Currently, the use of oral and systemic forms of bisphosphonates is increasing dramatically in a large group of patients either in the form of anti-osteoporosis medications or as a part of a chemotherapeutic regimen for several malignant diseases. As adult orthodontic treatment has become more widely accepted in most orthodontic practices, orthodontists must be aware of the risks, benefits, and effects of bisphosphonates use on the patient's general health status, as well as on their orthodontic treatment outcomes. This review aims to discuss the use of bisphosphonates, the complications associated with their use, and their impact on orthodontic treatment.

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) graduates are expected to contribute to nursing knowledge through empirically based studies testing the effectiveness of practice approaches that ultimately benefit patients and health care systems. This article describes publication practices of DNP graduates in the scholarly literature. Published studies (2005 to 2012) with at least one author with a DNP degree were identified. The search yielded 300 articles in 59 journals; 175 met the inclusion criteria and were included in this study. A codebook, consisting of 15 major categories, was used to extract relevant information. Original clinical investigations were the most frequent, followed by practice-focused patient and provider studies. The number of studies published in peer-reviewed journals with DNP-prepared authors increased over time. We recommend greater integration of translational science models into DNP curricula to achieve the goal of publishing scholarly products that use evidence to improve either practice or patient outcomes.

Plantago major is a common plant that grows worldwide in temperate zones and is found in fields, lawns, and on the roadsides. Its leaves and seeds have been used in almost all parts of the world for centuries as a wound healer, analgesic, antioxidant, and antibiotic, as well as an immune system modulator, antiviral, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory agent. Baicalein and aucubin are the two most biologically active components of P. major, and both have been shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties. Neutrophils have a pivotal role in wound healing and inflammation. Their principal mechanism of host defense is the killing of pathogens via the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The aim of the present study was to determine the in vitro effects of P. major extract, baicalein, and aucubin on human neutrophil respiratory burst activity. The cytotoxicity of the agents was assessed by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. A standard luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) assay was utilized to monitor the respiratory burst of the neutrophils after exposure to P. major extract and its two active ingredients, baicalein and aucubin. Three replicates per group were included in each of the three runs of the experiments and analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for statistical analysis. P. major and baicalein were not toxic to the cells at any of the concentrations examined. Aucubin was toxic to the cells only at the highest concentration tested (P = 0.0081). However, genistein was toxic to the cells at all of the concentrations examined except for the lowest concentration of 16.9 μg/ml (P = 0.985). P. major (−0.10 ± 0.11), aucubin (0.06 ± 0.16), baicalein (−0.10 ± 0.11), and genistein (−0.18 ± 0.07) all significantly (P < 0.0001) inhibited ROS production from the neutrophils. P. major extract inhibited neutrophil ROS production, as did aucubin and baicalein. Therefore, these components should be investigated further with relation to the regulation of destructive ROS production in conditions such as periodontal disease.

Green tea (Camellia sinensis; 綠茶 lǜ chá) extracts have been shown to possess anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects in various cell types. Green tea extract (GTX) has been shown to significantly inhibit the activity of collagenase-3 (matrix metalloproteinase-13 (MMP-13)) in vitro. MMPs, such as MMP-9, are known to be involved in many inflammatory diseases including periodontal disease. GTX and a major catechin, epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG), were examined for their ability to inhibit purified MMP-9 activity and its release from stimulated neutrophils.Methanol extract of Green tea and commercially purchased EGCG (>95 % purity) were tested in vitro for their ability to inhibit MMP-9 activity and/or its release from neutrophils using a β-casein cleavage assay and gelatin zymography, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed by Student's t-test.GTX and EGCG at 0.1% (w/v) completely inhibited the activity of MMP-9. In addition, GTX and EGCG (0.1 %) significantly inhibited (p < 0.001) the release of MMP-9 from formyl-Met-Leu-Phe (FMLP)-stimulated human neutrophils by 62.01% ± 6.717 and 79.63% ± 1.308, respectively. The inhibitory effects of GTX and EGCG occurred in unstimulated neutrophils (52.42% ± 3.443 and 62.33% ± 5.809, respectively). When the inhibitory effect of EGCG was further characterized, it significantly inhibited the release of MMP-9 from the FMLP-stimulated human neutrophils in a dose-dependent manner.The effects of GTX and EGCG on MMPs could be extrapolated to clinical/in vivo studies for the development of oral care products to prevent or treat chronic inflammatory diseases including periodontal diseases.