Degenerative joint disease induced by repeated intra-articular injections of monosodium urate crystals in rats as investigated by translational imaging

The objective of this work was to assess the consequences of repeated intra-articular injection of monosodium urate (MSU) crystals with inflammasome priming by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in order to simulate recurrent bouts of gout in rats. Translational imaging was applied to simultaneously detect and quantify injury in different areas of the knee joint. MSU/LPS induced joint swelling, synovial membrane thickening, fibrosis of the infrapatellar fat pad, tidemark breaching, and cartilage invasion by inflammatory cells. A higher sensitivity to mechanical stimulus was detected in paws of limbs receiving MSU/LPS compared to saline-injected limbs. In MSU/LPS-challenged joints, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed increased synovial fluid volume in the posterior region of the joint, alterations in the infrapatellar fat pad reflecting a progressive decrease of fat volume and fibrosis formation, and a significant increase in the relaxation time T2 in femoral cartilage, consistent with a reduction of proteoglycan content. MRI also showed cyst formation in the tibia, femur remodeling, and T2 reductions in extensor muscles consistent with fibrosis development. Repeated intra-articular MSU/LPS injections in the rat knee joint induced pathology in multiple tissues and may be a useful means to investigate the relationship between urate crystal deposition and the development of degenerative joint disease.

Complicações Cirúrgicas em Bichectomia: Revisão de Literatura / Surgical Complications in Bichectomy: Literature Review

A bichectomia é um procedimento cirúrgico em que remove-se a parte correspondente ao coxim adiposo do Bichat, com finalidades estética e funcional. Tal procedimento está cada vez mais popular na Odontologia. Objetivo: Apresentar uma revisão narrativa da literatura sobre complicações associadas às cirurgias de bichectomia. Materiais e Métodos: Foi realizada uma busca de publicações sem restrição em relação ao ano de publicação em que foram realizados, incluído artigos científicos, relatos de caso clínicos, revisões de literatura, estudos descritivos e observacionais e excluindo cartas ao editor, editorias, teses e manografias a partir dos descritores em saúde (DeCS) “anatomia” (anatomy), “bichectomia” (bichectomy), “odontologia” (dentistry). Usando as bases de dados Lilacs, SciELO e Pubmed. Conclusão: Bichectomia é um procedimento estético-funcional, que apresenta riscos de complicações potencialmente graves, destacando-se lesão do ducto de Stenon ou do ramo bucal do nervo facial, que provocam, respectivamente, sialocele, fístulas salivares e paralisia bucal temporária ou definitiva, além de hematomas, assimetria facial e infecções pós-operatórias.---Bichectomy is a surgical procedure in which the part corresponding to the fat pad of Bichat is removed, with aesthetic and functional purposes. Such procedure is increasingly popular in dentistry. Objective: To present a narrative review of the literature on complications associated with bichectomy surgery. Materials and Methods: A search for publications was performed without restriction regarding the year of publication, including scientific articles, clinical case reports, literature reviews, descriptive and observational studies and excluding letters to the editor, editorials, theses and manographies from the health descriptors (DeCS) “anatomy” (anatomy), “bichectomy” (bichectomy), “dentistry” (dentistry). Using Lilacs, SciELO and Pubmed databases. Conclusion: Bichectomy is an aesthetic-functional procedure that presents risks of potentially serious complications, especially damage to the Stenon's duct or the buccal branch of the facial nerve, which cause, respectively, sialocele, salivary fistulas and temporary or permanent buccal paralysis, in addition to bruises, facial asymmetry and postoperative infections.

LC-MS-Based Metabolomics Analysis Revealed Deleterious Effect of Infrapatellar Fat Pad on Articular Chondrocytes of Osteoarthritis

Objective: To investigate the interaction of infrapatellar fat pad/cartilage and related mechanisms in knee osteoarthritis (OA) using the metabolomics method.Method: Fat-conditioned media (FCM) of the infrapatellar fat pad from patients with OA were used to treat human OA chondrocytes. The extracellular metabolites of human OA chondrocytes were detected by nontargeted metabolic footprint analysis based on liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry (LC-MS). Then, the different metabolites were found, and the main metabolic pathways were explored, combined with bioinformatics methods.Results: After treatment with FCM for 48 h, the proliferation of human OA chondrocytes was slowed down, indicating that FCM had a certain inhibitory effect on the proliferation of human OA chondrocytes (P = 0.023). On the pattern diagram of principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least-squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA), after FCM treatment, the data sample areas were obviously separated, indicating that FCM can significantly affect the metabolic footprint of human OA chondrocytes. Through metabonomic identification, 131 different metabolites were screened after FCM treatment compared with before treatment. For 4 pathways in total, significantly different activity levels were discovered in pairwise comparisons: alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism; citrate cycle (TCA cycle); arginine and proline metabolism; and phenylalanine metabolism.Conclusion: The infrapatellar fat pad aggravates OA chondrocyte injury and is involved in OA by disturbing the chondrocyte TCA cycle, amino acid metabolism, and glutamine metabolism, among others.

Clinical and Sonographic Analysis of Biometric Indicators of Cheek Thickness and Cheek Fat Body in Patients with Different Face Types

The purpose of the study was to conduct a scientific and practical analysis of clinical sonographic results of examination of patients with different face types in the process of planning the reconstruction of facial soft tissues with the involvement of buccal fat pad. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 28 patients of different age groups (from 20 to 45 years old) with defects and deformities of the tissues of the dental system. Instrumental sonographic analysis of the thickness of the buccal fat body was performed using an ultrasound scanner GE Logiq E (USA), transducer frequency 7.5-12 MHz. The types of buccal fat pad of correct (oval) or irregular (“hourglass”) shapes were determined, as well as its localization in relation to the median axial location of the crown of the first upper molars and the average value of the buccal fat pad thickness with an accuracy of 0.01 mm. Results and discussion. The results of a clinical study of the average value of the thickness of the cheek of patients with mesofacial type of face allowed to establish that on the left its value is 8.94±0.89 mm, on the right side – 9.05±0.82 mm. In patients with brachyfacial type of face on the left the value of the thickness of the cheek is 12.33±1.63 mm, and on the right side – 12.44±1.54 mm. In patients with dolichofacial type of face on the left, the index of the thickness of the cheek reaches the value of 7.53±0.61 mm, on the right side – 8.58±1.093 mm. Statistical significance was determined in comparison with data from the group of patients with mesofacial facial type. The obtained statistical results show mediocre values of buccal fat pad thickness in patients with mesofacial type of face, which are 1.117 times larger than in dolichofacials and 0.73 times smaller than in brachyfacials, which should be taken into account when conducting sonographic studies. Differences in the quantitative values of buccal fat pad thickness, which are established by clinical and sonographic studies conducted in patients with different types of faces is recommended to take into account when choosing surgical approaches during surgical closure of tissue defects of the alveolar processes of the jaws with autologous buccal fat pad. Conclusion. Buccal fat pad has morphological advantages associated with its saturation with cell complexes that have significant degree of vascularization, pliable texture, plasticity and direct participation in the implementation of the basic functions of the maxillofacial area

Factors Affecting the Aluminum, Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead Concentrations in the Knee Joint Structures

Background: Toxic elements, such as aluminum (Al), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb), are persistent environmental pollutants that can cause adverse effects on the health of exposed individuals. Bone is one of the primary target organs of accumulation and potential damage from toxic elements.Objectives: This study was performed to determine the Al, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations in the femoral cancellous bone, femoral cartilage, anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus, tibial cartilage, tibial cancellous bone and infrapatellar fat pad. Furthermore, the aim of this study was to explore the relationships between toxic element concentrations and related factors such as gender, age, place of residence, hypertension and diabetes, and to determine the correlations among these toxic elements in knee joint structures.Methods: The samples used this study were collected from 51 patients following total knee arthroplasty. The Al, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations were determined using inductively coupled plasma optic emission spectrometry.Results: Significant differences were found in the Al, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations among the knee joint structures. Cd concentration in the tibial cancellous bone in women was significantly higher than in men. Pb concentration in the infrapatellar fat pad of urban patients was significantly higher as compared to rural patients. Al concentrations in the femoral cancellous bone, femoral cartilage, anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and tibial cartilage were significantly higher in patients living in urban areas than in rural areas. As concentration in the tibial cancellous bone of diabetic patients was significantly higher compared to non-diabetic patients. In addition, significant Spearman's positive correlations were found between Al and Pb in the knee joint structures.Conclusion: The obtained results of the investigated toxic elements may serve as a basis for establishing the reference values of Al, As, Cd, and Pb in the knee joint structures. The results reported in the study provides novel data regarding the relationships between the toxic element concentrations and gender, age, place of residence, hypertension and diabetes in the studied structures of knee joint. Furthermore, new interactions among these toxic elements were noted.

Bilateral symmetrical lipoma of the buccal fat pad as an incidental finding in a woman with weight gain after tamoxifen: a case report

Although lipoma is a common benign tumor, it occurs relatively infrequently in the oral and maxillofacial areas, and only 31 cases of lipoma in the buccal fat pad have been reported. Herein, we present an extremely rare case of symmetric lipomas in both buccal fat pads. These masses were incidentally discovered during a facelift procedure in a 50-year-old woman with a 4-year history of tamoxifen use. during which she had gained 10 kg. The patient stated that cheek protrusion had developed concomitantly with weight gain and was exacerbated by an injection lipolysis procedure she had received 1 year previously. This case underscores the importance of paying careful attention to the patient’s medication use and surgical history when evaluating suspected cases of lipoma, and sheds light on tamoxifen use and subcutaneous injections of phosphatidylcholine and deoxycholate as potential risk factors for lipoma development.

Human Infrapatellar Fat Pad Mesenchymal Stem Cells Show Immunomodulatory Exosomal Signatures

Within the human knee infrapatellar fat pad (IFP) and synovium, resident synoviocytes and macrophages contribute to the onset and progression of inflammatory joint diseases. Our hypothesis is that IFP-derived mesenchymal stem cells (IFP-MSC) robust immunomodulatory therapeutic effects are largely exerted via their exosomal (IFP-MSC EXOs) secretome by attenuating synoviocyte and macrophage pro-inflammatory activation. IFP-MSC EXOs showed distinct miRNA and protein immunomodulatory profiles. Reactome analysis of 24 miRNAs highly present in exosomes showed their involvement in the regulation of six gene groups, including immune system. Exosomes were enriched for immunomodulatory and reparative proteins that are involved in positive regulation of cell proliferation, response to stimulus, signal transduction, signal receptor activity, and protein phosphorylation. Stimulated synoviocytes or macrophages exposed to IFP-MSC EXOs demonstrated significantly reduced proliferation, altered inflammation-related molecular profiles, and reduced secretion of pro-inflammatory molecules compared to stimulated alone. In an acute synovial/IFP inflammation rat model, IFP-MSC EXOs therapeutic treatment resulted in robust macrophage polarization towards an anti-inflammatory therapeutic M2 phenotype within the synovium/IFP tissues. Based on these findings, we propose a viable cell-free alternative to MSC-based therapeutics as an alternative approach to treating synovitis and IFP fibrosis.