Background: Endodontic sealers or their toxic components may become inflamed and lead to delayed wound healing when in direct contact with periapical tissues over an extended period. Moreover, an overfilled sealer can directly interact with adjacent tissues and may cause immediate necrosis or further resorption. Therefore, the treatment outcome conceivably depends on the endodontic sealer’s biocompatibility and osteogenic potential. This study aimed to evaluate the cell viability and osteogenic effects of four different sealers in osteoblastic cells. Methods: AH Plus (resin-based sealer), Pulp Canal Sealer EWT (zinc oxide-eugenol sealer), BioRoot RCS (calcium silicate-based sealer), and Well-Root ST (MTA-based calcium silicate sealer) were mixed strictly according to the manufacturer’s instructions, and dilutions of sealer extracts (1/2, 1/5 and 1/10) were determined. Cell viability was measured using the water-soluble tetrazolium-8 (WST-8) assay. Differentiation was assessed by alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralized nodule formation by Alizarin Red S staining. Results: The cell viability of the extracts derived from the sealers excluding Well-Root ST was concentration dependent, with sealer extracts having the least viability at a 1/2 dilution. At sealer extract dilution of 1/10, the test groups showed the same survival rate as that control group, with the exception of BioRoot RCS. Among all experimental groups, BioRoot RCS showed the highest cell viability after 48 hours. The ALP activity was significantly higher in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthemore, all four materials promoted ALP activity and mineralized nodule formation compared to the control at 1/10 dilutions. Conclusion This is the first study to highlight the differences in biological activity of these four materials. These results suggest that the composition of root canal sealers appears to alter the form of biocompatibility and osteoblastic differentiation.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: There are limited therapeutic options available for irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D). We tested the effects of Atractylodes japonica rhizome, a perennial plant native to North Asia, on both upper and lower gastrointestinal (GI) motility in guinea pigs. METHODS: The extract of A. japonica rhizome was administered orally at different doses to test its effects on upper GI motility as determined from charcoal transit in native guinea pigs and in guinea pigs pretreated with thyrotropin-releasing hormone or mustard oil. Regarding its effect on lower GI motility, the removed guinea pig colon was suspended in a chamber containing Krebs-Henseleit solution and the transit time of artificial feces was measured with various dilutions of the extract. As for in vivo assay, weight and number of fecal pellets expelled were determined under the same drug preparation used in upper GI motility experiment. RESULTS: The extract of A. japonica rhizome had no significant effect on upper GI motility in either normal or altered physiological states. However, the extract increased colonic transit time in the in vitro model. In the fecal expulsion study, the cumulative weight and number of pellets did not differ significantly between the control group and groups treated with the extracts. In the animals pretreated in vivo with thyrotropin-releasing hormone, however, the weight and number of fecal pellets were significantly decreased in animals treated with 300 mg/kg and 600 mg/kg doses of extract. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the extract of A. japonica rhizome can be a potential agent for IBS-D.
Animals ; Asia, Northern ; Atractylodes* ; Charcoal ; Colon ; Diarrhea ; Drug Compounding ; Feces ; Gastrointestinal Motility* ; Guinea Pigs* ; Irritable Bowel Syndrome ; Mustard Plant ; Plants ; Rhizome* ; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone

Percutaneous transhepatic cholangioscopy (PTCS) is the primary treatment option for general cases of intrahepatic duct stones. However, there are no reports on the use of PTCS for intrahepatic duct stones in patients who had undergone living donor liver transplantation (LDLT). We experienced two cases of successful intrahepatic stone removal by the use of PTCS in LDLT patients. With these cases, we have confirmed that PTCS management can be safely performed not only for a general bile duct stone, but also for a bile duct stone that develops in a patient that had previously undergone liver transplantation.
Bile Ducts ; Factor IX ; Humans ; Liver ; Liver Transplantation ; Living Donors

Background: When cells are damaged by nicotine, cellular senescence due to oxidative stress accelerates. In addition, stress-induced inflammatory response and cellular senescence cause the accumulation of damaged organelles in cells, and autophagy appears to remove them. Conversely, when autophagy is reduced, harmful cell components accumulate, and aging is accelerated. This study aimed to determine the association between nicotine-induced cellular senescence and autophagy expression patterns in human gingival fibroblasts. Methods: Cells were treated with various concentrations of nicotine (0, 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, and 5 mM) and 10 nM rapamycin was added to 1 mM nicotine to investigate the relationship between autophagy and cellular senescence. Cell viability was confirmed using WST-8 and the degree of cellular senescence was measured by SA-β-gal staining. The expression of the inflammatory proteins (COX-2 and iNOS) and autophagy markers (LC3-II, p62, and Beclin-1) was analyzed by western blotting. Results: The cell viability tended to decrease in a concentration-dependent manner. COX-2 showed no concentration-dependent expression and iNOS increased in the 0.5 mM nicotine treated group. The degree of cellular senescence was the highest in the 1 mM nicotine treatment group. In the group treated with rapamycin and nicotine, the conversion ratio of LC3-II to LC3-I was the highest, that of p62 was the lowest, and the level of Beclin-1 proteins was significantly increased. Furthermore, the degree of cellular senescence was reduced in the group in which rapamycin was added to nicotine compared to that in the group treated with nicotine alone. Conclusion This study provides evidence that autophagy activated in an aging environment reduces cellular senescence to a certain some extent.

There are limited data on healthy dietary patterns protective against metabolic syndrome (MetSyn) development. We identified dietary patterns among middle-aged and older adults and investigated the associations with the incidence of MetSyn. A population-based prospective cohort study included 5,251 male and female Koreans aged 40-69 years. At baseline, all individuals were free of MetSyn, other major metabolic diseases, and known cardiovascular disease or cancer. Cases of MetSyn were ascertained over a 6-year of follow-up. Dietary patterns and their factor scores were generated by factor analysis using the data of a food frequency questionnaire. We performed pooled logistic regression analysis to estimate multivariable-adjusted relative risk (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) for associations between factor scores and MetSyn risk. Two dietary patterns were identified; (1) a healthy dietary pattern, which included a variety of foods such as fish, seafood, vegetables, seaweed, protein foods, fruits, dairy products, and grains; and (2) an unhealthy dietary pattern, which included a limited number of food items. After controlling for confounding factors, factor scores for the healthy dietary pattern were inversely associated with MetSyn risk (P-value for trend < 0.05) while those for the unhealthy dietary pattern had no association. Individuals in the top quintile of the healthy diet scores showed a multivariable-adjusted RR [95% CI] of 0.76 [0.60-0.97] for MetSyn risk compared with those in the bottom quintile. The beneficial effects were derived from inverse associations with abdominal obesity, low HDL-cholesterol levels, and high fasting glucose levels. Our findings suggest that a variety of healthy food choices is recommended to prevent MetSyn.
Adult ; Aged ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cohort Studies ; Dairy Products ; Diet ; Fasting ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Fruit ; Glucose ; Humans ; Incidence ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Metabolic Diseases ; Obesity, Abdominal ; Prospective Studies ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Seafood ; Seaweed ; Vegetables