O objetivo deste artigo foi relatar a experiência do Departamento de Odontologia Restauradora (ODR) em capacitar seu corpo docente e expandir o emprego da plataforma Moodle, durante o período de distanciamento social devido à pandemia da COVID-19. Assim que as aulas presenciais foram suspensas em março de 2020 e antes mesmo de a Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG) adotar o ensino remoto emergencial (ERE), um questionário sobre o emprego de tecnologias digitais no ensino foi elaborado por uma comissão determinada pela Chefia Departamental e enviado aos docentes. Percebeu-se, assim, a necessidade de capacitação desses profissionais quanto ao uso de tais tecnologias. Professores tutores do ODR planejaram oficinas virtuais com orientação individual, possibilitando o treinamento das funcionalidades da plataforma Moodle. Essa ação permitiu a todas as disciplinas do ODR estruturarem seus ambientes virtuais e tornou o corpo docente apto a empregar as ferramentas disponibilizadas pelo Moodle, garantindo a qualidade do ensino, mesmo que remotamente.

Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has been widely used to promote tissue repair.However, PBMT's critical roles in the epithelial and mesenchymal tissues interactions are still barely known. Herein, we investigated light parameters on challenged keratinocytes (KC)-i.e., cultivated under oxidative stress-solely or associated with fibroblasts (FB) in a co-culture system. Cells were treated with PBMT at the wavelength of 660 nm, at 20 mW and 0.71 W/cm 2 . Three different energy densities were primarily evaluated on KC: 1 (1.4 s), 5 (7 s), and 50 J/cm 2 (70 s). Next, KC and FB were co-cultured and assessed at 5 J/cm 2 . This energy density was also tested in ex vivo murine skin samples.Our main data suggest that PBMT can increase cellular proliferation at low doses and cell migration in a biphasic mode (1 and 50 J/cm 2 ), both further confirmed by the epidermal growth factor receptor ligand-amphiregulin-upregulation. IL-1RA mRNA-the IL-1β (interleukin-1β) receptor antagonist recognized to fasten wound repair-was upregulated in the co-culture system. Upon PBMT, the ex vivo findings showed a progressive increase in the epidermal thickness, although presenting qualitatively less differentiated epithelium than the control group. In conclusion, PBMT effects are dependent on the cellular interactions with the surrounding microenvironment. Ultimately, PBMT is antiinflammatory and contributes to the expression of critical mediators of wound repair.

Pericytes and glial cells are known to collaborate in dental pulp tissue repair. Cell‐based therapies that stimulate these stromal components may be of therapeutic relevance for partially vital dental pulp conditions. This study aimed to examine the early effect of photobiomodulation (PBM) in pericytes from experimentally injured pulp tissue. To accomplish this, we used the Nestin‐GFP/NG2‐DsRed mice, which could allow the identification of distinct pericyte phenotypes. We discovered the presence of two pericytes subsets within the dental pulp, the Nestin +NG2+ (type‐2) and Nestin−NG2+ (type‐1). Upon injury, PBM treatment led to a significant increase in Nestin+ cells and pericytes. This boost was mainly conferred by the more committed pericyte subset (NestinNG2+). PBM also stimulated terminal blood vessels sprouting adjacent to the injury site while maintaining signs of pulp vitality. In vitro, PBM induced VEGF upregulation, improved dental pulp cells proliferation and migration, and favored their mineralization potential. Herein, different subsets of perivascular cells were unveiled in the pulp tissue. PBM enhanced not only NG2+ cells but nestin‐expressing progenitors in the injured dental pulp.

No abstract

No abstract