Antibacterial properties of silver nanoparticles as a root canal irrigant against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm and infected dentinal tubules.

AIM: To evaluate the antimicrobial action of an irrigant containing silver nanoparticles in an aqueous vehicle (AgNp), sodium hypochlorite and chlorhexidine against Enterococcus faecalis biofilm and infected dentinal tubules. METHODOLOGY: Bovine dentine blocks were used for E. faecalis biofilm development for 21 days and irrigated with 94 ppm AgNp solution, 2.5% NaOCl and 2% chlorhexidine for 5, 15 and 30 min. For infection of dentinal tubules with E. faecalis, dentine specimens from bovine incisors were submitted to a contamination protocol over 5 days, with eight centrifugation cycles on every alternate day, and irrigated with the same solutions and time intervals used for the biofilm. The specimens were stained with the Live/Dead technique and evaluated using a confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM). The bioImage_L software was used for measurement of the total biovolume of biofilm in µm3 and percentage of viable bacteria (green cells) in biofilm and in dentinal tubules found after the irrigation. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn's tests for quantification of viable cells in biofilm, the Friedman test for comparisons of viable bacteria in dentinal tubules in different areas of the root canal and the Mann-Whitney U-test to compare the action of the irrigants between the two methods (P < 0.05). RESULTS: The AgNp solution eliminated fewer bacteria, but was able to dissolve more biofilm compared with chlorhexidine (P < 0.05). NaOCl had the greatest antimicrobial activity and biofilm dissolution capacity. AgNp solution had less antimicrobial action in infected dentinal tubules compared with NaOCl (P < 0.05). The AgNp solution after 5 min was more effective in eliminating planktonic bacteria in dentinal tubules than in biofilm, but at 30 min fewer viable bacteria were observed in the biofilm compared with intratubular dentine (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: AgNp irrigant was not as effective against E. faecalis compared to solutions commonly used in root canal treatment. NaOCl is appropriate as an irrigant because it was effective in disrupting biofilm and in eliminating bacteria in biofilms and in dentinal tubules.

[Survey of anti-Leptospira agglutinins in workers from the city of Londrina-Paraná, Brazil]. / Pesquisa de aglutininas anti Leptospira en trabalhadores da cidade de Londrina-Paraná, Brasil.

Serum samples were obtained from 249 individuals in Londrina-Paraná, Brazil. The sera were analysed for leptospiral agglutinins by microscopic agglutination tests and 22.1% were positive. Of these positives per group were 24.6% for butchers, 25.9% for farm workers, 17.2% for children and 22.2% for servants. The agglutinin titers ranged from 1:200 to 1:3200. The highest titers were obtained for the serovars sejroe (butchers), grippotyphosa (farm workers), javanica, canicola, panama, wolffi and pyrogenes (children) and butembo (servants).

Free-living and symbiotic characteristics of chlorate resistant mutants of Rhizobium.

This work investigated the usefulness of chlorate resistance as a method for the selection of nitrate reductase negative (NR-) strains from Rhizobium japonicum (61A76) and evaluated the symbiotic, characteristics of these strains. Chlorate resistent strains were selected from populations seeded on CS 7 agar containing 10 or 20 mM KC10, and incubated in 2% air- 98% N2-CO2 (95:5). Over 200 resistant strains were isolated, 58% of which lacked the dissimilatory nitrate reductase. In 12 selected isolates, some strains had also lost the assimilatory nitrate reductase, but all retained hydrogenase activity. Chlorate resistant strains inoculated to soybean seedlings were equal to or better than the parent strain in terms of nodule mass and acetylene reduction. Those strains lacking both assimilatory and dissimilatory nitrate reductase showed the best symbiotic characteristics, suggesting that chlorate resistance in R. japonicum could be a useful method for the selection of strains with superiod nitrogen-fixing characteristics.