantify differentially expressed proteins that were not described in previous studies examining periapical periodontitis; these proteins included hexokinase, legumain and members of the keratin family. CONCLUSION: In summary, our results represent potential biomarkers for the detection of periapical periodontitis and demonstrate that quantitative proteomics is a robust discovery tool for the identification of differentially regulated proteins in periapical periodontitis.