Odontoma associated with mandibular transmigrated canine in a geriatric patient: Second case report

OBJECTIVE

This report discusses the clinical relevance of a novel case of an odontoma and transmigrated canine in the setting of florid cemento-osseous dysplasia (COD), hypercementosis and moderate to severe periodontitis in a 66-year-old patient.

BACKGROUND

An odontoma may infrequently impede tooth eruption and rarely has been implicated with canine transmigration. COD is a benign fibro-osseous lesion associated with decreased vascularity and poorer surgical intervention.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A partially edentulous woman, in no acute distress, underwent clinical and radiographic evaluation in pursuit of comprehensive dental care.

RESULTS

Radiographic assessment demonstrated multiple occult pathologies of the mandible, including compound odontoma, canine transmigration, florid COD, hypercementosis and moderate to severe periodontitis, a concurrence thought to be previously unreported. Furthermore, the presence of the odontoma and transmigrated canine is apparently the second reported case in the geriatric population.

CONCLUSIONS

The attending clinician should carefully weigh removal of an impacted and transmigrated canine associated with an odontoma in the setting of COD and compromised bone, particularly in older individuals. When surgical intervention is deferred in these clinical situations, patients should continue to be monitored for clinical and radiographic development of pathologic processes.

Antimicrobial activity and toxicity of glass ionomer cement containing an essential oil

The aim of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity and toxicity of glass ionomer cement (GIC) modified with 5-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)phenol (thymol) against Streptococcus mutans in silico and in vitro. The antimicrobial activity of thymol on GIC modified with concentrations of 2% (GIC-2) and 4% (GIC-4) was evaluated in a model of planktonic cell biofilm using agar diffusion test, minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC), minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC), dynamic biofilm (continuous flow cell parallel), and bacterial kinetics. Conventional GIC (GIC-0) was used as a control. Thymol toxicity was evaluated in Artemia salina and in silico using Osiris^® software. Differences between groups were estimated by analysis of variance, followed by Tukey post hoc test, with a 5% significance level. The results of the agar diffusion test between groups were not significantly different (P≥0.05). Thymol had potential bacteriostatic and bactericidal activity against Streptococcus mutans with respect to planktonic growth, with MIC of 100 µg/mL and MBC of 400 µg/mL. The groups GIC-0, GIC-2, and GIC-4 reduced the biofilm by approximately 10, 85, and 95%, respectively. Bacterial kinetics showed efficiency of the modified GICs for up to 96 h. GIC with thymol was effective against S. mutans, with significant inhibition of the biofilms. Analyses in silico and using Artemia salina resulted in no relevant toxicity, suggesting potential for use in humans. GIC-2 was effective against S. mutans biofilm, with decreased cell viability.

Effects of Rest Interval on Strength Recovery in Breast Cancer Survivors

The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effect of 2 different resting intervals (RI) between sets of isokinetic knee extension exercise on peak torque (PT) and total work (TW) in breast cancer survivors (BCS) and control group (CNT). 16 BCS (52±4 years) and 14 CNT (53±6 years) performed 3 sets of 10 unilateral isokinetic knee extension repetitions at 60°.s(- 1) on 2 separate days with 2 different RI between sets (1 and 2 min). There was a significant interaction between groups vs. exercise sets (p=0.03) and RI vs. exercise sets (p<0.001) for PT. PT was greater in CNT at 1(st) and 2(nd) sets compared to BCS group (CNT, 133.4±20.8 and BCS 107.6±19.9 Nm, p=0.012 and CNT, 118.9±19.6 and BCS, 97.1±15.9  Nm, p=0.045, respectively). The TW of the knee extensor was significant greater in CNT than BCS group for all 3 knee extension exercise sets. In conclusion, the present study suggests that Breast Cancer Survivors women may need a longer rest interval (longer than 2 min) to be able to fully recover during a 3 sets of isokinetic knee extension exercise training session.

Renal artery aneurysm in hand-assisted laparoscopic donor nephrectomy: case report

We report a living donor who underwent laparoscopic nephrectomy using a hand-assisted device (HALD). At preoperative arteriography the donor showed a renal artery aneurysm. The patient was a 37-year-old female, 166 cm height, white, weighing 87 kg, HLA identical to the recipient. HALD was indicated due to the better visualization of renal pedicle and greater security in an obese patient. Renal artery aneurysm is a rare condition, with many possible complications. The method proved to be adequate and safe for donor nephrectomy, despite a renal artery aneurysm.

Amino acid sequence of piratoxin-I, a myotoxin from Bothrops pirajai snake venom, and its biological activity after alkylation with p-bromophenacyl bromide

The complete sequence of the 121 amino acid residues of piratoxin-I (PrTX-I), a phospholipase A2 (PLA2)-like myotoxin from Bothrops pirajai snake (Bahia jararacussu) venom, is reported. From the sequence, an M, of 13,825 and an approximate pI of 8.3 were calculated. PrTX-I shows a high sequence homology with Lys-49 myotoxins from other bothropic (approximately 95%) and nonbothropic (approximately 80%) venoms, but only 70-75% homology when aligned with the catalytically active Asp-49 PLA2s. When compared with bothropstoxin-I from Bothropsjararacussu, which is morphologically almost identical to B. pirajai, only two changes out of 121 total amino acid residues have been observed. The approximate minimal lethal dose LD50 (mice, i.p., 24 hr) of PrTX-I was 8 (6.8-9.1) mg/kg, and the minimal edematogenic dose (MED) in a rat paw model was 39.5+/-1.8 ug. After alkylation of His-48 with p-bromophenacyl bromide, the MED was 40.1+/-1.9 ug, but up to 4 LD50 were unable to cause death in any of a group of eight mice after 72 hr. Therefore the edematogenic activity was retained and apparently did not involve His-48, suggesting that at least two biologically active sites are present in PrTX-I.

The histamine releasers crotamine, protamine and compound 48/80 activate specific proteases and phospholipases A2

Crotamine, a basic, myonecrotic, histamine-releasing neurotoxin, was isolated from Crotalus durissus terrificus venom. Carboxypeptidase A was shown to be activated by crotamine when acting upon N-carbobenzoxyglycil-L-phenylalanine. However the activity of carboxypeptidase B upon the substrate hippuryl-L-arginine was not enhanced by this toxin. Teh basic histamine releasers protamine and compound 48/80 also activated carboxypeptidase A. These three agents activated both alpha-chymotrypsin when acting upon acetyl-L-tyrosine ethyl ester and also five snake venom phospholipase-like myotoxins acting upon egg yolk phosphatidylcholine. These findings suggest that the action of these agents during histamine release may involve the participation of specific intermediary hydrolases which, upon activation, would enhance their cytolytic effects on the sequence of events which lead to granule extrusion and histamine release from mast cells.

Fractionation of Bothrops pirajai snake venom: isolation and characterization of piratoxin-I, a new myotoxic protein

Whole desiccated venom of Bothrops pirajai was fractionated on a gel filtration (Sephadex G-75) column. Phospholipase A2, arginine esterase and clotting activity profiles of the six fractions (SI to SVI) obtained were determined. Fraction SIV from the gel filtration column was subjected to chromatography on SP-Sephadex C-25. It was resolved into five subfractions (SIV-SP1, to SIV-SP5). Fractions SIV-SP1, SIV-SP2 and SIV-SP3 showed phospholipase A2 activity but, among these fractions, only SIV-SP3 was homogeneous. Induction of myonecrosis by SIV-SP3, SIV-SP4 and SIV-SP5 was demonstrated by their ability to release serum creatine kinase, and for SIV-SP5, to induce histological alterations in the injected mouse muscle. Chemical characterization by determination of mol. wts, isoelectric focusing and direct manual sequencing of the N-terminal region was performed for SIV-SP3, SIV-SP4 and SIV-SP5. When compared with bothropstoxin-I, the myotoxin SIV-SP5 showed the same total number of amino acid residues (121) and constant molar ratio for all but three amino acids. We have named this toxin piratoxin-I (PrTX-I).

Isolation and characterization of TsTX-V, a new neurotoxin from Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom which delays the inactivation of Na+ channels

TsTX-V, a new neurotoxin from Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom able to induce a prolongation of the inactivation of Na+ channels, has been purified to homogeneity. The venom was chromatographed on CM-cellulose-52 and 13 fractions were first collected. A subsequent stepwise elution chromatography of fraction XI afforded, among other toxins, highly purified TsTX-V, which showed a single band by PAGE, SDS-PAGE or isoelectric focusing, a distinctive amino acid composition, mol. wt. = 7230, pI = 8.0 and i.v. LD50 = 94 +/- 7 micrograms/kg in mice. TsTX-V induced a long lasting hypertension in anesthetized rats and prolonged the action potential of the B fibers of the rabbit vagus nerve at 0.03 microgram/ml. At 0.3 microgram/ml and higher concentrations it caused also a nerve depolarization. These effects on nerve membranes were irreversible and could be suppressed by tetrodotoxin (200-500 nM). Nerve fibers depolarized by high extracellular K+(15-30mM) concentrations still displayed long duration action potentials after TsTX-V treatment. It is suggested that TsTX-V blocks the Na+ channel inactivation system probably as an alpha-toxin.

Biochemical characterization of a vascular smooth muscle contracting polypeptide purified from Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom

Biochemical characterization of a vascular smooth muscle contracting polypeptide purified from Phoneutria nigriventer (armed spider) venom. Toxicon 31, 377-384, 1993. Crude Phoneutria nigriventer venom was fractionated by Sephadex, ion-exchange and reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. One protein (PNV1) with spasmogenic activity in rabbit vascular smooth muscle was isolated and biochemically characterized. PNV1 has 125 amino acid residues and a calculated mol. wt of 13,899. Special features of the amino acid composition of PNV1 are the presence of two disulfide bridges and the high percentage (27%) of Asx and Glx. The N-terminal amino acid sequence indicates that PNV1 is different from other polypeptides isolated from Phoneutria nigriventer venom.

What is tityustoxin?

Tityus serrulatus scorpion venom was fractionated by gel filtration affording two heterogeneous toxic fractions, T1 and T2; the latter was further fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography. The fraction of T2 eluted with 0.15 M ammonium acetate buffer, originally named 'tityustoxin', was shown to be a pool of several proteins. One of them, TsTX, as well as T1, was also named 'tityustoxin'. The major and perhaps most potent toxin of the venom, gamma-toxin, was eluted with 0.30 M buffer as a highly purified protein and shown to be different from TsTX. gamma-Toxin is contained in both T1 and T2.

Interchain disulfide bonds in crotamine self-association

Crotamine, a basic neurotoxic protein, was isolated from the venom of the Southern Brazilian rattlesnake (Crotalus durissus terrificus) by gel filtration. The isolated protein showed a single band on PAGE at pH 4.5 and 7% (w/v) gel concentration, but two or more bands at 14% gel concentration, even in the presence of 4 M urea. After reduction and carboxymethylation, however, a single band was again detected. SDS-PAGE as well as ultracentrifugal analysis of the native (NC) and of the reduced and carboxymethylated (RCC) crotamine revealed a molecular weight of 4,500-5,000 for RCC and 9,000-10,000 for NC. Both components of a two-band crotamine preparation were isolated by preparative PAGE and characterized. Their particular electrophoretic mobility was retained. Their amino acid composition. N-terminal residue, and apparent toxicity were the same as those of the original sample. It was concluded that crotamine is able to form a dimer of 9,760 Da with two identical polypeptide chains crosslinked by interchain disulfide bonds and a shape not very far from spherical, which covalently binds extra subunits of 4,880 Da each.

Primary structure and biological activity of bradykinin potentiating peptides from Bothrops insularis snake venom

Several bradykinin potentiating peptides (BPPs) were isolated from the venom of the Brazilian arboricole snake Bothrops insularis by gel filtration on Sephadex G-150-120, followed by sequencial high-voltage paper electrophoreses at pH 3.5, 6.5, and 2.1. The BPPs were assayed by their ability to potentiate the contractile activity, on the isolated guinea pig ileum, and the hypotensive activity, on anesthetized rats, of bradykinin. Eight BPPs, containing 3-13 amino acid residues, were sequenced and their primary structures were shown to have a marked degree of homology with those of several BPPs from other venoms.

[An experience in training health personnel in Brazil]

This paper analyses the experience of the Strategic Health Personnel Training Program (PPREPS) in Brazil during 1976-1978. It describes the Program's general characteristics, objectives, and strategies, operational methods, and results. The article also evaluates information regarding the health-related human resource development process and its political and social context. Finally, several perspectives are considered for its continuity in the future.