Accelerating effects of cellulase in the removal of denture adhesives from acrylic denture bases.

PURPOSE: Studies of effective methods for the easy removal of denture adhesives from a denture base are not well represented in the literature. We previously assessed the removability of denture adhesives by immersing within denture cleaners, showing that some cleaners have a weak effect, insufficiently effective in daily use. In this study, we prepared a cellulase, as a potential component for denture adhesive removers, and we examined whether the addition of cellulase to denture cleaners is effective in the removal of cream denture adhesives. METHODS: We prepared the cellulase Meicelase as one component for the liquefaction of denture adhesives. We used two denture cleaners and two cream adhesives. After the immersion of plates in sample solutions, we evaluated the area of the sample plate still covered with adhesives. Biofilm removal assay was also performed using denture cleaners containing cellulase. RESULTS: The addition of cellulase accelerated the removal of cream adhesives in immersion experiments to a rate faster than that of water and denture cleaners. However, it did not influence the removability of Candida albicans biofilms from acrylic resin specimens. CONCLUSION: Cellulase hastened the liquefaction of cream adhesives.

Phospholipase C-related Catalytically Inactive Protein Is a New Modulator of Thermogenesis Promoted by ß-Adrenergic Receptors in Brown Adipocytes.

Phospholipase C-related catalytically inactive protein (PRIP) was first identified as an inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate-binding protein, and was later found to be involved in a variety of cellular events, particularly those related to protein phosphatases. We previously reported that Prip knock-out (KO) mice exhibit a lean phenotype with a small amount of white adipose tissue. In the present study, we examined whether PRIP is involved in energy metabolism, which could explain the lean phenotype, using high-fat diet (HFD)-fed mice. Prip-KO mice showed resistance to HFD-induced obesity, resulting in protection from glucose metabolism dysfunction and insulin resistance. Energy expenditure and body temperature at night were significantly higher in Prip-KO mice than in wild-type mice. Gene and protein expression of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), a thermogenic protein, was up-regulated in Prip-KO brown adipocytes in thermoneutral or cold environments. These phenotypes were caused by the promotion of lipolysis in Prip-KO brown adipocytes, which is triggered by up-regulation of phosphorylation of the lipolysis-related proteins hormone-sensitive lipase and perilipin, followed by activation of UCP1 and/or up-regulation of thermogenesis-related genes (e.g. peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ coactivator-1α). The results indicate that PRIP negatively regulates UCP1-mediated thermogenesis in brown adipocytes.

Evaluation of the efficiency of denture cleaners for removing denture adhesives.

OBJECTIVE: We developed a new scoring index for assessing the removability of denture adhesives and evaluated the removal efficiency of denture cleaners. BACKGROUND: Although our understanding of the importance of denture care is increasing, little is known about the effectiveness and efficiency of denture cleaners on denture adhesives. Therefore, guidelines for proper cleaning are necessary. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We used five denture cleaner solutions on two cream adhesives, one powder adhesive and one cushion adhesive. After immersion in the denture cleaners for a designated time, we evaluated the area of the sample plate still covered by denture adhesive. RESULTS: Cream adhesives were removed more completely after immersion in majority of the denture cleaners than in water. Powder adhesive was removed more quickly than cream adhesives. Cushion adhesive was not removed by immersion in either the denture cleaners or water control. CONCLUSION: Some denture cleaners could liquefy cream adhesives more than water, but these differences were not observed in case of powder and cushion adhesives.

Phospholipase C-related catalytically inactive protein participates in the autophagic elimination of Staphylococcus aureus infecting mouse embryonic fibroblasts.

Autophagy is an intrinsic host defense system that recognizes and eliminates invading bacterial pathogens. We have identified microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), a hallmark of autophagy, as a binding partner of phospholipase C-related catalytically inactive protein (PRIP) that was originally identified as an inositol trisphosphate-binding protein. Here, we investigated the involvement of PRIP in the autophagic elimination of Staphylococcus aureus in infected mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). We observed significantly more LC3-positive autophagosome-like vacuoles enclosing an increased number of S. aureus cells in PRIP-deficient MEFs than control MEFs, 3 h and 4.5 h post infection, suggesting that S. aureus proliferates in LC3-positive autophagosome-like vacuoles in PRIP-deficient MEFs. We performed autophagic flux analysis using an mRFP-GFP-tagged LC3 plasmid and found that autophagosome maturation is significantly inhibited in PRIP-deficient MEFs. Furthermore, acidification of autophagosomes was significantly inhibited in PRIP-deficient MEFs compared to the wild-type MEFs, as determined by LysoTracker staining and time-lapse image analysis performed using mRFP-GFP-tagged LC3. Taken together, our data show that PRIP is required for the fusion of S. aureus-containing autophagosome-like vacuoles with lysosomes, indicating that PRIP is a novel modulator in the regulation of the innate immune system in non-professional phagocytic host cells.