Nasal antigen plus mucosal adjuvant delivery has emerged as perhaps the most effective route for induction of both mucosal and peripheral immune response. It has been shown that dendritic cells (DCs) played essential roles for the induction of both immunity and tolerance. Thus, nasal application of CpG ODN targeting plasmacytoid DCs effectively induced antigen-specific immunity. Our recent studies showed that nasal or oral immunization with protein antigen, ovalbumin plus plasmid encoding Flt3 ligand (pFL) cDNA as adjuvant effectively elicited OVA-specific immune responses in both mucosal and systemic lymphoid tissues. The numbers of (DCs) in mice given pFL as mucosal adjuvant were significantly increased. Further, these expanded DCs were activated and expressed MHC II and co-stimulatory molecules (CD40, CD80 and CD86). These results show that mucosal delivery of pFL is DCs targeting adjuvant system that effectively induce both mucosal and systemic antigen-specific immune responses.

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There have been many studies on the relationships among various methods for determining whole salivary volume and these methods' effectiveness. The methods of determining this volume include those that determine the salivary volume of a subject at rest and during salivary stimulation. The convention method uses both the spitting method at rest and the paraffin mastication method. In the present study, we compared the reproducibility of the salivary volumes determined by the modified ion dilution method (the modified fluoride dilution method) and conventional methods. Salivary volumes in decreasing order were sour stimulation with the modified fluoride dilution (MFD) method, during mastication, under tasteless stimulation with the MFD method, and at rest. Higher correlations were found between the salivary volumes at rest and during mastication determined by the conventional method (r=0.57, p<0.001) and between salivary volumes under tasteless stimulation and sour stimulation by the MFD method (r=0.56, p<0.001). With a collection time of 1 minute, the MFD method featured a smaller coefficient of variation and higher reproducibility than those of the spitting and paraffin mastication methods, indicating its usefulness.

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The purpose of this study was to review whether a senescence-accelerated mouse, P1 (SAMP1), is an appropriate model for the investigation of the influence of different food forms on learning and memory ability. Mice 5 months old were put into either a pellet (hard-diet) or powder (soft-diet) group. A water maze testing of each group was carried out 4 times a day for 5 consecutive days at 3 (1st trial), 10 (2nd trial), and 20 weeks (3rd trial) after the diet was changed. The body weight and the swimming speed showed no significant difference. Escape latency indicating learning and memory ability was the swimming time from an identical start point to the platform. There were no significant differences at the 1st and 2nd trials. However, significant differences were observed at the 3rd trial.
The escape latency in the hard-diet group did not change through 5 consecutive days in the 3rd trial, and was almost equal to that on final days in the 1st and 2nd trial. These data suggest that SAMP1 might be an appropriate model for the investigation of the influence of different food forms from early stage of ageing on learning and memory ability. In addition, long-term ingestion of soft diet may influence the learning and memory ability in SAMP1.

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In 2001, we made a dental anthropological survey of the Dai tribe, one of the Chinese minorities in Yuen Jian Province. Subjects were young adults of the tribe, which is historically from the Southeast Asian area. Dental impression models were collected from this population, and the frequencies of 22 dental traits were investigated. Results were compared with those of other Asian populations based on Turner's Mongoloid dental variation theory. Principal coordinate analysis based on Smith's mean measure of divergence using frequencies of the 17 traits suggested that the Dai tribe was included in the Sundadont group typical of Southeast Asians, but its position was close to the Sinodont group. The Dai tribe is said to have a close relationship to people in Thailand according to anthropological and linguistic studies. In light of these results and the estimated past and present distribution of Sinodonty and Sundadonty, we speculated that the Dai tribe in Yunnan Province was genetically similar to Thailand people who have Sundadont characters, but environmentally close to the Han tribe, the majority of the Chinese population, and other Sinodont tribes around them. These historical factors were thought to be reflected in their dental characteristics.

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Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a common chronic inflammatory disease of oral mucosa ; however, the precise mechanisms for the formation of OLP have not been elucidated. Laser microdissection is a useful tool for the isolation of target cells from tissue sections. In the present study, we adopted the laser capture microdissection system for analysis of various mRNA expressions in the epithelial cell layers from biopsy samples of OLP. Target epithelial cell layers were harvested by laser microdissection from specimens of OLP or normal gingival tissues. Total RNA was isolated from those epithelial cell layers and TNF-α-specific, IL-8-specific, and IFN-γ-specific mRNAs were amplified by a modified standard reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). After 40 cycles of amplification, a housekeeping gene was detected in as little as 77,000 μm² of epithelial cell layers of OLP. Analysis of expressions for TNF-α, IFN-γ, and IL-8 demonstrated that OLP, but not control samples, expressed messages specific for TNF-α and IFN-γ. In contrast, no IL-8-specific mRNA was detected in the epithelial region of either the OLP or the control sample. These results indicate that laser microdissection can be used for analysis of mRNA expressions in targeted epithelial cell layers of OLP and thus for elucidation of mechanisms for the development of OLP.

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The immunohistochemical activities of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), xanthine oxidase(XO) and nitrotyrosine(NT) in human radicular cysts were measured. The molecular interactions of nitric oxide (NO) or peroxynitrate(ONOO^-) and superoxide(O₂^- •) generated in the xanthine/XO system were kinetically investigated in vitro to clarify the mechanism of tissue injury. To investigate the interaction between NO • and O₂^- • generated in radicular cysts, the localization of NOS and XO was evaluated by an immunohistochemical staining method. Furthermore, the presence of ONOO^- was immunohistochemically estimated. The molecular interactions of O₂^- •, NO • and ONOO^- were analyzed by using the electron spin resonance spin-trapping method. In an area of inflammatory reaction, human-inducible NOS (iNOS), XO and NT were positive compared with a normal area, although only iNOS production was confirmed an area of fibrous reaction. Kinetic studies showed that 1-hydroxy-2-oxo-3 (N-methyl-3-aminopropyl)-3-methyl-1-triazene (NOC-7) reacted directly with O₂^- •, whereas ONOO^- did not react with O₂^- • but inhibited XO directly. The close involvement of iNOS production in the inflammatory region and the influence of the inflammatory reaction with both NO • production from iNOS and O₂^- • production from XO were suggested. The presence of iNOS in cysts suggests that NO • produced in periapical lesions plays an important role in the regulation of chronic lesions via the reaction with O₂^- • produced catalyzed by XO. From the reaction with O₂^- •, and NO • generated by the iNOS system, the formation of ONOO^- and its direct inhibition of XO activity decreased the amount of O₂^- • produced and as a result inhibited the continued formation of ONOO^-.

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Although metastatic malignant lesions in the maxilla are exceedingly rare, case reports of such lesions do appear occasionally in the literature. This article describes the clinical and pathologic features of a gastric adenocarcinoma metastatic to the maxilla in a 62-year-old man. The initial maxillary appearance of the tumor mimicked a squamous cell carcinoma and, in addition, was the only presenting sign of malignant disease elsewhere in the patient. A literature review of the past 30 years failed to reveal a similar clinical event, and this seems to be the first case to be reported ever.

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The rare case of a mucous retention cyst in the upper lip, possibly caused by a cavernous hemangioma with thrombi, of a 74-year-old man is reported. Three mucous retention cysts were located under the suspected cavernous hemangioma with thrombi. The lumen of the largest cyst was lined with double-layered flattened epithelium and a few goblet-like cells ; the lumen of the other smaller cysts was lined with short columnar or cuboidal epithelium and no goblet-like cells. No other cause of duct obstruction was observed in the labial gland. In the present case, duct obstruction caused by a long-standing hemangioma apparently led to the formation of mucous retention cysts and the considerable retention of a mucous substance made the cyst larger, resulting in flattened epithelium.

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The authors present a case of intraductal papilloma. It is the rarest among ductal papillomas, which is a group of salivary gland neoplasms that comprise three different histological sub-types : intraductal papilloma, inverted duct papilloma, and sialadenoma papilliferum. Intraductal papilloma is localized mainly in the ducts of minor salivary glands but it is rare in the parotid gland, the submandibular gland, and the sublingual gland. Patients' mean age is about 50-60 years. The growth is slow and asymptomatic. The overlying mucosa seems to be normal. Microscopically, the intraductal papilloma shows fibrovascular papillae surrounded by columnar or cuboidal epithelial cells to form a mass protruding into the duct lumen to create a cyst-like cavity ; usually mitoses are absent, but sometimes low grade cellular atypia is seen in a few areas. Preoperatory diagnosis is difficult, and only histopathologic examination is definitive. Fine needle aspiration biopsy is the best method for preoperative diagnosis, even if sometimes its results are deceptive. Excision is the resolutive therapy, and no recurrences after surgical excision have been reported. The purpose of this paper is to emphasize the importance of differential diagnosis of various ductal papillomas with this single case of intraductal papilloma.

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A case of a large carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma of the palate with a pedicle base is reported with a discussion that includes a proposed hypothesis to explain the formation of this unique tumor. An 83-year-old man with pleomorphic adenoma of the palate was seen in 1992. Due to the patient's refusal of surgical treatment, the tumor had been gradually enlarging over 7 years and became an unusual shape. The flat tumor was movable and was hanging from the palate with a pedicle base. Histological diagnosis was carcinoma in pleomorphic adenoma.

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Facing a major reform of the medical care system, the status of social security in Japan does not have an optimistic outlook. Among the wide-ranging components of the social security system, the medical care system faces serious problems. The national government is beginning to propose legislation to reform Medical Service Laws, review the economic situation relating to medical insurance, and establish comprehensive steps for support through taxation and public financing. Pressing issues specific to the dental community include the supply of and demand for dentists, a reduction in dental health care expenditures, and the reservation of a revised source of funds. Individual dental clinics currently face problems such as reducing the number of patients, and maintaining a balance between revenue and expenditure. Fundamental solutions to these problems can be found only by radical self-reform of the dental system and the dental community. In the future, dentists will need to establish their significance as consulting doctors providing consultations on a regular basis, rather than the present situation in which patients visit the clinic for the first time after experiencing deterioration in their oral condition. To foster a dental health care community that takes the lead in the medical care system of the 21^st century, it is necessary to maintain the favorable, though tense, relationship with administrative and political figures, while gaining the consensus of the public.

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