Protective assessment of progesterone and its receptor on experimental diabetic neuropathy: Anti‐oxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Protective assessment of progesterone and its receptor on experimental diabetic neuropathy: Anti‐oxidant and anti‐inflammatory effects via Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology Abstract Introduction Diabetes induces a disorder in mitochondrial activity, which causes damage to the nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, and ultimately increases the release of inflammatory cytokines and damages the sciatic nerve and dorsal root ganglion and induces neuropathy. It has been shown that progesterone has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative effects and prevents nerve cell damage. Therefore, the aim of this experiment was to investigate the effect of progesterone receptor neuroprotection on diabetic neuropathy. Methods Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 4 groups, including control group, diabetic control group, diabetic control group+Progesterone(30mg/kg), diabetic control group+combination of Progesterone(30mg/kg) and RU486(10mg/kg). After the induction of diabetes, blood glucose level, body weight, behavioral tests, electrophysiological tests, oxidative and inflammatory factors, and histological parameters were measured. Results Progesterone treatment significantly reduced the level of sensitivity to hot plate without significant effect on glucose level, and significant changes were also observed in the results of tail flake test. In addition, the results showed that the administration of progesterone can improve MNCV and significantly reduce the serum levels of oxidative stress and inflammatory factors, as well as inflammation and edema around the sciatic nerve. However, RU486 inverted the beneficial effects of progesterone. Conclusion Progesterone can be considered as a protective agent in reducing DN because of its ability to reduce inflammation and nerve damage. In addition, RU486, a progesterone receptor blocker, inhibits the beneficial effects of progesterone on the DN, thus progesterone receptors play an important role in the neuroprotective effect of progesterone. View on Web

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Effect of Ceftriaxone on Intestinal Transit Time

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Effect of Ceftriaxone on Intestinal Transit Time via Fundamental & Clinical Pharmacology Abstract Background Ceftriaxone reduces gallbladder and ileal contractility. Many studies have shown that ceftriaxone causes biliary sludge and pseudolithiasis. However, its effect on intestinal transit time has not been investigated. This study aimed to investigate the effect of ceftriaxone on intestinal transit time. Material and Method Sixteen rats were examined in two groups: The study group (GroupA, n=8) was administered 100mg/kg ceftriaxone intramuscularly for 7 days. The control group (GroupB, n=8) was administered intramuscular distilled water for 7 days. On the 7th day, amixture of 2 cc barium and saline was given orally to both groups. Barium transit was evaluated using serial digital X-ray images. Results The stomach was full and transition into the small intestine loop was observed in all rats at 45 min in both groups. At the 2nd hour, colonic transition was observed in two rats in group A (2/8, 25%) and in seven in group B (7/8, 87.5%). At the 4th hour, five (62.5%) rats in group A had transverse colonic transition, and all rats in group B (8/8, 100%) had transverse and/or left colonic transition. At the 6th hour, no rat in group A had rectal transition, and all rats in group B (8/8, 100%) had complete passage of colonic contrast material. Conclusion Ceftriaxone significantly prolongs the small intestine transit time, large intestine transit time, and total intestinal transit times. View on Web

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Effectiveness of pulpotomy compared with root canal treatment in managing non‐traumatic pulpitis associated with spontaneous pain: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Effectiveness of pulpotomy compared with root canal treatment in managing non‐traumatic pulpitis associated with spontaneous pain: A systematic review and meta‐analysis via International Endodontic Journal Abstract Abstract Background Pulpitis characterized by spontaneous pain can result in debilitating pain. Dogma has existed to offer only have two treatment options, namely, root canal treatment (RCT) or extraction although, pulpotomy has always remained a potential treatment modality. Objective This review aimed to answer the following research question: "Does pulpotomy (partial or full)(I) result in better patient and clinical reported outcomes (O), compared to RCT (C) in permanent teeth with pulpitis characterized by spontaneous pain (P) evaluated at various time intervals? (T). Methods Two authors independently performed study selection, data extraction and risk of bias assessment. The literature search was conducted in the following electronic databases: Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. English language clinical trials comparing the patient and clinical reported outcomes between RCT and pulpotomy were included. The meta-analysis was performed on a fixed-effect model and the quality of evidence assessed by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluations (GRADE) approach. Results Two randomised clinical trials, were included. Among two trials, one has published four reports at different time points involving same cohorts. The meta-analysis revealed no difference in postoperative pain (Day 7) between RCT and pulpotomy (OR= 0.99,95% CI 0.63 – 1.55,I2=0%) and quality of evidence was graded as "High". Clinical success was high at year 1, 98% for both interventions, however decreased over time to 78.1% (pulpotomy) and 75.3% (RCT) at 5 years. Discussion Pulpotomy is a definitive treatment modality that is as effective as RCT . This could have a significant impact on treatment of such patients affording the advantages of retaining a vital pulp and preventing the need for RCT. Conclusion This review could only include two trials, hence there is insufficient evidence to draw robust conclusions. The clinical data accumulated so far suggests no difference in pain between RCT and pulpotomy at day 7 postoperatively and a single randomised control trial suggests that the clinical success rate for both treatment modalities is similar long term. There is a need for more well-designed trials by different research groups to develop a stronger evidence base in this area. View on Web

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Acinetobacter baumannii: Pathogenesis, virulence factors, novel therapeutic options and mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobial agents with emphasis on tigecycline

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Acinetobacter baumannii: Pathogenesis, virulence factors, novel therapeutic options and mechanisms of resistance to antimicrobial agents with emphasis on tigecycline via Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics This article summarizes the microbiological and virulence traits in A.baumannii. In addition, in this study, the mechanisms of resistance to tigecycline have been comprehensively investigated and novel therapeutic strategies have been expressed. Abstract What is known and objective Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important nosocomial pathogens with the ability to cause infections such as meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract, septicaemia and wound infections. A wide range of virulence factors are responsible for pathogenesis and high mortality of A. baumannii including outer membrane proteins, lipopolysaccharide, capsule, phospholipase, nutrient- acquisition systems, efflux pumps, protein secretion systems, quarom sensing and biofilm production. These virulence factors contribute in pathogen survival in stressful conditions and antimicrobial resistance. Comment According to the World Health Organization (WHO), A. baumannii is one of the most resistant pathogens of ESKAPE group (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, A. baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacter spp.). In recent years, resistance to a wide range of antibiotics in A. baumannii has significantly increased and the high emergence of extensively drug resistant (XDR) isolates is challenging. Among therapeutic antibiotics, resistance to tigecycline as a last resort antibiotic has become a global concern. Several mechanisms are involved in tigecycline resistance, the most important of which is RND (Resistance-Nodulation-Division) family efflux pumps overexpression. The development of new therapeutic strategies to confront A. baumannii infections has been very promising in recent years. What is new and conclusion In the present review we highlight microbiological and virulence traits in A. baumannii and peruse the tigecycline resistance mechanisms and novel therapeutic options. Among the novel therapeutic strategies we focus on combination therapy, drug repurposing, novel antibiotics, bacteriophage therapy, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), human monoclonal antibodies (Hu-mAbs), nanoparticles and gene editing. View on Web

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Imaging of pediatric neuroblastoma: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee White Paper

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Imaging of pediatric neuroblastoma: A COG Diagnostic Imaging Committee/SPR Oncology Committee White Paper via Pediatric Blood & Cancer ABSTRACT Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid neoplasm in children. This manuscript provides consensus-based imaging recommendations for pediatric neuroblastoma patients at diagnosis and during follow-up. View on Web

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Relationship between the timing of chemotherapy and surgical complications following surgical biopsy in children with malignant solid tumors

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Relationship between the timing of chemotherapy and surgical complications following surgical biopsy in children with malignant solid tumors via Pediatric Blood & Cancer Abstract Background Biopsies for diagnosis before chemotherapy is common in children with malignant solid tumors. Wound healing is delayed by chemotherapy; however, the ideal interval between biopsy and chemotherapy remains unknown. We aimed to summarize the relationship between chemotherapy timing and postoperative surgical complications. Procedure We retrospectively reviewed patients with malignant solid tumors who underwent chemotherapy after surgical biopsy at our institution between January 2014 and August 2020. The primary outcomes were postoperative surgical complications (within 30 days) and the timing of chemotherapy. Results Forty-three patients were analyzed. The types of tumors were neuroblastoma (n = 20), hepatoblastoma (n = 10), Ewing sarcoma (n = 5), germ cell tumor (n = 3), angiosarcoma (n = 1), clear cell sarcoma (n = 1), ganglioneuroblastoma (n = 1), rhabdoid tumor (n = 1), and rhabdomyosarcoma (n = 1). The operative procedures were thoracoscopy (n = 5), laparotomy (n = 17), laparoscopy (n = 14), and superficial (n = 7). The median time [range] to chemotherapy after biopsy was 4 [0–21] days. No surgical complications occurred before chemotherapy, and two (4.7%) patients experienced complications after chemotherapy. These included postoperative hemorrhage (grade 3) and surgical site infection (grade 1). Chemotherapy was initiated 1 and 6 days after biopsy, respectively, in these cases. Complications occurred 10 and 23 days after biopsy, respectively. Conclusion The rate of postoperative surgical complications related to biopsy seems acceptable, even when chemotherapy was initiated in the early postoperative period. Early initiation of chemotherapy after biopsy may be a suitable option, particularly in children with bulky or symptomatic malignant solid tumors. View on Web

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Oral biofilm dysbiosis during experimental periodontitis

alexandrossfakianakis shared this article with you from Inoreader Oral biofilm dysbiosis during experimental periodontitis via Molecular Oral Microbiology Abstract Objectives We have previously characterized the main osteoimmunological events that occur during ligature periodontitis. This study aims to determine the polymicrobial community shifts that occur during disease development. Methods Periodontitis was induced in C57BL/6 mice using the ligature-induced periodontitis model. Healthy oral mucosa swabs and ligatures were collected every 3-days from 0 to 18 days post-ligature placement. Biofilm samples were evaluated by 16SrRNA gene sequencing (Illumina MiSeq) and QIIME. Timecourse changes were determined by relative abundance, diversity, and rank analyses (PERMANOVA, Bonferroni-adjusted). Results Microbial differences between health and periodontal inflammation were observed at all phylogenic levels. An evident microbial community shift occurred in 25 genera during the advancement of "gingivitis" (3-6d) to periodontitis (9-18d). From day 0–18, dramatic changes were identified Streptococcus levels, with an overall decrease (54.04-0.02%) as well an overall increase of Enterococcus and Lactobacillus (23.7-73.1% and 10.1%-70.2%, respectively). Alpha-diversity decreased to its lowest at 3d, followed by an increase in diversity as disease advancement. Beta-diversity increased after ligature placement, indicating that bone loss develops in response to a greater microbial variability (p = 0.001). Levels of facultative and strict anaerobic bacteria augmented over the course of disease progression, with a total of 8 species significantly different during the 18-day period. Conclusion The data supports that murine gingival inflammation and alveolar bone loss develop in response to microbiome shifts. Bacterial diversity increased during progression to bone loss. These findings further support the utilization of the periodontitis ligature model for microbial shift analysis under different experimental conditions. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved View on Web

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