In vitro evidence for the importance of cultivation conditions on the effects of Calliandra tannins on ruminal escape of soybean protein and its post-ruminal degradability

Purified condensed tannins (CT) extracted from the legume Calliandra calothyrsus (var. San Ramón CIAT 22310), harvested in the dry and the rainy season and cultivated with low or high level of fertilization were added to soybean meal in a ratio of 600 mg/g of the incubated crude protein (CP). Effects on degradation either in ruminal fluid only, or in ruminal fluid followed by incubation in HCl/pepsin, were evaluated using a modified two-step in vitro method. Season was found to have larger effects on in vitro ruminal and post-ruminal CP degradation than fertilization. Condensed tannins from the rainy season harvest reduced ruminal CP degradation less than that from the dry season harvest. They had also less negative effects on the degradability of rumen escape protein and enhanced the proportion of post-ruminally degraded CP more than CT from the dry season harvest. An increase in level of fertilization reduced ruminal CP degradation in CT from the rainy season plants but this was not associated with effects on post-ruminal degradation. The study demonstrated the importance of environmental factors for the efficiency of CT in modifying ruminal and post-ruminal CP degradation.

Dysregulated healing response participates in the pathophysiology of temporomandibular joint ankylosis

This study aimed to characterize samples from patients diagnosed with TMJ ankylosis, using both clinical and histological data. Both clinical and histological analyses of retrieved tissue samples from patients with primary TMJ ankyloses were performed retrospectively (1980-2012). All patients had been subjected to primary arthroplasty. Our study analyzed connective tissue differentiation, ossification patterns, and bone resorption, using histology and immunohistochemistry. Fifteen case records, with a sex ratio of 4:1 (men:woman) and a median age of 8 years, were collected. Six patient samples reported a previous inflammatory event. Histologically, 15 samples exhibited fibrous tissue. Among these, 13 displayed bone at different stages of maturity (fibrous/bony ankylosis). Eleven samples showed aberrant cartilage, characterized by hypertrophic chondrocyte-like cells at the bone/cartilage interface. Four samples revealed inflammatory infiltrate; in one case, this was organized as a lymphoid follicle. Eleven samples showed bone resorption by attached osteoclasts. Interestingly, non-attached osteoclasts were detected, suggesting locally impaired bone remodeling. An association between the presence of mature/lamellar bone and the presence of osteoclasts was observed (p = 0.03). No association was found between previous history of either trauma or infection and the histological type of ankylosis (p = 0.74). There was no association between the histological presence of inflammation or infection and the type of ankylosis (p = 0.63 and p = 0.87, respectively). Retrieved TMJ ankylosis tissues displayed both aberrant ossification and reduced focal bone resorption, suggesting a dysregulated healing response.