Application of Hyaluronic Acid as a Biopolymer Material in Reconstruction of Interdental Papilla in Rats

Applying hyaluronic acid, a biopolymer material, in the treatment of interdental papilla reconstruction has become a trend. The main objective of this research is to investigate the histologic effect of hyaluronic acid on interdental papilla over time. Deficient interdental papilla models were surgically created in sixty-two Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats and were randomly treated with the injection of hyaluronic acid (HA group) or phosphate-buffered saline (sham control group) or left untreated (control group). After 2, 4, and 8 weeks, the rats were sacrificed in batches to observe the histological changes. A fluorochrome label was used to monitor bone formation in 8 weeks. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to evaluate the expression of potentially relevant cytokines, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2), and Wnt-induced secreted protein 1 (WISP1) in the gingival tissue in 8 weeks. A preliminary study of HA degradation after 24 weeks was performed in two rats. Following the HA injection, no inflammation or granulomatous foreign body reaction was observed. HA was able to promote collagen fiber and alveolar bone regular formation in the reconstruction site. HA also enhanced VEGF, BMP-2, and WISP-1 expression in gingival tissue (p＜0.05). After 24 weeks, there was no HA filler observed in the interdental papilla. In conclusion, our study suggested that HA is an effective way to reconstruct deficient interdental papilla.

Five Different Noise Intensities Robustly Affects Corticosterone, Gastrin and Endothelin-1 Responses and Initiated Gastric Tissue Damage in Wistar Rats

Likewise other stress response noise stress is also affects the homeostasis of the biological systems and produce stress response in the form of Corticosterone to prevent the damage but if the exposure is longer with higher magnitude it may disrupt the robust ability of the homeostasis and could produce the damage to the biological systems. The goal of our study was to see how five different noise intensities affected stomach tissue damage. 42 healthy rats were divided into five different stress exposure group, normal control (NC) and sham control (SC) groups. Noise stress exposure was delivered for 1 hour per day continued for 30 days in all five noise exposed groups by specially designed noise chamber whereas sham control group of animals kept in noise chamber for 1 hour per day continued for 30 days without noise stress exposure and control group of animals neither exposed to noise stress of any intensities and nor kept in noise chamber without noise but remain in the same experimental room in their homecage for 30 days respectively. Results of the study showed that animals exposed to 60 and 80 dB noise give habituated and not significant Corticosterone, Gastrin and Endothelin-1 responses compared to NC and SC groups while animals exposed to 100, 120 and 140 dB had significantly higher Corticosterone, Gastrin and Endothelin-1 response and also chronic gastric damage was observed compared to later two noise exposed groups respectively. Study concluded that not only higher but also lower noise intensities also initiated the gastric damage even after the adaptation.

A Nutraceutical approach to enhance Reproductive longevity and Ovarian health using Curcuma longa in wistar Rats

Aging is associated with various physiological, pathological and psychosocial alterations. This study evaluates the benefits of Curcumin by assessing reproductive aging indices and ovarian health in Wistar rats. Laboratory bred adult rats selected for the experiment. After 12 months of follow-up, the animals were grouped into Normal control rats, Sham control group, Curcumin-1(100 mg/kg body weight), Curcumin-2(200 mg/kg body weight) and Curcumin-3 (400 mg/kg body weight). For the duration of six months Curcumin dosage was administered. The experimental parameters included estrous cycle and histological evaluation of ovarian follicles. Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA. The percentage of primordial follicles was significantly more (p<0.001) in all the groups when compared with other types of follicles. Prolonged increase (p=0.0001) in the Diestrus phase in animals treated with different dosages of Curcumin. The current study concludes that Curcumin, an active component of Curcuma longa contributes to the anti-aging properties.

Optimal Strategy for HIFU-Based Renal Sympathetic Denervation in Canines

Background: The association between the treatment efficacy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU)-based renal sympathetic denervation (RDN) and the acoustic energy dose applied has not been fully studied and may provide important understanding of the mechanism that led to failure of the WAVE IV trial. The objective of this study was to externally deliver different HIFU doses to canines for RDN treatment and to investigate the optimal energy dose for HIFU-based RDN.Methods: Thirty canines were divided into five RDN groups according to dose of acoustic energy applied, and a sham control group that consisted of four canines was used for comparisons. All animals in the RDN groups underwent the RDN procedure with different acoustic energy doses, while in the sham control group, renal arteries were harvested without being subjected to acoustic energy delivery and were imaged using color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI). Blood pressure (BP) was recorded, and blood samples were collected before the RDN procedure and at 28 days after the RDN procedure. Histological examinations and measurement of renal tissue norepinephrine concentration were performed in all retrieved samples.Results: Suppression of BP was significant in the 300 W (15.17/8.33 ± 1.47/1.21 mmHg), 250 W (14.67/9.33 ± 1.21/1.37 mmHg), and 200 W (13.17/9.17 ± 2.32/1.84 mmHg) groups. Semiquantitative histological assessment of periarterial nerves around the kidney revealed that target nerves in the 300 W (9.77 ± 0.63), 250 W (9.42 ± 0.67), and 200 W (9.58 ± 0.54) groups had the highest nerve injury scores, followed by the 150 W group (5.29 ± 0.62). Furthermore, decreased renal tissue norepinephrine concentration, together with decreased expression of tyrosine hydroxylase in the 300, 250, and 200 W groups demonstrated effective sympathetic depression following sufficient acoustic energy deposition. However, the renal artery injury score in the 300 W group (0.93 ± 0.13) was significantly higher than in the other groups (p &lt; 0.001).Conclusion: This study provides evidence that RDN effectiveness is based on the energy dose delivered and that 200–250 W is effective and safe in normal-sized canines.

Secondary Cerebellar Cortex Injury in Albino Male Rats after MCAO: A Histological and Biochemical Study

The present study focused on secondary injury following the middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in rats not linked to the MCA’s feeding zone. This entity has been very rarely studied. Additionally, this study investigated the rates of expression of five fundamental angiogenic biomarkers called endoglin, vascular endothelial growth factors-A (VEGF-A), endothelin-1 (ET-1), 2granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and angiopoietin-using the MCA occlusion (MCAO) model. The random allocation of twelve adult male albino rats was in two groups. As a sham control group, six rats were used. This group was subjected to a sham operation without MCAO. The MCAO group consisted of six rats that were subjected to MCAO operation. After three days, the rats were sacrificed. The cerebellar specimens were immediately processed for light microscopic examination. An angiogenic biomarkers multiplex assay from multiplex was used to assess endoglin levels, VEGF-A, ET-1, angiopoietin-2, and G-CSF in serum samples. Hematoxylin and eosin-stained sections showed that the cerebellar cortex of rats of the MCAO group was more affected than the sham control group. Furthermore, Nissl stain and immunohistochemical analysis revealed an apparent increase in the number of positive immunoreactive in the cerebellar cortex and an evident decrease in Nissl granules in Purkinje cells of the MCAO rats, in contrast to the control rats. In addition, there was a significant increase in angiogenic factors VEGF-A, ET-1, angiopoietin-2, and endoglin. Interestingly, there was an increase in the G-CSF but a non-significant in the MCAO rats compared to the control rats. Furthermore, there was a significant correlation between the angiopoietin-2 and ET-1, and between G-CSF and ET-1. VEGF-A also exhibited significant positive correlations with the G-CSF serum level parameter, Endoglin, and ET-1. Rats subjected to MCAO are a suitable model to study secondary injury away from MCA’s feeding zone. Additionally, valuable insights into the association and interaction between altered angiogenic factors and acute ischemic stroke induced by MCAO in rats.

Successful Application of Alpha Lipoic Acid Niosomal Formulation in Cerebral Ischemic Reperfusion Injury in Rat Model

Purpose: Free radicals such as hydroxyl and peroxide are contributing factors to neuronal destruction in cerebral ischemia. Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) is one of the potent known antioxidants. Preparation of ALA niosomes allows IV injection and can increase bioavailability and penetration into the central nervous system (CNS). Methods: Film hydration method was used to prepare different niosomes composed of Span®, Tween®, and cholesterol at different molar ratio. ALA and niosome-forming compounds were dissolved in chloroform, before removing the organic solvent by rotary evaporator. Animals were randomly divided into four groups: Sham, control group, intravenous (IV) injection of empty niosomes plus intraperitoneal (IP) injection of ALA solution, and finally, IV injection of ALA niosomes. Rats were subjected to deep anesthesia before inducing cerebral ischemia, then, their internal common carotid arteries were clamped for 15 min and reperfusion was done for 30 min. Niosomal ALA was injected intravenously just before declamping. Results: Mean volume diameter of the prepared niosomes was between 4.36 ± 0.82 and 19.95 ± 1.21 µm in different formulations. Encapsulation efficiency percent (EE%) of ALA in the selected formulation, Span60/Tween60/Cholesterol (35:35:30 molar ratio), was 94.5 ± 0.2, and 59.27 ± 5.61% of ALA was released after 4h. In the niosomal group, the rate of reduction in complications of cerebral ischemia such as histopathologic changes and acute damage (from score 3 to 1) in CNS was higher than other groups. Conclusion: The obtained results show that niosomes can be used as effective drug delivery systems for ALA in cerebral ischemia.

Electro-acupuncture for central obesity: randomized, patient-assessor blinded, sham-controlled clinical trial protocol

Background Obesity is a common medical condition. Among all the classifications of obesity, central obesity is considered to be a significant threat on the health of individuals. Scientific researches have demonstrated that the accumulation of intra-abdominal fat is associated with higher metabolic and cardiovascular disease risks independently from Body Mass Index (BMI). Our previous research found that the combination of electro-acupuncture and auricular acupressure could significantly reduce the body weight and the BMI compared to sham control group. Methods/design This is a patient-assessor blinded, randomized, sham-controlled clinical trial on electro-acupuncture for central obesity. One hundred sixty-eight participants with central obesity will be randomly assigned to two groups, which are the acupuncture group and the sham control group. The whole study duration will be 8-week treatment plus 8-week follow up. The primary outcome is the change in waist circumference before and after the treatment. The secondary outcomes include the changes in hip circumference, waist-to-hip circumference ratio, BMI and body fat percentage during the treatment and follow-up. Conclusion The trial will evaluate the efficacy and safety of electro-acupuncture for central obesity compared with sham acupuncture. The study may provide the solid evidence of electro-acupuncture on central obesity in Hong Kong. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03815253,Registered 24 Jan 2019.

Effects of intermittent negative pressure treatment on circulating vascular biomarkers in patients with intermittent claudication

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lower extremity intermittent negative pressure (INP) treatment for 1 hour twice daily for 12 weeks, on circulating vascular biomarkers in patients with intermittent claudication. Patients were randomized to treatment with –40 mmHg INP (treatment group), or –10 mmHg INP (sham control group). Venous blood samples were collected at baseline and after 12 weeks, and concentrations of vascular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), E-selectin, P-selectin, von Willebrand factor (vWF), l-arginine, asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA), and symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA) were analyzed. A larger proportion of the patients in the treatment group (25/31) had a reduction in vWF levels after 12 weeks, compared to the sham control group (17/30) ( p = 0.043). Within the treatment group there was a significant mean (SEM) reduction in the concentration of vWF of –11% (4) ( p = 0.019), whereas there was no significant change in the levels of vWF in the sham control group (1% (6); p = 0.85). There were no significant differences in the change of any of the biomarker levels between the groups after 12 weeks of treatment. In conclusion, there were no differences in the change of the circulating levels of the measured biomarkers between the treatment group and the sham control group after 12 weeks of INP treatment. However, the observed changes in vWF might indicate a beneficial effect of INP treatment on endothelial activation and endothelial injury. Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT03640676

Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Origanum majorana L. Methanolic Extract on Bile Duct Ligation in Male Rats

Introduction. Cholestasis is caused by malfunction of the hepatobiliary system. This disorder is the result of the accumulation of bile fatty acids and other toxins in the liver. The aim of the current study was to investigate the antioxidative and hepatoprotective effects of methanolic extract of Origanum majorana L. (OM) on hepatic disorder and tissue damage induced by bile duct ligation (BDL) in rats. Materials and methods. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups including sham control group received vehicle (SC-V), bile duct ligation received vehicle (BDL-V), bile duct ligation group received OM extract (BDL + OM), and sham control group received OM extract (SC + OM). One day after surgery, the animals received vehicle or methanolic extract of OM 300 mg/kg/day for 7 consecutive days by oral gavage. Finally, the animals were anesthetized and the blood samples were collected from each animal. After sacrificing of animals, liver tissue from each rat was removed and divided into three parts: one part was used for preparing of homogenized tissue, one part was fixed in 10% neutral formalin for histopathology examination, and the third part was kept in liquid nitrogen for gene expression analysis. Biomarkers of oxidative stress in the liver tissue and serum, as well as histopathological changes of the liver, were assessed. Also, the gene expression of IL-1, TNF-α, TGF-β, and α-SMA has been measured. Results. The results showed that BDL-V significantly increased the activity of ALT, AST, ALP, and total bilirubin compared to the SC-V group. The oxidative stress markers such as MDA and FRAP significantly increased due to BDL, while the CAT activity reduced in the BDL-V group compared to SC-V group. Oral treatment with OM reduced ALT and AST activity, although it was not statistically significant. OM treatment considerably increased the activity of CAT compared to BDL group. BDL-V induced a significant histological change in the liver, while treatment with OM at a dose of 300 mg/kg showed a minor effect on histopathological changes. In addition, the mRNA of IL-1, TNF-α, TGF-β, and α-SMA significantly increased in the BDL-V group, while treatment with OM only significantly reduced TGF-β in comparison with BDL-V rats. Conclusions. The results of the present study showed that oral administration of OM extract had a moderate protective effect on cholestasis due to BDL. Indeed, more studies with different doses of extract are needed to confirm this finding.

Abstract P206: Wearable Myoelectric Interface Training for Improving Arm Movement in Chronic Stroke

Impaired arm movement after stroke is due not only to weakness and spasticity, but also to abnormal co-activation (a.k.a. abnormal synergies). Yet, few stroke therapies are aimed to reduce this co-activation. We designed a myoelectric computer interface (MyoCI) that provides feedback to stroke survivors to reduce this abnormal co-activation and associated arm impairment. Here, we describe a novel, wearable version of the MyoCI to control custom-designed computer games as a home-based therapy for chronic stroke survivors. This therapy, called the myoelectric interface for neurorehabilitation training (MINT), enables high-intensity, high-dose training using an inexpensive device at home. The MINT device records surface EMGs from 2-3 arm muscles and wirelessly controls games on a laptop or tablet. By mapping the muscle activities to orthogonal directions of cursor movements, the games operantly condition the participants to learn to reduce abnormal co-activation between the muscles. We are currently investigating this device in severely impaired stroke survivors (Fugl-Meyer score <30). Participants were asked to train 90 min per day, 6 days a week, for a total of 6 weeks, with different variants of the paradigm (2 or 3 muscles at a time) vs. a sham control group that trained on one muscle. We surveyed participants about their engagement with the game using a modified Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI). Eighteen participants have completed the 6-week training to date. They averaged 75±19 min of daily training out of the 90 that were asked. Overall, 60% of participants surveyed enjoyed, and 90% were positively motivated by, the training. A few participants had significant difficulty with the laptops due to inexperience with computers. Participants’ performance on the game, measured by weighted time-to-target, improved steadily overall in the experimental group, while the sham control group stayed at high performance throughout. The MINT provides a motivating, enjoyable way to provide high-intensity therapy in the home to stroke survivors. This therapy is a new mechanism of action for stroke rehabilitation and we are evaluating its efficacy in an ongoing randomized controlled trial.