The purpose of this study was to identify the effects of the local administration of cyclophosphamide (CP) on mandibular condyle growth in growing rats.
Sixty-three 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. In the experimental group, CP (50 mg/ml) 0.02 ml was injected into both articular capsules of the condyle, while the control group was injected with physiological saline (Experiment I ) . Histological observation : The animals were sacrificed either at 3, 5, or 7 days after injection of CP or physiological saline. The condyles were extracted and the sections were prepared for histological and histomorphometric observations. The number of BrdU-positive cells, the number of osteoclasts, the thickness of the cartilage layer and the amount of endochondral bone growth in the condyle were measured (Experiment II ) . Morphological observation : 4-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were grouped into control group, CP (25 mg/ml) treated group, and CF (50 mg/ml) treated group. These injections were performed one time at 7-day intervals, and then all rats were killed on the 7 th day after the last injection. The effects of CP local administration on the mandible were investigated morphologically using cephalometric analysis.
In experiment I, there was a significant decrease in the BrdU-positive cells, the thickness of the cartilage layer, and the amount of endochondral bone growth in the experimental group. In experiment II, the condyle of the CP (50 mg/ml) treated group was significantly shorter than that of the control group. These results demonstrate that local administration of CP into growing condyle inhibited mandibular condyle growth.

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Recently, the number of patients with dental metal allergy has risen significantly. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical availability of the lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) using metal reagents as a method for diagnosing metal allergy. In vitro, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 18 patients with metal allergy and five healthy volunteers were examined by LST using 12 metal reagents (HAuCl₄, PdCl₂, NiSO₄, CoCl₂, CuSO₄, SnCl₄, K₂Cr₂O₇, MoCl₅, H₂PtCl₆, IrCl₄, AgBr, FeCl₃) . To define metal allergy, a patch test (PT) was performed with metal reagents, and then the components of dental alloys in their mouth were analyzed. The expressions of CD 4, CD 8, CD 25, and CLA of metal-specific T cells were determined by flow cytometric analysis (FACS) . PBMC from patients with positive PT showed LST positive for nickel sulfate (Ni), gold chloride (Au), palladium chloride (Pd) and cobalt chloride (Co) . The results of LST in other metals indicated negative in spite of the positive result by PT. FACS results indicated the increase of CD 4+T/CD 8+α4+T cells, CD 4+T/CD 8+CLA+T cells by stimulation with metal reagent. Thus, metal-specific T cells were stimulated in PT positive patients, so LST could be a more specific test for diagnosing dental metal allergy.

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This study investigated the changes of general and oral health status of elderly patients who received home-visit dental services. The subjects were 51 patients (male : 19, female : 32, age : 83.0±9.1) . The results of initial and re-examination (5.4 months later) by questionnaire survey, oral status and oral microbes were compared.
The following results were obtained.
1. More than half of the subjects were bedridden and about 70% were affected by dementia. Three quarters needed special care for daily activities.
2 . The general health condition of the subjects became worse after 5.4 months. Moreover, 11 subjects died within 6 months after re-examination. However, oral health status, such as status of oral hygiene (p < 0.01), inflammation of gingiva (p < 0.01), tongue coating (p < 0.05) and oral malodor (p < 0.01) improved significantly.
3 . There was a significant difference in the rate of people with dysphagic problems between the living and dead groups (p<0.05) .
4 . The initial general and oral health status of the people with dysphagic problems was significantly worse than that of those without it. After receiving home-visit dental services, general condition became worse. However oral status, such as status of oral hygiene, inflammation of gingiva, oral malodor, and lactobacillus count significantly improved in both groups.
These results suggest that dysphagic problems of elderly patients may affect their general health condition and might increase the risk of death. It is recommended to judge dysphagic problems accurately when performing certification of need for long-term care and to provide professional oral care periodically for the dependent elderly needing care.

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This study examined whether lidocaine molecules can be transported through an artificial membrane by the application of AC. A cellophane membrane was placed between donor and receptor compartments. The donor compartment was filled with lidocaine hydrochloride (40 and 60 mmol/l) and the receptor compartment with pure water. A sine wave at 5 voltage levels and 5 frequencies was applied between the parallel plate electrodes. The impedance of the solution in the receptor compartment was measured to determine the concentration of the lidocaine. The transportation efficiency in the condition of high concentration was markedly enhanced with the application of 15 and 20 V at every frequency. Although no frequency dependence was observed in the 500 Hz to 100 kHz range, the transportation efficiency was markedly enhanced at 1 MHz. It is considered that lidocaine ions are transported by vibration or rotation energy induced by AC. The formation of electrode polarization is decreased in the high-frequency range resulting in attenuation of the voltage drop in the solution and increase of the transportation efficiency with the passage of AC.

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