Increased plasma and salivary cortisol levels in patients with oral cancer and their association with clinical stage

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

Noncarious Cervical Lesions and Their Association With Toothbrushing Practices: In Vivo Evaluation

Objectives: This pilot study aims to investigate the prevalence of noncarious cervical lesions (NCCLs) in a student population at the Faculty of Dentistry of Aracatuba-UNESP and to assess the potential relation between buccal hygiene habits and the presence and number of NCCLs.Methods: This study was conducted with a sample of 58 young volunteers (15 men and 43 women; mean age, 23.6 +/- 1.8 years and 22.3 +/- 2.4 years, respectively). The research was divided into three steps: 1) clinical assessment; 2) oral-hygiene practices self-report questionnaire; and 3) analysis of toothbrush filament deformations. After the clinical exam the participants were divided into two groups, a control group (without NCCLs) and a test group (NCCLs), according to NCCL presence. The data were statistically analyzed with SPSS 16.0 software, using t-test, chi(2), Fisher exact test, and Spearman correlation.Results: NCCLs were present in 53% of the subjects. The presence of NCCLs was marginally statistically associated with age (p=0.15) and proportionally more prevalent in male (80%) subjects (p=0.01). NCCLs were more concentrated in the posterior-superior quadrant (93%) in both the right (90%) and left (55%) sides of the mouth. The direct rank correlation was presented between presence of NCCLs and toothbrush firmness; and between number of NCCLs and age and force applied during toothbrushing.Conclusion: Within the limitations of this pilot study, the use of medium and hard toothbrushes and greater force applied during toothbrushing might contribute to the development and/or aggravation of NCCLs.

Maxillo-mandibular counter-clockwise rotation and mandibular advancement with TMJ Concepts (R) total joint prostheses Part III - Pain and dysfunction outcomes

47 end-stage TMJ patients with high occlusal plane angulation, treated with TMJ custom-fitted total joint prostheses and simultaneous maxillo-mandibular counter-clockwise rotation were evaluated for pain and dysfunction presurgery (T1) and at the longest follow-up (T2). Patients subjectively rated their facial pain/headache, TMJ pain, jaw function, diet and disability. Objective functional changes were determined by measuring maximum interincisal opening (MIO) and laterotrusive movements. Patients were divided according to the number of previous failed TMJ surgeries: Group 1 (0-1), Group 2 (2 or more). Significant subjective pain and dysfunction improvements (37-52%) were observed (<0.001). MIO increased 14% but lateral excursion decreased 60%. The groups presented similar absolute changes, but Group 2 showed more dysfunction at T1 and T2. For patients who did not receive fat grafts around the prostheses and had previous failure of proplast/teflon and or silastic TMJ implants, more than half required surgery for TMJ debridement and removal of foreign body giant cell reaction and heterotopic bone formation. End-stage TMJ patients can be treated in one operation with TMJ custom-made total joint prostheses and maxillo-mandibular counter-clockwise rotation, for correction of dentofacial deformity and improvement in pain and TMJ dysfunction; Group 1 patients had better results than Group 2 patients.

Reproductive and sexual behavior changes in male rats exposed perinatally to picrotoxin

Previous studies in rats suggested that picrotoxin, a GABA(A) receptor antagonist, may cause long-term changes in male reproductive physiology and behavior in rats exposed during prenatal and postnatal periods. The present study has further examined this phenomenon. Wistar rat dams were dosed subcutaneously with 0.75 mg/kg picrotoxin in saline, or vehicle alone, during the perinatal period (day 19 of gestation, immediately after parturition, and once a day during the first 5 days of lactation). Birth weight and sexual maturation of pups were unchanged; however, plasma testosterone levels and sexual behavior was altered in male offspring. Although fertile, these males showed altered mating behavior in terms of a decrease in the mean number of mounts during a 30-min observation period with normal females. Some showed homosexual behavior when castrated and pretreated with exogenous estrogen. These findings suggest that perinatal exposure to picrotoxin alters sexual dimorphism in the developing rat brain, manifesting as altered reproductive performance and sexual behavior of males. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of neonatal clomiphene citrate on fertility and sexual behavior in male rats

In order to investigate the participation of estrogen during the period of brain sexual differentiation, male rats were treated with clomiphene citrate in the neonatal phase. Fertility and sexual behavior were assessed during adult life. Sexual maturation, body weight, and wet weight of the testes were unchanged. Although the adult male rats treated with clomiphene in the neonatal phase presented a significant reduction in the frequency of mounts, 90% of these rats were able to mate with normal females, which became pregnant. However, these females exhibited a significantly increased number of pre- and post-implantation losses. When these adult male rats were castrated and received estrogen, 60% presented female sexual behavior (receptive behavior and acceptance of mount). Thus, treatment of pups with clomiphene immediately after birth has a long-term effect on the reproductive physiology and sexual behavior of male rats. (C) 2002 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Conservation of the 5S-bearing chromosome pair and co-localization with major rDNA clusters in five species of Astyanax (Pisces, Characidae)

Major and 5S ribosomal genes have been localized in chromosomes from five fish species, genus Aslyanax, using in situ hybridization (FISH) with 28S and 5S rDNA probes. In situ signals for the major rDNA co-localized with the 5S rDNA clusters in the pericentromeric region of one marker chromosome in all five species analyzed. The conserved localization of these two rDNA clusters in the five related Astyanax species was considered as indicative of a close relationship among them. The use of these molecular markers for elucidating evolutionary relationships among closely related taxa is discussed. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Cytogenetic analyses of eight species in the genus Leptodactylus Fitzinger, 1843 (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae), including a new diploid number and a karyotype with multiple translocations

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Intracellular papillae of Actinocephalus (Eriocaulaceae-Poales) roots and their interaction with fungi: A light and transmission electron microscopy study

The genus Actinocephalus comprises 25 species and is restricted to Brazil, occurring mainly in the Espinhaco Mountains of Minas Gerais and Bahia States. Previous anatomical studies have reported the occurrence of intracellular papillae in the Actinocephalus roots, without dealing with their ultrastructure and function. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the structure, the composition and the probable function of the intracellular papillae of Actinocephalus roots, based on light microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and histochemical tests. The intracellular papillae occurred in all root tissues, from the rhizodermis to the vascular cylinder; they presented different forms and sizes and, ultrastructurally, they corresponded to material deposited between the cell wall and the plasma membrane. The histochemical tests carried out were positive for cellulose, pectin and callose. The intracellular papillae are responses of the plant cells to the interaction with fungi. They work as a physical barrier restricting fungal penetration, and they may also favor the supply of water and nutrients to the plant, since they increase root absorption surface. This might explain why the species of Actinocephalus are among the tallest Eriocaulaceae despite their reduced radicular system and the nutritional deficiency of the soil in which they grow. (C) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quasispecies of hepatitis C virus genotype 1 and treatment outcome with Peginterferon and Ribavirin

The majority of patients with chronic hepatitis C fail to respond to antiviral therapy. The genetic basis of this resistance is unknown. The quasispecies nature of HCV may have an important implication concerning viral persistence and response to therapy. The HCV nonstructural 5A (NS5A) protein has been controversially implicated in the inherent resistance of HCV to interferon (IFN) antiviral therapy. To evaluate whether the NS5A quasispecies pre-treatment composition of HCV 1a/1b is related to responsiveness to combined pegylated interferon (PEG-IFN) and Ribavirin therapy, detailed analyses of the complete NS5A were performed. Fifteen full-length NS5A clones were sequenced from 11 pretreatment samples of patients infected with genotype 1 HCV (3 virological sustained responders, 4 non-responders, and 4 end-of-treatment responders). Our study could not show a significant correlation between the mean number of mutations in HCV NS5A before treatment and treatment outcome, and the phylogenetic construction of complete NS5A sequences obtained from all patients failed to show any clustering associated with a specific response pattern. No single amino acid position was associated with different responses to therapy in any of the NS5A regions analyzed, and mutations were clustered downstream the ISDR, primarily in the V3 region. We observed that the CRS and NLS regions of the NS5A protein were conflicting for some variables analyzed, although no significant differences were found. If these two regions can have antagonistic functions, it seems viable that they present different mutation profiles when compared with treatment response. The patient sample that presented the lowest genetic distance values also presented the smallest number of variants, and the most heterogeneous pattern was seen in the end-of-treatment patients. These results suggest that a detailed molecular analysis of the NS5A region on a larger sample size may be necessary for understanding its role in the therapy outcome of HCV 1a/1b infection. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

New Insight into the Mechanism of Action of Wasp Mastoparan Peptides: Lytic Activity and Clustering Observed with Giant Vesicles

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)