Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) is widely used as an antimicrobial irrigant; however, it has cytotoxic and neurotoxic effects. For these reasons, development of new, safe irrigants other than NaOCl is long overdue. In the present study, the antimicrobial and noxious effects of acid-electrolyzed functional water (FW) were evaluated and compared with those of NaOCl. Enterococcus faecalis, Streptococcus mutans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, or Candida albicans were mixed with each tested solution for 30 s. The mixtures were then plated on brain-heart infusion agar plates, after which colony numbers were counted. Serially diluted acid FW was used to determine the actual chloride concentration (ACC) required for a bactericidal effect. Noxious effects were evaluated by measuring lactate dehydrogenase released from HeLa cells. Acid FW and NaOCl had similar bactericidal effects against all bacterial species but not against C. albicans. An ACC of at least 10 ppm was required in order to ensure effective bacteriocidal activity and induce significant lactate dehydrogenase release. Acid FW-treated HeLa cells exhibited healthy growth, with slight retardation as compared with non-treated cells. Because of its efficient bactericidal, and less noxious, effects on human cells, acid FW may be a useful irrigant for effective root canal treatment.

Objectives Periodontal disease is prevalent and has an inflammation associated with not only oral but also systemic pathologies. The diagnosis by biomarkers is required for clinical practice on periodontal disease. The lactoferrin and α1-antitrypsin were both inflammation-related molecules. The present study investigated the relationship between the periodontal status and the two biomarkers in gingival retention fluid (GRF). Patients and Methods In 63 subjects with periodontitis, the GRF was sampled from maxillary anterior gingiva using a microbrush for 30 seconds. The lactoferrin and α1-antitrypsin levels in GRF were measured by an enzyme-link solvent immunoassay. Periodontal status was evaluated by probing pocket depth (PD) and bleeding on probing (BOP). Results There was a higher level of these biomarkers in saliva (median (ng/mL), lactoferrin: 3611.9, α1-antitrypsin: 4573.3) than in GRF (lactoferrin: 61.0, α1-antitrypsin: 54.7). There was a mild-to-moderate but significantly positive correlation in lactoferrin or α1-antitrypsin between GRF and saliva. There was a positively mild-to-moderate accuracy (area under the curve: 0.60–0.81) of lactoferrin or α1-antitrypsin in GRF or in saliva to distinguish the severity of periodontal status. The cutoff level (ng/mL) of lactoferrin in GRF for detecting ≥30% of PD ≥ 4 mm (moderate periodontitis) was 68.6 and for detecting ≥20% of BOP (clinically active periodontitis) was 61.2. The cutoff level (ng/mL) of α1-antitrypsin in GRF for detecting ≥30% of PD ≥ 4 mm was 54.5 and for detecting ≥20% of BOP was 35.3. Conclusions The data can promote an application of the measurements of lactoferrin and α1-antitrypsin in GRF to clinical practice on periodontal disease.

The aim of this study was to test the effects of B-group vitamin supplements on wound healing in diabetic mice. The mice in the experimental group were treated daily with 1 g/L B6, 1.25 mg/L B12, and 62.5 mg/L folic acid in their drinking water. Full-thickness excision wounds were created with 6-mm skin biopsy punches. Each wound closure was digitally photographed. Beginning on day 3 after wounding, the wound area in the diabetic mice was statistically larger than that of normal mice (p<0.05 vs diabetic mice). The diabetic mice treated with B vitamins displayed accelerated wound closure on day 3 (wound area 42.8 ± 11.3%, p<0.05). On day 9 after wounding, the wound area in the diabetic mice was also statistically larger than that of normal mice (p<0.05 vs diabetic mice). The diabetic mice treated with B vitamins displayed accelerated wound closure on day 3 (wound area 13.2 ± 16.8%, p<0.05). In addition, the high glucose level in the diabetic animals decreased significantly in response to B vitamin treatment. In conclusion, the results of this study indicate that B vitamin supplementation may improve wound healing in diabetic mice.

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Accurate evaluation of the anti-cancer effects of ouabain, a cardiac glycoside, requires an understanding of its signaling pathway. This study examined the effects of ouabain stimulation on spontaneous interleukin (IL)-8 and IL-1α secretion in the HSC3 oral squamous cell carcinoma cell line. IL-8 secretion was reduced and IL-1α secretion was increased in the cells. Real-time polymerase chain reaction confirmed that these changes were regulated at the transcriptional level. Further analysis revealed that ouabain stimulation induced phosphorylation of activator protein (AP)-1 components (c-Jun and c-Fos) but not nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) components (p65 and p50). A luciferase assay demonstrated that the NF-κB-binding site located at 1 kb upstream of the TATA box in the IL-8 gene contributed to the reduction in IL-8 secretion. Pre-incubation of the cells with BAPTA-AM and L-glutathione increased IL-8 secretion, which indicates that Ca 2+ ions and reactive oxygen species are associated with the ouabain-mediated reduction in IL-8 levels. The inhibitory effect of ouabain was attributed to reduced nuclear translocation of the NF-κB p65 subunit. Taken together, these findings indicate that ouabain exerts opposing effects on transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1.