One Iron Injection Is Not Enough-Iron Status and Growth of Suckling Piglets on an Organic Farm

Suckling piglets cannot satisfy their demand for the essential trace element iron from sows' milk alone, which is poor in iron. Therefore, iron is usually supplemented by injecting 200 mg iron (as iron dextran) on day 3 post natum. However, the longer suckling period in organic pig herds leads to iron intake from feed starting later. We hypothesized that one iron injection is not enough for organically reared piglets, and that a second and third injection would improve their iron status and growth. On an organically certified experimental farm, 288 piglets from 32 litters were allocated to three treatments with one iron injection on day 3, two injections on day 3 and 14 and three injections on day 3, 14 and 21 post natum, respectively. One injection resulted in the lowest hematocrit and serum iron levels until day 28 post natum and the lowest daily weight gains until weaning, while piglets receiving two or three iron injections did not differ from each other. Based on these observations, we conclude that one iron injection is not enough to ensure adequate iron supply and unimpaired growth of organically reared piglets, and additional iron supply is necessary.

Dental abnormalities, bone graft quality, and periodontal conditions in patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate at different phases of orthodontic treatment

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the dental and periodontal condition of patients with unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) before orthodontic treatment and evaluate whether the dental and periodontal condition of these patients during and after orthodontic treatment was jeopardized by the duration of the orthodontic and surgical treatment.

DESIGN

Seventy-five individuals with UCLP (52 males, 23 females), between ages 8 and 20 years, participated in a retrospective study during their final follow-up visit with regard to dental abnormalities, such as hypodontia, external root resorption, crown and root malformation, and supernumerary teeth. Alveolar bone height and periodontal attachment loss on the cleft side were also screened before or after bone grafting and at different stages of orthodontic treatment.

RESULTS

Hypodontia of the lateral incisor was found in more than 50% of the patients on the cleft side. Second premolars and/or lateral incisors outside the cleft area were missing in 27.2% of the patients. In 32%, malformations of the teeth near the cleft were noticed. In general, the teeth around and in the cleft of the patients showed normal septal bone heights and a healthy periodontium. Sixty of the 75 patients received a bone graft to restore the interrupted alveolar process. In 93.3% of these patients, the cleft was grafted before the eruption of the canine.

CONCLUSION

The periodontium of the teeth in and around the cleft in patients with UCLP observed during and after orthodontic treatment can cope relatively well with the long orthodontic treatment and combined surgical interventions. The children, who had not yet started treatment, also showed enough bone support and no periodontal problems of the teeth besides the cleft. Early secondary bone grafting seems to give optimal periodontal results.

A split-mouth study on periodontal and microbial parameters in children with complete unilateral cleft lip and palate

BACKGROUND

Complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (UCLP) is a hereditary or multifactorial malformation that can be corrected successfully with a combined orthodontic, surgical and restorative treatment. Such multidisciplinary treatment takes many years and demands a lot of attention to both patients' teeth and periodontium.

OBJECTIVES

This split-mouth study aimed to compare the periodontal health as well as the microbial parameters between cleft and non-cleft region.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

75 patients (52 males, 23 females) between 8 and 20 years with a complete unilateral cleft lip and palate (before (n = 30), during (n = 34) and after (n = 11) the active orthodontic treatment) volunteered for this study. Four regions were defined for the split-mouth comparison: teeth neighbouring cleft (site 1), tooth in cleft (site 2), and the corresponding contra-lateral teeth, respectively, in the unaffected quadrants (sites 3 and 4). At all sites the following periodontal parameters were recorded: plaque and gingivitis indices, pocket depth, attachment loss, bleeding on probing, tooth mobility (visual and Periotest), radiographic bone loss and gingival width. In addition, three pooled subgingival plaque samples were taken (around tooth in cleft, teeth facing the cleft, and contra-lateral teeth of the latter).

RESULTS

The differences between the teeth neighbouring the cleft and the corresponding contra-lateral opponents were of borderline significance (P <or= 0.05) for the plaque index, the approximal probing depths and the attachment loss (teeth facing the cleft always had slightly higher parameters). When the tooth in the cleft was compared to the contra-lateral tooth, differences were only found for both the approximal probing depths, attachment loss and bone loss, which were significantly higher for the tooth in the cleft. The microbial analysis did not reveal differences between the different sites, neither in the proportion of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria (differences < 0.5 log), nor in the detection frequency of periopathogens.

CONCLUSIONS

These data indicate that the periodontium in UCLP patients can cope well with a long-term orthodontic treatment, even in unfavourable conditions (like absence of attached gingiva and poor oral hygiene).

Hypodontia and tooth formation in groups of children with cleft, siblings without cleft, and nonrelated controls

OBJECTIVE

To compare the occurrence of hypodontia, dental age, and asymmetric dental development in children with cleft with their siblings and a nonsibling control group.

SUBJECTS

The sample consisted of 54 children with cleft (aged 4.2 to 13.1 years), who had at least one sibling available for an orthopantomogram, 63 siblings without cleft (aged 4 to 14.9 years) and 250 controls without cleft (aged between 4 and 14.9 years).

METHOD

Hypodontia, dental age, and asymmetric dental development were assessed on panoramic radiographs of the children with cleft, the siblings without cleft, and the control children without cleft.

RESULTS

Both the cleft (p <.001) and the sibling group (p <.05) showed a significantly higher frequency of hypodontia and a significantly higher occurrence (cleft p <.01 and sibling group p <.001) of asymmetric dental development, compared with the control group. Only a small, but insignificant, delay in dental development could be found in the cleft and the sibling group. CONCLUSIONS; The cleft subjects with siblings showed a significantly higher occurrence of hypodontia and asymmetric dental development than the noncleft control group. This may suggest a genetic component for the occurrence of hypodontia and asymmetric dental development.

Comparative study of hormonal counter-regulation during GCIIS-guided insulin hypoglycemia tests using human insulin (recombinant DNA) and pork insulin

Human insulin (BHI, recombinant DNA) and pork insulin (PI) were compared in 10 healthy volunteers. Using a glucose controlled insulin infusion system for the performance of the insulin hypoglycemia test (IHT), a comparable dosage of both insulins had to be infused (BHI 0.129 +/- 0.007 vs PI 0.115 +/- 0.01 U/kg; mean +/- SEM). Blood glucose slopes and nadirs did not differ significantly (BHI 30 +/- 2 vs PI 29 +/- 2 mg/dl). There was no difference in C-peptide inhibition (minimum for BHI 0.50 +/- 0.08 vs PI 0.42 +/- 0.08 micrograms/l). Maximum hormone responses were identical for ACTH (BHI 78.4 +/- 11.3 vs PI 76.0 +/- 8.7 pg/ml), cortisol (BHI 246 +/- 20 vs PI 252 +/- 15 ng/ml) and GH (BHI 43.8 +/- 7.3 vs PI 49.4 +/- 6.7 ng/ml). Peak levels of prolactin did not differ significantly (BHI 1,335 +/- 315 vs PI 1,766 +/- 614 microU/ml). The urinary excretion pattern of epinephrine in three 120 min periods before, during and after IHT was identical (before IHT: BHI 0.9 +/- 0.2 vs PI 0.6 +/- 0.1 micrograms/120 min; during IHT: BHI 12.6 +/- 2.2 vs PI 13.4 +/- 2.5 micrograms/120 min; after IHT: BHI 2.5 +/- 0.7 vs PI 3.7 +/- 1.3 micrograms/120 min). No differences in the minima of serum potassium levels were observed (BHI 3.38 +/- 0.04 vs PI 3.33 +/- 0.05 mmol/l). We conclude that the biological effects of human insulin and pork insulin are comparable. Our data do not support the assumption of a different hypothalamic handling of human insulin (recombinant DNA) and porcine insulin.

Insulin hypoglycaemia test guided by a glucose controlled insulin infusion system

Insulin hypoglycaemia test (IHT) for assessment of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) function in patients with pituitary tumours is usually performed by bolus injection of insulin, a procedure which includes the risk of overdosage and/or the need of repeated administration. This study describes that a glucose controlled insulin infusion system (GCIIS) permits to perform the IHT with standardized hypoglycaemia. Ten healthy volunteers and 10 patients with pituitary tumours were studied using the GCIIS (Biostator) on static control (Mode 1:1, BI 35, QI 10, RI 20, FI 300). Insulin administration was discontinued and the GCIIS used only for monitoring of blood glucose (BG), when BG had fallen below 40 mg/dl and initial clinical symptoms for hypoglycaemia were observed. In controls, the GCIIS guided IHT achieved a sufficient degree of hypoglycaemia (BG 27.6 +/- 2.0 mg/dl; mean +/- SEM) and physiological responses for GH (peak 49.4 +/- 6.7 ng/ml), Prl (peak 1766 +/- 614 microU/ml), ACTH (peak 76.0 +/- 8.7 pg/ml) and cortisol (peak 252 +/- 15 ng/ml). The total amount of insulin given was 0.115 +/- 0.012 U/kg. In the patients with pituitary tumours however, the required insulin dose varied markedly from 0.090 (pituitary insufficiency) to 0.340 U/kg (Cushing's syndrome). Minimum BG obtained was 32.5 +/- 1.9 mg/dl. Partial impairment of hypothalamic-pituitary function and, in particular, patients requiring exogenous cortisol supplementation during stress, could be identified. In conclusion, special advantages of the GCIIS-guided IHT are: Optimal insulin dosage with standardized hypoglycaemia due to automatic adjustment to the individual insulin sensitivity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of alcohol, dithiocarb and (+)-catechin on the hepatotoxicity and metabolism of vinylidene chloride in rats

Hepatotoxicity of vinylidene chloride (1, 1-dichloroethylene, VDC) in rats was evidenced by increases of serum enzyme activities of the aminotransferases (GOT, GPT) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH). Simultaneous treatment with ethanol (4.8 g kg-1; p.o.) totally inhibited these hepatotoxic effects, whereas pretreatment with the same ethanol dose 24 h prior to VDC had no effect. Dithiocarb or (+)-catechin (0.2 g kg-1; p.o.), administered simultaneously with VDC, significantly reduced the VDC-induced increments of serum enzyme activities. Pretreatment with 5% ethanol for 7 days instead of drinking water increased the hepatotoxicity of a single dose of VDC. The combined treatment with VDC (0.125-0.2 g kg-1, twice weekly) and 5% ethanol for 4 weeks led to only small increases of serum enzyme activities as compared with controls treated with VDC alone. However, 60% lethality occurred in the VDC-ethanol group. Administration of either dithiocarb or (+)-catechin with VDC totally antagonized the observed lethality. Metabolic studies with VDC in a closed exposure system indicated that simultaneous treatment with ethanol or dithiocarb totally depressed the metabolic removal of VDC, whereas (+)-catechin had no effect.