Development of a novel resin for provisional prostheses using hyperbranched polyurethane acrylate and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate - An in vitro study.

PURPOSE: To develop a novel resin for provisional prostheses using hyperbranched polyurethane acrylate (HBPUA) and triethylene glycol dimethacrylate (TEGDMA) with promising mechanical properties and low volumetric shrinkage. METHODS: Four groups including TIH3-0 (100 wt% TEGDMA), TIH3-30 (30 wt% HBPUA + 70 wt% TEGDMA), TIH3-60 (60 wt% HBPUA + 40 wt% TEGDMA), and TB-60 (60 wt% bisphenol A-glycidyl dimethacrylate + 40 wt% TEGDMA) were prepared and commercial Luxatemp (DMG) was used for comparison. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and gel permeation chromatography were used for material characterization. Mechanical properties including microhardness, flexural strength, flexural modulus, and load energy were measured before and after water immersion. Physical properties measurement included weight changes, solubility, water absorption, surface hydrophobicity, and volumetric shrinkage. Finally, biocompatibility was evaluated using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay. RESULTS: The number- and weight-average molecular weights of the HBPUA were approximately 870 and 1480, respectively. The addition of HBPUA to TEGDMA increased the mechanical strength considerably. Although the weight changes and water absorption of TIH3-60 were higher than those of Luxatemp, the microhardness, flexural strength, flexural modulus, load energy, solubility, shrinkage, and biocompatibility of TIH3-60 were either comparable or superior to those of Luxatemp. CONCLUSION: Based on the findings of the present study, TIH3-60 has potential for development as a new provisional material.

16-Hydroxycleroda-3,13-dien-15,16-olide and N-Methyl-Actinodaphine Potentiate Tamoxifen-Induced Cell Death in Breast Cancer.

In this study, we investigated whether 16-hydroxycleroda-3,13-dien-15,16-olide (HCD) and N-methyl-actinodaphine (MA) could sensitize breast cancer cells to Tamoxifen (TMX) treatment. MA or HCD alone or in combination with TMX dose-dependently inhibited MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 cell growth, with a more potent inhibition on MDA-MB 231 cells. Furthermore, this novel combination significantly induced S and G2/M cell cycle phase in MDA-MB 231 than MCF-7 cells. Further determination of the apoptotic induction showed that MA or HCD and TMX combination inhibited MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cancer cells by upregulating Bax and by downregulating Bcl-2 mRNA and protein expression without altering Caspase-8 and Caspase-12 expression. These results suggest that MA or HCD pretreatment may potentiate the anti-tumor effect of tamoxifen on breast cancer.

Chromium-induced skin damage among Taiwanese cement workers.

Little research has been done on the relationships between chromium exposure, skin barrier function, and other hygienic habits in cement workers. Our purpose was to investigate chromium-induced skin barrier disruption due to cement exposure among cement workers. One hundred and eight cement workers were recruited in this study. Urinary chromium concentration was used to characterize exposure levels. The biological exposure index was used to separate high and low chromium exposure. Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) was used to assess the skin barrier function. TEWL was significantly increased in workers with high chromium exposure levels than those with low chromium exposure levels (p = 0.048). A positive correlation was also found between urinary chromium concentration and TEWL (R = 0.28, p = 0.004). After adjusting for smoking status and glove use, a significant correlation between urinary chromium concentrations and TEWL remained. Moreover, workers who smoked and had a high chromium exposure had significantly increased TEWL compared to nonsmokers with low chromium exposure (p = 0.01). Skin barrier function of cement workers may have been disrupted by chromium in cement, and smoking might significantly enhance such skin barrier perturbation with chromium exposure. Decreased chromium skin exposure and smoking cessation should be encouraged at work.