Evaluation of Salivary Lipid Peroxidation End Product Level in Dental Caries

Abamectin Causes Neurotoxicity in Zebrafish Embryos

Abamectin is an insecticide, miticide and nematicide that has been extensively used in agriculture for many years. The excessive use of abamectin inevitably pollutes water and soil and might even cause adverse effects on aquatic biota. However, it is currently unclear how abamectin exposure causes neurotoxicity in aquatic organisms. Herein, the early neural system development was assessed in zebrafish embryos following abamectin exposure. After treatment with a concentration gradient of abamectin (0.055, 0.0825, 0.11 mg/L), the survival rate, average heart rate, pericardial edema area and yolk sac edema were all documented in zebrafish embryos (96 hpf). It was found that after abamectin exposure, embryonic brain development was impaired, and motor behaviors were also affected. The fluorescence intensity was reduced in the transgenic embryos (Eno2: GFP). The activities of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and ATPase were decreased, and the expression of neurodevelopment-related genes, such as sox10, gap43, grin1b, abat, gad1b, grin2b, nestin and glsa, were all inhibited in zebrafish embryo treatment with abamectin. Furthermore, the reactive oxygen species (ROS) were triggered upon exposure to abamectin in zebrafish embryos along with the accumulation of ROS, eventually resulting in neuroapoptosis in the developing embryonic brain. In conclusion, neurodevelopmental toxicity was caused by oxidative stress-induced apoptosis in zebrafish embryos following abamectin exposure.

Salivary Levels of Malondialdehyde and Total Antioxidant Capacity Following Third Molar Surgery - An Evaluative Study

Introduction

Impacted and semi-impacted third molar surgery can lead to considerable distress and discomfort in patients.

Aims

The present study aimed to assess the changes in salivary levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) after third molar surgery.

Materials and Methods

In this study, 210 patients scheduled for third molar surgery were selected. Unstimulated whole saliva samples were collected from patients preoperatively and one week after the surgery, via the 'spitting method'. The collected samples were immediately centrifuged and the supernatants were stored at -20°C until testing. The levels of MDA and TAC were measured with a spectrophotometer.

Results

The results were presented as mean ± standard deviation and paired t-test was used to statistically analyse the changes in pre-operative and post-operative values of MDA and TAC. A decrease of mean salivary TAC (P = 0.031) and an increase of mean salivary MDA (P = 0.034) were detected postoperatively.

Discussion

Following third molar surgery, the increase of mean salivary MDA and the decrease of mean salivary TAC were detected; however, these changes were not statistically significant.

Salivary Redox Biomarkers in the Course of Caries and Periodontal Disease

Caries are a pathological process of extracorporeal nature, characterized by demineralization of inorganic substances as well as proteolysis triggered by acids produced by bacteria present in dental plaque, as a result of metabolism of sugars of both external and internal origin. Periodontal disease, on the other hand, is a multifactorial degenerative disease associated with inflammation, involving a group of tissues that surround the dental cervix and root of the tooth. It is believed that one of the mechanisms in the etiopathogenesis of caries and periodontitis are disorders of local and/or general oxidative stress (OS) parameters. Numerous clinical studies have confirmed the relationship between oxidative stress markers and oral diseases. In most analyzed studies, technical and biological variability was so high that none of the markers so far has proven suitable for routine clinical use. The aim of systematic reviews of the literature is to present the existing studies on OS parameters, mainly concerning the activity of antioxidant enzymes in saliva of patients with caries and periodontitis.