Effect of nimesulide on ligature-induced periodontitis in rats

AIM: The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of nimesulide on periodontitis. METHODS: The gingival index (GI) was measured before the rats were sacrificed at the ends of week 4, 5 and 8. The periodontal tissues were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Histological changes were observed by microscope. The periodontal attachment loss (AL) was measured by Tiger cell image analyzer. RESULTS: (1) Experimental periodontitis was successfully induced in rats by placing a piece of 3/0 braided silk around the cervix of the lower incisors at week 4 after the ligature. (2) In ligature-induced periodontitis group, at week 4 after the ligature, the GI and AL were significantly higher than those in control group (P<0.01). The histopathologic changes of periodontium in periodontitis group showed obvious inflammation, and the severity of destruction for periodontium was increased as time passed. (3) In the nimesulide prevention group, the GI and AL were significantly lower than those in periodontitis group (P<0.01). The histopathologic examination showed less inflammatory responses, and no obvious alveolar bone resorption was observed. (4) In the nimesulide treatment group, the GI and AL were significantly lower than those in periodontitis group at the end of week 5 and 8 after the ligature (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: (1) In ligature-induced periodontitis, nimesulide inhibits effectively its progress. (2) In the developing periodontitis, a significant improvement is observed in GI and AL following the treatment with nimesulide.     

Influence of chronic psychological stress on periodontitis and serum isoenzyme LDH1 in rats

AIM: To investigate the role of chronic psychological stress on periodontitis and serum level of isoenzyme LDH1 in rats. METHODS: Eighty female special pathogen-free Wistar rats were randomly divided into 4 groups:(1) normal control group; (2) experimental periodontitis group: the periodontitis model was induced by wrapping 3/0 silk ligature inoculated with putative periodontopathic bacteria around the left maxillary second molar of the rats; (3) psychological stress stimulation group: the rats were treated with stress stimulation alone; (4) periodontitis model with stress stimulation group: the periodontitis models were induced by wrapping 3/0 silk ligature inoculated with putative periodontopathic bacteria around the left maxillary second molar of the rats, and then treated with stress stimulation. The rats were sacrificed at 2nd, 4th, 6th and 8th weeks after ligature. The levels of blood glucose and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured as the stress markers, and the serum isoenzyme lactate dehydrogenase 1(LDH1) was used to evaluate the severity of hypoxia. The histological changes of periodontal tissues were observed under microscope with HE staining. RESULTS: The levels of blood glucose and ACTH in stress group and periodontitis with stress group were significantly higher than those in control group and experimental periodontitis group at the 2nd and 4th weeks after ligature (P<0.01). The level of serum LDH in periodontitis with stress group was significantly higher than that in control group. The level of serum LDH1 in periodontitis with stress group was significantly lower than that in control group (P<0.01). No difference of histological change in periodontal tissues was observed in control group and stress group. Severer inflammatory changes and alveolar bone destruction were observed in periodontitis with stress group than those in experimental periodontitis group. CONCLUSION: Stress stimulation is one of the inducing factors of periodontitis in rats that aggravates periodontitis by decreasing the tissue oxygenation.     

Expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α in human gingival tissues with chronic periodontitis

AIM：To observe the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) in human gingival tissues with chronic periodontitis. METHODS：A total of 55 volunteers, including 15 healthy controls, 20 cases of moderate chronic periodontitis and 20 cases of severe chronic periodontitis, were involved in this study, and their gingival specimens were taken and fixed in 4% neutral formalin. The histological changes of gingival tissues were observed by HE staining, and the expression of HIF-1α in gingival tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS： The proportion of HIF-1α positive cells in gingival tissues was significantly higher in chronic periodontitis groups than that in healthy control group (P<0.01), and that in severe chronic periodontitis group was significantly higher than that in moderate chronic periodontitis group (P<0.05). There was a significantly positive correlation between the severity of chronic periodontitis and the proportion of HIF-1α positive cells in gingival tissues. CONCLUSION：The expression of HIF-1α in human gingival tissues is increased with the severity of chronic periodontitis, suggesting that hypoxia may play an important role in chronic periodontitis.     

Toll-like receptor 4 expression on mast cells in human gingival tissues with chronic periodontitis

AIM: To observe the expression of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) on mast cells in human gingival tissues with chronic periodontitis. METHODS: A total of 68 volunteers, including 23 cases of mild chronic periodontitis, 25 cases of severe chronic periodontitis and 20 healthy controls, were involved in this study, and their gingival specimens were taken and fixed in 4% neutral formalin. The histological changes of gingival tissues were observed by HE staining. The expression of TLR4 in gingival tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining, and TLR4 expression on mast cells was detected by immunofluorescence double staining. RESULTS: The expression of TLR4 in gingival tissues and on mast cells in chronic periodontitis groups was significantly higher than that in normal control group (P<005), and that in severe chronic periodontitis group was significantly higher than that in mild chronic periodontitis group (P<005). CONCLUSION: The expression of TLR4 in gingival tissues and on mast cells is increased with the severity of chronic periodontitis, suggesting that TLR4, especially TLR4 on mast cells, may play an important role in human chronic periodontitis.     

Improvement and evaluation of chronic bronchitis modeling methods in mice

AIM: To explore a more accurate and reliable pathological model of the chronic bronchitis, which has improved from the former single-factor modeling method of the disease.METHODS: The mice in complex group were treated with lipopolysaccharide(LPS) by tracheal injection on the 1st day and nasal drops on the 14th day, and from the 2nd day to 30th day, the animals were given passive smoking and sulfur dioxide(SO₂) inhalation(except on the 14th day). The mice in SO₂ group were exposed to SO₂ 2 min per day, while in smoking group, the mice were exposed to smoke for about 1 h per day(4 cigarettes each time until one pack of cigarettes were burning up). In LPS group, the mice had tracheal injection of LPS on the 1st day and nasal drops of LPS on the 14th day and 30th day. Every modeling process lasted for 30 days. After modeling, the improvement of chronic bronchitis model was evaluated by testing the general conditions of the mice, analyzing leukocyte count in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid(BALF), and observing the morphological changes of the bronchial and lung tissues.RESULTS: After modeling, the mice in every model group experienced symptoms including wet nose, cough, dry and lusterless hair, arched back and curled-up body, showing inactive, and slow down in response. The mice in complex group gained the lowest weight compared to other groups. From each model group, the inflammatory cells infiltrated evidently around the bronchial walls, especially in the bronchial cavity, and the mucilage secretion in the airway increased. The total number of leukocytes in BALF increased significantly in complex group. The inflammatory cell count in the lung tissue indicated that the mice in complex group had significantly higher levels of inflammatory cell infiltration. Besides, the comparison between smoke group and LPS group was statistically significant.CONCLUSION: Smoking, SO₂ inhalation and LPS injection induce bronchial lung disease in mice, and the complex chronic bronchitis mouse model is a better model with the pathological changes of bronchus, lung tissue and BALF, and pathogenesis of chronic bronchitis.     

Role of interleukin-4 in the development of periodontitis in mouse model

AIM: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the development of periodontitis in mice by low dosage of Trichinella spiralis (T. spiralis) infection.METHODS: Twenty-seven male Kunming mice in specific pathogen free grade were randomly divided into three groups: (1) the normal control group; (2) the experimental periodontitis group, which was produced by ligature of braided silk around the first maxillary molar, and was inoculated with putative periodontopathic bacteria; (3) the periodontitis with T. spiralis infection group. The mice were sacrificed at the end of 1, 3 and 5 weeks. The probing depth (PD) was measured before the mice were euthanized. The histological change of periodontal tissues was observed under the microscope after the samples were stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Furthermore, the serum level of IL-4 was determined by ELISA. RESULTS: (1) The serum level of IL-4 in T. spiralis-infected group was significantly higher than that in experimental periodontitis group (P<0.01). (2) The PD in T. spiralis-infected group was significantly lower than that in experimental periodontitis group (P<0.01). (3) Only a mild inflammatory response was observed in T. spiralis-infected animals. CONCLUSION: T. spiralis infection upregulates IL-4 expression and attenuates periodontitis in mice.     

Effect of Zhiqi oral solution on adult periodontitis

AIM:To evaluate therapeutic effect of Zhiqi oral solution on adult periodontitis.METHODS:Supragingival scaling and root planning were carried out in 100 patients with adult periodontitis. Then the patients with periodontitis were divided into two groups randomly. 32 patients in the control group took orally Metronidazole and 68 patients in the experimental group took orally Zhiqi oral solution. The pain reaction, bleeding index, probing depth, plaque index, changes of microorganisms in periodontal pocket and side effect before and after the treatment were observed at a 30 days observation period.RESULTS:Zhiqi oral solution had a therapeutic effect on periodontitis, compared with the control group (P＜0.05). The bleeding index and plaque index in patients of two groups were improvedobviously compared with before treatment (P＜0.05). However Zhiqi oral solution had an obvious effect on decreasing the probing depth(P＜0.05).CONCLUSION:Zhiqi oral solution improves effectively the condition of periodontium, and its supplementary treatment effect on adult periodontitis is obvious.     

The inhibitory effect of aminoguanidine on periodontitis in rats

AIM: To study the inhibitory effect of aminoguanidine(AG) on periodontitis. METHODS: Experimental periodontitis was produced in rats by a ligature of braided silk, the NO concentration was assayed by spectrophototometry, the attachment loss of periodontium was measured by using technology for image and graphics engineering research and the histopathologic changes of periodontium were also examined under a light microscope. RESULTS: The NO concentration significantly decreased after AG treatment for 4 weeks, and the inflammation and the damages of periodontium was also reduced significantly. CONCLUSION: The inhibition of iNOS by AG may be a potential therapeutic strategy for the treatment of periodontitis.     

Change of nitric oxide concentration in ligature-induced periodontitis in rats

AIM: To study the possible role of nitric oxide (NO) in the development of periodontitis and the relationship between the NO concentration and the attachment loss. METHODS: Seventy-two Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to two groups, the control group and periodontitis group. Experimental periodontitis in rats was produced by a ligature of braided silk. The nitric oxide concentration was indirectly ascertained by the concentration of nitrite (NO2-) and nitrate (NO3-) in the gingival tissue, which was assayed by spectrophotometry. The attachment loss (AL) was measured by the technology of the cellular graphics engineering research. The histopathologic change in periodontium was observed under a light microscope by using the histotomy. RESULTS: Compared to control group, the NO2-/NO3- concentration in gingival tissue was significantly higher in periodontitis group at four weeks and eight weeks following ligation (P<0.01). In periodontitis group, the NO2-/NO3- concentration in gingival tissue was higher at eight weeks than that at four weeks following ligation (P<0.01). At four weeks and eight weeks, the AL in experimental periodontitis in rats was significantly increased than that at one week after ligation (P<0.01); and the AL was also much higher at eight weeks than that at four weeks (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The NO2-/NO3- concentration in the gingival tissue in periodontitis group was significantly higher than that in control group. These results demonstrate that the NO2-/NO3- concentration is related to the severity of AL, and NO synthesis is very important to the process of inflammation and lesion in periodontium. Reducing NO production may be of great therapeutic value in the treatment of periodontitis.     

制汁用苹果品质评价体系探讨

选择8项果实性状指标(可溶性糖、可滴定酸、维生素C、香气、风味、果肉质地、汁液和异味)组成制汁用苹果品质评价体系,其中,前5项为参考指标,后3项为必需指标,浓缩汁用苹果无维生素C和香气2项指标。8项指标分为营养品质指标(包括可溶性糖、可滴定酸和维生素C)、加工品质指标(包括果肉质地和汁液)及感官品质指标(包括异味、香气和风味)3类。制汁用苹果应果肉质地松脆或硬脆,汁液多,允许有不明显涩味。本研究结果为果农和苹果汁生产者选择适宜的苹果品种提供科学依据。     

Role and potential mechanism of fecal microbiota transplantation in treatment of chronic hepatitis B

AIM To investigate the effect of fecal microbiota transplantation （FMT） on the treatment of chronic hepatitis B （CHB） and the potential mechanism. METHODS Fifty C57BL/6J mice （6~8 weeks old） were divided into 5 groups： control group, CHB group, entecavir （ETV） group, comprehensive treatment （ETV+FMT, EFMT） group, and blocker （TAK-242+ETV+FMT, EFMT-TAK） group. The mice in each group were given corresponding treatment. The general condition of the mice was observed daily, and fecal specimens were kept every 10 d. The mice were sacrificed after 12 weeks, and the liver tissues and blood samples were collected. HE staining was used for histological scoring. Serum hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg） and interleukin-18 （IL-18） levels were measured by ELISA. Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） expression was detected by flow cytometry. Intestinal flora diversity was analyzed by high-throughput sequencing. RESULTS （1） Compared with control group, the body weight of the mice in CHB group was significantly reduced （P<0.05）. The body weight loss of the mice in ETV group, EFMT group and EFMT-TAK group was reversed to some extent as compared with CHB group （P<0.05）. （2） The histological score of the mice in CHB group was significantly higher than that in control group （P<0.05）. The score in ETV group was lower than that in CHB group （P<0.05）. The scores in EFMT group and EFMT-TAK group were lower than that in ETV group （P<0.05）, and that in EFMT-TAK group had a further downward trend compared with EFMT group （P<0.05）. （3） Compared with control group, the serum level of HBsAg in the CHB mice was significantly increased （P<0.05） and decreased after ETV treatment （P<0.05）. The HBsAg level in both EFMT group and EFMT-TAK group was significantly lower than that in ETV group （P<0.05）. （4） The IL-18 level in CHB group was significantly higher than that in control group （P<0.05）. After ETV treatment, the IL-18 level was decreased （P<0.05）, and that in both EFMT group and EFMT-TAK group was decreased more than that in ETV group （P<0.05）. （5） TLR4 expression in CHB group was higher than that in control group （P<0.05）, that in ETV group was lower than CHB group （P<0.05）, and that in EFMT group was further decreased （P<0.05）. （6） The heat map analysis at the class level showed that the abundances of Gammaproteobacteria, Deltaproteobacteria and Negativicutes in CHB group were significantly higher than those in control group, and those of Deltaproteobacteria and Negativicutes in EFMT group were close to those in control group. The heat map analysis at the family level indicated that the abundances of Burkholderiaceae, Desulfovibrionaceae and Veillonellaceae in CHB group were significantly higher than those in control group, while those in ETV group and EFMT group gradually approached normal levels. The α diversity index in CHB group was significantly decreased, while the diversity in ETV group was increased, that in EFMT group was further increased, and that in EFMT-TAK group was the highest. CONCLUSION FMT plays an active role in the treatment of CHB. The mechanism may be related to reducing the level of IL-18 and improving the structure and diversity of intestinal flora. The TLR4 signaling pathway is involved.     

Effect of hyperbaric oxygen on periodontitis with psychological stress in rats

AIM: To investigate the role of chronic psychological stress on periodontitis and the effects of hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) on periodontitis with psychological stress in rats. METHODS: Male special pathogen-free Wistar rats (n=80) were randomly divided into 4 groups: (1)normal control group; (2)experimental periodontitis group: the periodontitis model was induced by wrapping 3/0 silk ligature inoculated with Porphyromonas gingivalis around the left maxillary second molar of the rats; (3)psychological stress stimulation group; (4)periodontitis model with stress stimulation group. Psychological stress was removed at the 9th week after ligature, and 4 rats from each experimental group were randomly chosen for HBO treatment. The rats were sacrificed at the 2nd, 4th, 8th and 10th weeks after ligature. The levels of blood glucose, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), corticosterone and adrenaline were measured as the stress markers. The histological changes of periodontal tissues were observed under microscope with HE staining. RESULTS: The levels of blood glucose, ACTH, corticosterone and adrenaline in psychological stress stimulation group and periodontitis with stress group were significantly higher than those in control group and experimental periodontitis group at the 2nd and 4th weeks after ligature (P<0.05). The levels of the stress markers were significantly lower than those in untreated groups in the 10th week after HBO (P<0.01). The sites of gingival attachment were normal in control group and psychological stress stimulation group. Periodontal pocket, and periodontal attachment loss (AL) were observed in experimental periodontitis group. The tissue damage was much heavier in periodontitis model with stress stimulation group as the furcation of tooth was exposed and the tissue damage was observed on both sides of the adjacent teeth. No significant difference of AL between psychological stress stimulation group and normal control group during the experiment was observed. The AL in periodontal model with stress stimulating group was significantly higher than that in experimental periodontitis group at the 2nd, 4th and 8th weeks (P<0.01). The level of AL was attenuated at the 10th week after HBO (P<0.01). No difference of histological change in periodontal tissues was observed between control group and psychological stress stimulation group. Severer inflammatory changes and alveolar bone destruction were observed in periodontitis with stress group than those in experimental periodontitis group. The levels of inflammation reduced at the 10th week after HBO. CONCLUSION: Stress stimulation is one of the inducing factors of periodontitis in rats, which aggravates periodontitis. HBO may represent a useful way in treating psychological stress periodontitis.     

Correlation between HBsAg level and HBV DNA titer during chronic hepatitis B treatment

AIM: Viral load is widely used as an indicator for the diagnosis and monitoring the treatment efficacy of chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Previous studies suggested that the quantity of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in serum could be a surrogate marker of serum hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA level. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether HBsAg level correlates with HBV DNA titer during CHB treatment. METHODS: Sera were collected from 47 CHB patients ［35 male, 12 female, mean age: (35±8) years］ treated for 48 weeks with a monotherapy (pegylated interferon alpha-2a, 18 patients; lamivudine, 15 patients) or a combination therapy (pegylated interferon alpha-2a and lamivudine, 14 patients). Serum samples were obtained at week 0 (just before the treatment), 4, 8, 24, 48 and week 72 (24 weeks after the treatment). HBV DNA was measured with real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). HBsAg was quantified with an automated chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. RESULTS: The titer of HBsAg correlated with the HBV DNA level in the 18 patients with monotherapy of pegylated interferon alpha-2a and the 14 patients with combination therapy (pegylated interferon alpha-2a and lamivudine). The significant correlation (canonical correlation=0.83) was found. However, no correlation in 15 patients with the monotherapy of lamivudine was observed. CONCLUSION: HBsAg titer correlates with HBV DNA level in CHB patients during the treatment with interferon or interferon and lamivudine, which can be a surrogate marker for monitoring the treatment efficacy.     

Effect of tetracycline on the avidity of serum IgG antibody against porphyromonas gingivalis in patients with aggressive periodontitis

AIM:To evaluate the effect of mechanical periodontal treatment combined with tetracycline on periodontal attachment level (AL) and the avidity of serum antibody against porphyromonas gingivalis(P. gingivalis) in patients with aggressive periodontitis(AgP). METHODS:Twenty-five patients with AgP and twenty periodontally healthy controls were studied (HS). Clinical examination and recordings of AL were performed before and 3, 6 and 12 months after the periodontal treatment. The avidity of IgG antibody against P. gingivalis lipopolysaccharide(LPS) was measured by diethylamine dissociation ELISA. RESULTS:A significant improvement in AL was observed following treatment (P<0.01). The avidity of serum IgG antibody against P. gingivalis increased compared with controls, and was decreased significantly after mechanical periodontal treatment combined with tetracycline (P<0.01). CONCLUSION:Our results demonstrate that mechanical periodontal treatment combined with tetracycline provides clinically favorable results in patients with AgP.     

The expression of receptor of epidermal growth factor in gingiva of patient with periodontitis

AIM:To observe the expression of epidermal growth factor receptors(EGFR) of gingival tissue in periodontitis. METHODS: The expression of EGFR was determined by using immunohistochemical techniques in gingival tissue of 15 healthy individual, 32 cases with adult periodontitis (AP) and 12 cases with juvenile periodontitis (JP). RESULTS: Expression of EGFR was mainly located on basal cell membranes in healthy gingiva, and the staining intensity was faint. In AP cases, expression of high level EGFR was mostly observed on the membranes of epithelial cell in the periodontal endopocket or junctional epithelium, intensity of staining appeared to decrease gradually with the differentiation of keratinocytes, and the horny cell layer was not stained by the antibody. In JP cases, strong positive staining was present on membrane of epithelial cells in the germinative layer of gingival tissue. There was an apparent difference between healthy gingiva and AP or JP (P＜ 0.01 ), or AP and JP (P＜ 0.01). CONCLUSION: The distribution and expression of EGFR in gingival epithelium of periodontitis showed obvious differ- euce. The data indicated that EGFR may affect apical migration of junctional epithelium, and may play a role in development of AP and JP.     

Lighting systems evaluation for indoor living walls

Living walls (LW) are vertical greening systems that are becoming popular due to their multiple social and environmental benefits. When LW are installed indoors, a lightening system is often required to ensure an appropriate plant development. This work assesses the performance of three artificial lighting systems on six indoor LW [0.7 m (wide) × 0.7 m (high)] placed at two distances from the light source. The plant species selected for the tests were Soleirolia soleirolii and Spathiphyllum wallisii, which are frequently used in indoor LW. Three different lamps were used in the experiment: incandescent (IL), fluorescent (FL) and metal halide (MHL) lamps, all of them with an input electric power of ≈250 W. Differences in plant growth were only observed when the LW were close to the light source (about 1 m) but not at greater distances (≈1.5 m). IL had the poorest performance. Despite the lower photosynthetic photon flux density efficiency of FL compared with MHL, FL light enabled plants placed in the upper LW (closer to light source) reached similar size to those grown under MHL. Plant quality attributes were generally not affected by light type or the distance to light source. IL and FL generated higher total water losses (i.e. transpiration plus evaporation) than MHL on a LW basis. When expressed per unit of LW area covered by vegetation, FL and MHL reduced water consumption by 34% and 56%, respectively, as compared to IL. Overall, our results indicate that both FL and MHL outperform IL and have a similar ornamental performance, whereas MHL are more advantageous than FL in terms of water consumption and annual cost.     

An evaluation of pre-emergent herbicides for container-grown ornamental plants

Two applications of 5 herbicides were evaluated during spring and summer for weed control and phytotoxicity on 25 species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous perennials. Weed control was considered to be effective if herbicide-treated pots contained at most 20% of the weeds in untreated pots. Oxyfluorfen applied at 1.25, 2.5 and 5.0 kg ha^?1 provided effective control of grass and broad-leaved weeds for 8 weeks after the first application, and the 2 higher rates effectively controlled all weeds for 12 weeks after the second application. Oxadiazon at 2.0, 4.0 and 8.0 kg ha^?1 effectively controlled all weeds for 8 weeks after the first application, but only the highest rate was effective 12 weeks after the second application. Napropamide at 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 kg ha^?1 effectively controlled grasses for up to 12 weeks, but only effectively controlled broad-leaved weeds at the 2 higher rates for 8 weeks after the first application and failed to control them after the second application. Alachlor at 4.0, 8.0 and 16.0 kg ha^?1 and oryzalin + trifluralin at 0.5, 1.0 and 2.0 kg ha^?1 provided effective control of grasses for 8 weeks after the first application. These herbicides at the highest rate also controlled broad-leaved weeds for 8 weeks after the first application. However alachlor and oryzalin + trifluralin failed to provide effective control of any weeds after the second application.Competition from weeds reduced the shoot dry weight (SDW) of unweeded control pots by 20% compared with hand-weeded control pots. None of the herbicides produced visible clamage in any plants. The SDW of 8 species treated with some of the herbicides was significantly lower than the corresponding hand-weeded control plants, and for 6 of these species some herbicide treatments were identified as being possibly phytotoxic. Oxyfluorfen appeared to inhibit the growth of Photinia and Coleonema, and alachlor inhibited the growth of Photinia, Eriostemon, Azalea ‘Splendens’, Lavendula and Coleonema. Oryzalin + trifluralin appeared to inhibit the growth of Bauhinia, and napropamide and oxadiazon inhibited the growth of Coleonema.     

Effects of baicalin on serum levels of IL-6 and IL-4 in mouse periodontitis

AIM: To investigate the effect of baicalin on experimental periodontitis in mouse model by comparing the histological changes in periodontal tissues and serum levels of inter leukin(IL)-6/IL-4 in mice, and to analyze the role of baicalin in immune regulation and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. METHODS: Twenty-seven male Kunming mice (SPF grade, 12-week-old) were randomly divided into 3 groups. The naive mice were used in normal control group. In experimental periodontitis group, the periodontitis model was produced by ligature of braided silk around the first maxillary molar and inoculation with putative periodontopathic bacteria. Five weeks after the ligature, the mice were fed with 10% glucose, and gavaged with distilled water. In baicalin treatment+periodontitis group, the periodontitis model was induced as above, then gavaged with baicalin at the beginning of the fifth week after the ligature. The mice were sacrificed at week 4, 6 and 8. The histological changes of the periodontal tissues were observed under microscope with hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. The serum level of IL-6 and IL-4 in the mice were determined by ELISA. RESULTS: The periodontal tissues showed moderate inflammatory damages in experimental periodontitis group. The periodontal destruction was significantly reduced in baicalin treatment+periodontitis group. The serum level of IL-6 in experimental periodontitis group was significantly higher than that in control group and baicalin treatment+periodontitis group (P<0.01), and the serum level of IL-6 in baicalin treatment+periodontitis group was significantly lower than that in periodontitis group at week 6 and 8 (P<0.01). The serum level of IL-4 in periodontitis group was significantly lower than that in control and baicalin treatment+periodontitis group (P<0.01). The serum level of IL-4 in baicalin treatment+periodontitis group was significantly higher than that in periodontitis group at weeks 6 and 8 (P<0.01).CONCLUSION: The pathogenesis of periodontitis is closely related to the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cytokines, characterized by increased serum level of IL-6 and the decreased serum level of IL-4. Baicalin plays a significant role in treating mouse periodontitis by decreasing the serum level of IL-6 and increasing the serum level of IL-4.     

Effect of tetracycline combined with anti-inflammation drug and tetracycline on the level of serum IgG antibody titer in early-onset periodontitis

AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of tetracycline combined with anti-inflammation drug on the serum antibody level against porphyromonas gingivalis (Pg) in patients with early-onset periodontitis (EOP). METHODS: The study population consisted of 12 individuals with early-onset periodontitis, 16 patients with adult periodontitis (AP) and 12 periodontally healthy subjects (HS). Clinical examination and recordings of probing pocket depth (PPD), periodontal attachment level (PAL) and bleeding on probing (BOP) were performed prior to treatment and at three months following the periodontal treatment. The serum antibody titer against Pg in patients with EOP was measured at diagnosis and at the termination of treatmeat. RESULTS: A significant improvement was observed in probing pocket depth, periodontal attachment level and gingival bleeding index post treatment for three months. The serum IgG antibody titer against porphyromonas gingivalis was decreased significantly after the treatment. CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that mechanical periodontal treatment combined with tetracycline and anti-inflammation drug provides clinically favorable results in patients with early-onset periodontitis.