The Effectiveness of 0.2% Chlorhexidine Gel on Early Wound Healing after Tooth Extraction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the effect of 0.2% chlorhexidine (CHX) gel on wound healing after tooth extraction. Materials and Methods A single blind, randomized controlled trial was performed recruiting 32 participants who underwent dental extractions. Patients were randomly allocated for CHX group or placebo group. The primary outcomes were wound closure measured with calipers and healings were assessed by Landry et al index after 7 days of topical application of allocated gels on extraction sites. Results The wound closures were greater in CHX group compared with placebo group and healing scores were correlated with the use of CHX gel (p-value < 0.05). Conclusion In a population of healthy nonsmoker adults, application of 0.2% CHX gel twice a day for 7 days after tooth extraction has a beneficial effect on wound healing.

Telomere Length in Elite Athletes

Growing evidence suggests that regular moderate-intensity physical activity is associated with an attenuation of leukocyte telomere length (LTL) shortening. However, more controversy exists regarding higher exercise loads such as those imposed by elite-sport participation.Methods:The authors investigated LTL differences between young elite athletes (n = 61, 54% men, age [mean ± SD] 27.2 ± 4.9 y) and healthy nonsmoker, physically inactive controls (n = 64, 52% men, 28.9 ± 6.3 y) using analysis of variance (ANOVA).Results:Elite athletes had, on average, higher LTL than control subjects, 0.89 ± 0.26 vs 0.78 ± 0.31, P = .013 for the group effect, with no significant sex (P = .995) or age effect (P = .114).Conclusions:The results suggest that young elite athletes have longer telomeres than their inactive peers. Further research might assess the LTL of elite athletes of varying ages compared with both age-matched active and inactive individuals.

The compromise of dynamic disulfide/thiol homeostasis as a biomarker of oxidative stress in trichloroethylene exposure

In this study, we aimed to investigate disulfide/thiol homeostasis in trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure. The study was carried out in 30 nonsmoker TCE-exposed workers with a variety of occupations. Additionally, 30 healthy nonsmoker volunteers were recruited as the control group. TCE exposure was determined by measuring urinary trichloroacetic acid (TCA) concentration. Median urinary TCA levels of exposed workers (20.5 mg/L) were significantly higher than control subjects (5 mg/L). Thiol and disulfide concentrations were determined using a novel automated method. Disulfide/thiol ratio was significantly higher in the exposed group ( p < 0.001). Thiol/disulfide homeostasis was found to be disturbed in TCE-exposed workers. We predict that in TCE-exposed workers this disturbance can be a therapeutic target, and the efficiency of the treatment can easily be monitored by the novel method we used.

Acute One-Cigarette Smoking Decreases Ghrelin Hormone in Saliva: A Pilot Study

Cigarette smoking is commonly associated with weight loss and mechanisms for these weight changes are still elusive. Ghrelin is a peptide hormone that works in a neuroendocrine fashion to stimulate hunger and the desire for food intake. Ghrelin is also secreted in saliva, probably to enhance food taste. In the current study, we tested the direct impact of acute cigarette smoking on total ghrelin found in saliva.Methods. Blood and saliva samples were collected from 30 healthy nonsmoker male volunteers before and after one-cigarette smoke. Total ghrelin in serum and saliva was measured by ELISA based method.Results. Data showed a statistically significant reduction in salivary ghrelin after smoking(P<0.0001). In serum, total ghrelin levels were not affected before and after smoking(P=0.1362). Additionally, positive correlation was observed between serum and salivary ghrelin before smoking(r=0.4143andP=0.0158); however, this correlation was lost after smoking(r=0.1147andP=0.5461).Conclusion. Acute one-cigarette smoking can negatively affect ghrelin levels in saliva that might contribute to the dull food taste in smokers.