Selective protection of the cerebellum against intracerebroventricular LPS is mediated by local melatonin synthesis

Although melatonin is mainly produced by the pineal gland, an increasing number of extra-pineal sites of melatonin synthesis have been described. We previously demonstrated the existence of bidirectional communication between the pineal gland and the immune system that drives a switch in melatonin production from the pineal gland to peripheral organs during the mounting of an innate immune response. In the present study, we show that acute neuroinflammation induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injected directly into the lateral ventricles of adult rats reduces the nocturnal peak of melatonin in the plasma and induces its synthesis in the cerebellum, though not in the cortex or hippocampus. This increase in cerebellar melatonin content requires the activation of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), which positively regulates the expression of the key enzyme for melatonin synthesis, arylalkylamine N-acetyltransferase (AA-NAT). Interestingly, LPS treatment led to neuronal death in the hippocampus and cortex, but not in the cerebellum. This privileged protection of cerebellar cells was abrogated when G-protein-coupled melatonin receptors were blocked by the melatonin antagonist luzindole, suggesting that the local production of melatonin protects cerebellar neurons from LPS toxicity. This is the first demonstration of a switch between pineal and extra-pineal melatonin production in the central nervous system following a neuroinflammatory response. These results have direct implications concerning the differential susceptibility of specific brain areas to neuronal death.

Immunohistochemical localization of nicotinic acetylcholine-receptor subunits in the mesencephalon and diencephalon of the chick (Gallus-gallus)

Monoclonal antibodies against two alpha-bungarotoxin-binding subunits (alpha-7 and alpha-8) of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) were used as immunohistochemical probes to map their distribution in the chick diencephalon and mesencephalon. The distribution of the alpha-7 and alpha-8 nAChR subunits was compared to the distribution of immunoreactivity produced by a monoclonal antibody against the beta-2 structural subunit of the nAChRs.Structures that contained high numbers of alpha-7-like immunoreactive (LI) somata included the intergeniculate leaflet, nucleus intercalatus thalami, nucleus ovoidalis, organum paraventricularis, nucleus rotundus, isthmic nuclei, nucleus trochlearis, oculomotor complex, nucleus interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis, stratum griseum centrale of the optic tectum, and nucleus semilunaris. Neuropil staining for alpha-7-LI was intense in the nucleus dorsomedialis hypothalami, nucleus geniculatus lateralis ventralis, griseum tecti, isthmic nuclei, nucleus lentiformis mesencephali, nucleus of the basal optic root, and stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale of the tectum. High numbers of alpha-8-LI somata were found in the stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale of the tectum and the nucleus interstitio-pretecto-subpretectalis, and intense neuropil staining for alpha-8-LI was found in the dorsal thalamus, nucleus geniculatus lateralis ventralis, lateral hypothalamus, griseum tecti, nucleus lentiformis mesencephali, nucleus interpeduncularis, and stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale of the tectum. High numbers of beta-2-LI somata were found only in the nucleus spiriformis lateralis, whereas neuropil staining for beta-2-LI was intense in the nucleus geniculatus lateralis ventralis, nucleus suprachiasmaticus, nucleus lateralis anterior, nucleus habenularis lateralis, area pretectalis, griseum tecti, nucleus lentiformis mesencephali, nucleus externus, and nucleus interpeduncularis, and in the stratum griseum centrale, stratum griseum et fibrosum superficiale, and stratum opticum of the tectum.These results indicate that there are major disparities in the localization of the alpha-bungarotoxin-binding alpha-7 and alpha-8 nAChR subunits and the beta-2 structural nAChR subunit in the chick diencephalon and mesencephalon. These nAChR subunits appear, however, to coexist in several regions of the chick brain.

Position paper from the IBRA Symposium on Surgery of the Head - The 2nd International Symposium for Condylar Fracture Osteosynthesis, Marseille, France 2012

Background: This is a position paper from the 2nd International Bone Research Association (IBRA) Symposium for Condylar Fracture Osteosynthesis 2012 was held at Marseille, succeeding the first congress in Strasbourg, France, in 2007. The goal of this IBRA symposium and this paper was to evaluate current trends and potential changes of treatment strategies for mandibular condylar fractures, which remain controversial over the past decades.Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, we enrolled the consensus based on the panel of experts and participants in the IBRA Symposium 2012. The outcomes of interest were the panel and electronic votes on management of condylar base, neck and head fractures, and panel votes on endoscopic and paediatric condylar fractures. Appropriate descriptive and univariate statistics were used.Results: The consensus derived from 14 experts and 41 participant surgeons, using 12 case scenarios and 27 statements. The experts and participants had similar decision on the treatment of condylar base, neck and head fractures, as well as similar opinion on complications of condylar fracture osteosynthesis. They had a parallel agreement on using open reduction with internal fixation (ORIF) as treatment of choice for condylar base and neck fractures in adults. Endoscopic approaches should be considered for selected cases, such as condylar base fractures with lateral displacement. There was also a growing tendency to perform ORIF in condylar head fractures. The experts also agreed to treat children (> 12 years old) in the same way as adults and to consider open reduction in severely displaced and dislocated fractures even in younger children. Nevertheless, non-surgical treatment should be the first choice for children <6 years of age. The decision to perform surgery in children was based on factors influencing facial growth, appropriate age for ORIF, and disagreement to use resorbable materials in children.Conclusions: The experts and participating surgeons had comparable opinion on management of condylar fractures and complications of ORIF. Compared to the first Condylar Fracture Symposium 2007 in Strasbourg, ORIF may now be considered as the gold standard for both condylar base and neck fractures with displacement and dislocation. Although ORIF in condylar head fractures in adults and condylar fractures in children with mixed dentition is highly recommended, but this recommendation requires further investigations. (C) 2014 European Association for Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Protonation Pattern, Tautomerism, Conformerism, and Physicochemical Analysis in New Crystal Forms of the Antibiotic Doxycycline

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Maxillary molar intrusion with zygomatic anchorage in open bite treatment: lateral and oblique cephalometric evaluation

Purpose We aimed to use lateral and oblique radiographs to evaluate dental and skeletal changes arising from maxillary molar intrusion with zygomatic anchorage in open bite patients. Methods We conducted a pilot study including nine patients (six females and three males; mean age, 18.7±5.1 years) with skeletal open bite treated with titanium miniplates for posterior dentoalveolar intrusion. Lateral and oblique (right and left, 45°) radiographs were obtained before (T1) and 6 months after intrusion (T2). A paired t test was used for statistical evaluation. Results The maxillary posterior teeth were intruded 2.03± 0.87 mm (p<0.01) with 450×g of force, which resulted in counterclockwise rotation of the mandible (1.57°, p=0.02) and clockwise rotation of the occlusal plane (4.27±2.66°, p=0.01). Anterior facial height decreased by a mean of 1.79±1.51 mm (p<0.01). No significant change in the palatal plane or in anteroposterior molar movement was observed. Conclusion The oblique radiograph at 45° was useful for the assessment of molar intrusion and anteroposterior displacement. The treatment of anterior open bite with skeletal anchorage provided intrusion of molars and counterclockwise rotation of the mandible, resulting in open bite closure.

Activation of the brain melanocortin system is required for leptin-induced modulation of chemorespiratory function

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Behaviour of the buccal crestal bone levels after immediate placement of implants subjected to immediate loading

The aim of this study was to measure changes in buccal alveolar crestal bone levels after immediate placement and loading of dental implants with Morse taper prosthetic abutments after tooth extraction. This study followed the STROBE guidelines regarding prospective cohort studies. The sample comprised 12 patients with a mean age of 45 years, in whom a central or upper lateral incisor was indicated for extraction. Prior to extraction, computed tomography (CT) analysis was carried out to assess the presence of the buccal bone crest. CT scans were performed at 24 h and at 6 months after immediate implant placement and immediate loading. The distance from the most apical point of the implant platform to the buccal bone crest was assessed at the two time points. The buccal bone crest height was evaluated at three points in the mesio-distal direction: (1) the centre point of the alveolus, (2) 1 mm mesial to the centre point, and (3) 1 mm distal to the centre point. The values obtained were subjected to statistical analysis, comparing the distances from the bone crest to the implant platform for the two time points. After 6 months there was a statistically significant, non-uniform reduction in height at the level of the crest of the buccal bone in the cervical direction. It is concluded that the buccal bone crest of the immediate implants that replaced the maxillary incisors underwent apical resorption when subjected to immediate loading.

A new species of the genus Pareiorhina (Teleostei: Siluriformes: Loricariidae) from the upper rio Parana basin, southeastern Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Superconducting properties of a parallelepiped mesoscopic superconductor: a comparative study between the 2D and 3D Ginzburg-Landau models

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Histochemistry profile of the biceps brachii muscle fibres of capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella, Linnaeus, 1758)

A general analysis of the behaviour of "Cebus" shows that when this primate moves position to feed or perform another activity, it presents different ways of locomotion. This information shows that the brachial biceps muscle of this animal is frequently used in their locomotion activities, but it should also be remembered that this muscle is also used for other development activities like hiding, searching for objects, searching out in the woods, and digging in the soil. Considering the above, it was decided to research the histoenzimologic characteristics of the brachial biceps muscle to observe whether it is better adpted to postural or phasic function. To that end, samples were taken from the superficial and deep regions, the inserts proximal (medial and lateral) and distal brachial biceps six capuchin monkeys male and adult, which were subjected to the reactions of m-ATPase, NADH-Tr. Based on the results of these reactions fibres were classified as in Fast Twitch Glycolitic (FG), Fast Twitch Oxidative Glycolitic (FOG) and Slow Twitc (SO). In general, the results, considering the muscle as a whole, show a trend of frequency FOG>FG>SO. The data on the frequency were studied on three superficial regions FOG=FG>SO; the deep regions of the inserts proximal FOG=FG=SO and inserting the distal FOG>FG=SO. In conclusion, the biceps brachii of the capuchin monkey is well adapted for both postural and phasic activities.

Maxillo-mandibular counter-clockwise rotation and mandibular advancement with TMJ Concepts (R) total joint prostheses Part I - Skeletal and dental stability

The purpose of this study was to evaluate skeletal and dental stability in patients who had temporomandibular joint (TMJ) reconstruction and mandibular counterclockwise advancement using TMJ Concepts total join, prostheses (TMJ Concepts Inc. Ventura, CA) with maxillary osteotomies being performed at the same operation. All patients were operated at Baylor University Medical Center, Dallas TX, USA, by one surgeon (Wolford). Forty-seven females were studied; the average post-surgical follow-up was 40.6 months. Lateral cephalograms were analyzed to estimate surgical and post-surgical changes. During surgery, the occlusal plane angle decreased 14.9 +/- 8.0 degrees. The maxilla moved forward and upward. The posterior nasal spine moved downward and forward. The mandible advanced 7.9 +/- 3.5 mm at the lower incisor tips, 12.4 +/- 5.4 mm at Point B, 17.3 +/- 7.0 mm at menton, 18.4 +/- 8.5 mm at pogonion, and 11.0 +/- 5.3 mm at gonion. Vertically, the lower incisors moved upward -2.9 +/- 4.0 mm. At the longest follow-up post surgery, the maxilla showed minor horizontal changes while all mandibular measurements remained stable. TMJ reconstruction and mandibular advancement with TMJ Concepts total joint prosthesis in conjunction with maxillary osteotomies for counter-clockwise rotation of the rnaxillo-mandibular complex was a stable procedure for these patients at the longest follow-up.

Three-dimensional aspects of the lingual papillae and their connective tissue cores in the tongue of rats: a scanning electron microscope study

The aim of the present study was to describe the tridimensional morphological characteristics of the lingual papillae and their connective tissue cores (CTCs) in Sprague Dawley rats. Four types of papillae were reported on the dorsal surface. Filiform papillae were distributed on the tongue surface and after epithelial maceration a conic and multifilamentary shape of the CTCs was revealed. Fungiform papillae were reported on the rostral and middle regions covered by a squamous epithelium. After the removal of the epithelium, the shape of a volcano with the taste orifice at its top was noted. Foliate papillae were composed of five pairs of epithelial folds situated on the lateral-caudal margin of the tongue. After the removal of the epithelium, they were shown to be limited by thin laminar projections. The vallate papilla with an oval shape was present in the caudal region and delimited by an incomplete groove. The morphological characteristics of the lingual papillae of Sprague Dowley rats, three-dimensional SEM images, and the types of papillae on the dorsal surface were similar to those reported previously in other rodent mammals. The maceration technique revealed the details of extracellular matrix with varied shapes form of connective tissue cores.

Evaluation of the marsh deer stifle joint by imaging studies and gross anatomy

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Description of three new species of Moenkhausia (Teleostei, Characiformes, Characidae) with the definition of the Moenkhausia jamesi species complex

From the examination of extensive comparative material currently identified as M. jamesi we verified that there are, at least, three new species under this name. These, along with M. jamesi and M. justae, form what we herein called the M. jamesi species complex, by sharing the following group of characters: a short maxilla, with its distal margin not exceeding anterior third of the second infraorbital; first through third teeth of the inner row of premaxilla and first and second dentary teeth with cusps arranged in a pronounced arch, humeral spot positioned between the fourth and seventh scales of the lateral line and extending up to four scale rows above the lateral line and one scale row below the lateral line, and a vertically oval to round spot at the base of the caudal fin rays. Moenkhausia ischyognatha sp. n., from Rio Xingu basin, differs from the other species of the complex by its lower head depth. Moenkhausia alesis sp. n., from the river system Tocantins-Araguaia, differs from M. jamesi, M. ischyognatha, and M. sthenosthoma by the number of scale rows above the lateral line. Moenkhausia sthenosthoma sp. n., from the Rio Madeira basin, differs from M. jamesi by the number of scale rows between the lateral line and the midventral scale series. Moenkhausia justae can be diagnosed from the other species of the complex by having a tri to pentacuspidate tooth on the maxilla.

Oral syphilis: report of three cases and characterization of the inflammatory cells

Syphilis is a sexually transmitted infectious disease caused by Treponema pallidum. This study reports 3 cases of syphilis and highlights the importance of identifying oral lesions for its final diagnosis. Case 1: a 48-year-old male patient presented with a bleeding ulcer in the lower lip. Overall clinical examination revealed patchy alopecia and skin target lesions. Case 2: a 61-year-old male patient presented with white spots on the lateral tongue and nodules on the dorsum of the tongue. Overall clinical examination showed erythematous target lesions on the abdomen, forearm, palms of the hand, and soles of the feet. Case 3: a 17-year-old male patient presented with an ulcerated lesion on the tongue and lymph node involvement. The following serologic tests were requested: Venereal Disease Research Laboratory, fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption, anti-HIV-1 and anti-HIV-2, and anti-hepatitis C virus. An incisional biopsy revealed epithelial hyperplasia associated with intense and diffuse mononuclear inflammatory cell infiltration consisting mainly of plasma cells, in a perivascular and perineural distribution. The final diagnosis in the 3 patients was syphilis. Treatment consisted of 1 weekly dose of penicillin (2.4 million units, intramuscular) for 2 or 3 weeks. Immunohistochemical reactions for XIIIa, CD3, CD20, CD68, CD163, S100, CD1a, CD11c, CD83, CD138, and CD208 were performed. Clinicians should be familiarized with oral syphilis lesions in order to be able to diagnose this emerging infectious disease of variable clinical presentation.