Fluvastatin (Flu) is a hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitor that reportedly has cholesterol-lowering and wound-healing effects, and has been shown to inhibit the onset of medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). However, measures are needed to prevent MRONJ caused by bone exposure during tooth extraction. Here, we examined the ability of locally applied, Flu-containing atelocollagen beads, which serve as a scaffold for sustained drug release, to prevent the onset of MRONJ in rats. MRONJ modeling was induced by the administration of an intravenous injection of zoledronic acid (ZOL) and extraction of the right maxillary M1 tooth from 8-week-old male rats. The rats were divided into three groups (n = 6 per group): the Flu group, which received local application of atelocollagen beads containing 1.5 mg/ml Flu to the tooth extraction socket; a phosphate-buffered saline control group; and an untreated control group. Macroscopic examination revealed that, in the Flu group, the bone exposure width of the tooth extraction socket was reduced and the mucosal covering was improved compared with the control groups. Histological examination of bone sections demonstrated that the numbers of empty bone lacunae were significantly reduced in the Flu group, suggesting an improvement in osteonecrosis. Immunohistological staining of bone sections showed ZOL-mediated elevations in osteoprotegerin (OPG) production and inhibition of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL) expression in the control groups, whereas the Flu group showed elevations in both OPG and RANKL expression and higher numbers of vascular endothelial growth factor-positive cells. Furthermore, tartrate-resistant acid phosphate/alkaline phosphatase staining results were suggestive of improved bone remodeling function in the Flu group. These findings suggested that the sustained release of Flu from atelocollagen beads, applied locally at the tooth extraction socket, inhibited the onset of MRONJ and may be useful to prevent osteonecrosis of the jaw.

This study investigated the kinematics of mandibular movements during mastication in Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) using a non-invasive approach. Traditional methods involved the use of mandibular kinesiography developed for humans, which is difficult to adapt to primate subjects. Additionally, studies involving primates using novel optical motion capture technology required surgical implantation of bone screws to accurately analyze mandibular movements, presenting challenges in terms of invasiveness and technical precision. The authors propose a technique using optical motion capture technology and paint markers on the skin to quantify lateral movements during mastication; this approach minimizes invasiveness by eliminating the need for screw implantation in bone. Three male macaques with various stages of permanent dentitions were studied, and their mandibular movements were recorded during mastication of three different food types: apple pieces, radish pieces, and solid monkey chow. The trajectories of mandibular movements were analyzed, focusing on the mediolateral range of motion (RoM) and the frequency of mouth movements. Results indicated variations in lateral movements with different food types, with solid monkey chow inducing the highest mediolateral RoM. This method offers insights into primate masticatory behavior, providing a less invasive alternative for future studies on non-human primates. The study emphasizes the importance of considering the further investigation into the physical properties of test foods and the accuracy of the methodology.

Intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH) is a benign non-neoplastic lesion histopathologically characterized by papillary proliferation of endothelial cells in dilated vascular lumen, and occurrence in the oral region is relatively rare. In this study, we performed clinical, histopathological, and immunohistochemical evaluations in 13 cases of oral IPEH, and examined the pathogenetic mechanism, pathophysiology, and differentiation from other vascular anomalies. The upper lip was the most common lesion site (5 cases), followed by the lower lip (3 cases) and the tongue (2 cases). The most common clinical diagnosis was hemangioma in 7 cases, followed by benign tumor in 4 cases. On gross examination, the tumor was dark red or mucosal color, similar to a hemangioma, and the surface was smooth, elastic and soft. Histological classification was mixed form in 11 cases and pure form in 2 cases. In immunohistochemical staining, CD31 was expressed in the cytoplasm and on cell membrane of vascular endothelial cells in all 13 cases; ERG was expressed in the nuclei of vascular endothelial cells in all 13 cases; α-SMA was expressed on cell membrane of smooth muscle cells in the blood vessel wall in all 13 cases; CD105 was expressed in the cytoplasm of vascular endothelial cells in 10 of 13 cases; and VEGF-A was expressed in the cytoplasm of vascular endothelial cells in all 13 cases. D2-40 was expressed in the cytoplasm and on cell membrane of endothelial cells within the papillary structures in only 2 cases, but Glut-1 expression was not detected in any of the cases. IPEH was easily differentiated from angiosarcoma, Kaposi’s sarcoma, mucous cyst, and pyogenic granuloma. The pathogenetic mechanism of this disease suggested by this study is that thrombus formation induces a hypoxia and low glucose state at the lesion site, and VEGF produced by endothelial cells stimulates reactive proliferation of the endothelial cells to form IPEH.

Although studies have indicated that there are associations between oral health and systemic diseases, the mechanisms linking these, particularly at the molecular level, remain largely unclear. We aimed to shed light on this issue by applying microarray analysis to survey gene expression in the tongue and liver of mice with fatty liver induced by feeding on a high-fat diet (HFD), as a model of metabolic syndrome. Here, C57BL/6 male mice were fed an HFD or a control diet for 24 weeks, with the samples obtained from them being subjected to analyses including with one-colored DNA array tips containing 23,475 genes. The results revealed 57 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in liver and 21 in tongue. Among these 21 tongue-related DEGs, five Krtap (4-13, 5-2, 5-4, 9-1, and 13) genes exhibited significantly suppressed expression in the HFD group, while expression of the 21Krtap family genes analyzed as a single entity was also significantly suppressed. However, no histological changes were found in tongue, despite these 21 genes having differential expression there. Although the Krtap subfamily of keratins is mainly known as component proteins of hair follicles, little has been revealed about its functional diversity besides roles acting in support of keratins. Despite research in this field still being in its infancy, this study shows that Krtap downregulation in mice with fatty liver may be associated with structural frailty of tongue epithelium or even oral carcinogenesis. This work deepens our understanding of how an HFD can potentially affect the tongue, and opens up new avenues for exploring the connections between oral and systemic diseases and pursuing effective approaches to combating metabolic syndrome.

Porphyromonas gingivalis (P. gingivalis), an important periodontal pathogen, has been reported to be involved in aspiration-induced pneumonia. Its virulence factors involve FimA and Mfa1 fimbriae, with diverse gene variants across strains, showing potential associations with pathogenicity. In this study, we aimed to develop a novel aspiration pneumonia mouse model by infecting the lungs with two different fimbrial genotypes of P. gingivalis strains ATCC 33277 and 1439 via the oral route, addressing the limitations of existing methods. The survival rate seven days post-infection was examined in a non-invasively induced aspiration pneumonia mouse model. P. gingivalis bacterial colony counts in lung tissue and serological and anatomical observations of the acute-phase inflammatory response after 24 h were performed. Results showed that the survival rate of mice infected with the 1439 strain was lower than that of mice infected with ATCC 33277. The number of P. gingivalis colonies was higher in the 1439 strain than in the ATCC 33277 strain. Inflammatory cytokines in alveolar lavage fluid significantly increased following P. gingivalis infection, and TNF-α production was significantly higher in mice infected with the 1439 strain. The air content in lung tissue was lower in the P. gingivalis infection group than in the control group. In conclusion, while the 1439 strain evaded the immune host response, the host developed severe acute pneumonia with elevated TNF-α levels and increased mortality. This study demonstrates the strain-dependent virulence of P. gingivalis in the novel pneumonia model and highlights the need for detailed studies on the factors that influence its pathogenesis.

This research aims to explore the role of hsa_circ_0008016 in osteogenic (OS) and odontogenic (OD) differentiation of stem cells derived from the apical papilla (SCAPs). SCAPs were isolated and cultured in either growth medium or OS and OD medium. RNA extraction was performed, followed by RNA sequencing to identify the circular RNA (circRNA) that exhibited the most significant changes between non-induced SCAPs and OS and OD-induced SCAPs, namely, hsa_circ_0008016. Subsequently, the over-expression vector pLenti-CMV-Hsa_circ_0008016-GFP-Puro was transfected into SCAPs, and the OS and OD ability of SCAPs was determined through qRT-PCR and Western blotting. In addition, the impact of hsa_circ_0008016 on 19 miRNAs were studied. Following the upregulation of hsa_circ_0008016 expression, qRT-PCR and Western blot analyses showed the expression of miRNA-660-5p, miRNA-337-3p, miRNA-376a-3p, miRNA-22-5p, bone sialoprotein (BSP) and dentin matrix protein 1 (DMP1), were increased, while the expression levels of collagenase I (COL1) and dentin sialophosphoprotein (DSPP) were decreased significantly. The target gene of miRNA-337-3p and hsa_circ_0008016 was predicted to be fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (FGFR1). This study reveals that the hsa_circ_0008016 may enhance OS differentiation, while diminishing OD differentiation in SCAPs. This effect is likely mediated through hsa_circ_0008016 and miRNA-337-3p, potentially influencing the fibroblast growth factor (FGF)/fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) signaling pathway, which warrants further validation.

The present study investigated the corrosive behavior of TiN coating in fluoride solution and the effects of bacterial adherence to the surface after immersion in fluoride solution. We examined the effect of TiN coating on gingival epithelial cells and gingival fibroblasts in contact with the abutment. The dynamics of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in contact with the implant were also studied using a one-piece implant (implant with the abutment and implant in one piece). This suggests that TiN coating on pure Ti abutments increases surface resistance to mechanical and chemical stress without lowering cell compatibility and maintains a smooth surface for long periods, suggesting that it is an effective surface treatment to lower the risk of peri-implantitis and other complications to oral implant therapy.

We aimed to compare the effects of polymeric ceramic inlay and full crown restoration on patients with dental defects. A prospective randomized controlled study was conducted, in which 106 patients with dental defects treated in the hospital were selected and divided into an inlay group (n=53, treated with polymeric ceramic inlay) and a full crown group (n=53, treated with full crown restoration) in a randomized controlled manner. The success rate of restoration, dental aesthetics, and adverse events during restoration in the two groups were observed, and the severity of pain (Mohd Sulong pain grade) and the levels of inflammatory factors [interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-6, and IL-8] in the gingival crevicular fluid before restoration and at 3 d after restoration were compared. After wearing the prostheses for 1 year, the success rate of restoration in the inlay group was higher than that of the full crown group (96.23% vs. 83.02%), and the dental aesthetics of the inlay group was better than that of the full crown group (P<0.05). Three days after restoration, the inlay group had lower Mohd Sulong pain grade and levels of IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 than those of the full crown group (P<0.05). Compared with full crown restoration, polymeric ceramic inlay can result in a higher success rate of restoration and better aesthetics in treating dental defects, and it can alleviate the pain and inflammation stimulation to patients.

To assess the effect of subgingival scaling and root planing (SRP)-assisted occlusal adjustment scheme on periodontitis. A total of 90 patients with periodontitis treated from October 2021 to October 2022 were enrolled and assigned into an observation group (n=45) and a control group (n=45) using a random number table. The control and observations group were treated with SRP and SRP combined with occlusal adjustment scheme for 8 consecutive weeks, respectively. Comparisons were performed on clinical efficacy, periodontal indicators [periodontal pocket depth (PD), attachment loss (AL), and bleeding index (BI)] at different time points (4 and 8 weeks after treatment), and inflammatory indicators [transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)] in the gingival crevicular fluid before and 8 weeks after treatment. Compared with before treatment, PD, AL, and BI of traumatic teeth decreased 4 and 8 weeks after treatment (P<0.05). The observation group had lower PD, AL, and BI 4 weeks after treatment, and lower PD 8 weeks after treatment than those of the control group (P<0.05). The occlusal force and occlusal holding time were smaller and shorter in both groups 4 and 8 weeks after treatment in comparison with those before treatment (P<0.05). The TGF-β, IL-6, and TNF-α levels reduced in both groups 8 weeks after treatment compared with those before treatment, and such levels were lower in the observation group 8 weeks after treatment (P<0.05). The SRP-assisted occlusal adjustment scheme can effectively improve the degree and duration of occlusion of patients with periodontitis.