Severity of illness and extra pyramidal symptoms as predictors for oral diseases among patients with schizophrenia

Objective: The study explores the association between severity of illness (positive, negative, depressive and cognitive symptoms) and extra pyramidal symptoms (EPS) with dental caries, periodontal disease and prosthetic needs among patients with schizophrenia.

Material and methods: A total of 71 schizophrenic patients diagnosed based on ICD-10 criteria participated in the study. Clinical Global Impression – Schizophrenia (CGI–SCH) scale was used to evaluate positive, negative, depressive, cognitive symptoms and overall severity of schizophrenia. Simpson–Angus Scale (SAS) was used for assessment of EPS. Dental examinations were conducted as per WHO (1997) criterion.

Results: Mean DMFT and CPI scores with periodontal pockets were 5.57?±?2.12 and 2.37?±?0.74; significant differences being noted among those with and without EPS (p?p?p?p?p?Conclusions: Patients with schizophrenia had high dental caries, periodontal disease and unmet dental prosthetic needs. Severity of the schizophrenic and EPS was associated with poor oral health. Efforts need to be focused on strengthening the evidence of its association with oral health indicators through further studies including cohort investigations.     

Evaluation of autologous bone marrow in wound healing in animal model: a possible application of autologous stem cells

A study was conducted to evaluate the potential of autologous bone marrow-derived cells in comparison with buffy coat of autologous blood for rapid cutaneous wound healing in rabbit model. Three square full-thickness skin excisional wounds were created in 15 selected experimental animals (rabbit) divided randomly into three groups. The wound was treated with autologous bone marrow cells in plasma (group 1), buffy coat of blood in plasma (group 2) and autologous plasma as control (group 3). Wounds were observed for 30 days for granulation tissue formation, biochemical, histomorphological and histochemical evaluation. In this study, granulation tissue appeared significantly lesser in wounds of group 3 animals followed by group 2 and 1 animals. Neovascularisation, granulation tissue formation, denser, thicker and better arranged collagen fibres, reticulin fibres and elastin fibres formation was more in group 1 as compared with other groups. It was concluded that the application of bone marrow-derived nucleated cells into the wound margins resulted in early and significantly faster rate of complete healing as compared with buffy coat of autologous blood and autologous plasma (control). This approach may be beneficial in various surface wounds that heal at a slower rate and recommended for healing of various complicated wound in future.     

In Vitro and In Vivo Efficacy of β-Lactams against Replicating and Slowly Growing/Nonreplicating Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Beta-lactams, in combination with beta-lactamase inhibitors, are reported to have activity against Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria growing in broth, as well as inside the human macrophage. We tested representative beta-lactams belonging to 3 different classes for activity against replicating M. tuberculosis in broth and nonreplicating M. tuberculosis under hypoxia, as well as against streptomycin-starved M. tuberculosis strain 18b (ss18b) in the presence or absence of clavulanate. Most of the combinations showed bactericidal activity against replicating M. tuberculosis, with up to 200-fold improvement in potency in the presence of clavulanate. None of the combinations, including those containing meropenem, imipenem, and faropenem, killed M. tuberculosis under hypoxia. However, faropenem- and meropenem-containing combinations killed strain ss18b moderately. We tested the bactericidal activities of meropenem-clavulanate and amoxicillin-clavulanate combinations in the acute and chronic aerosol infection models of tuberculosis in BALB/c mice. Based on pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic indexes reported for beta-lactams against other bacterial pathogens, a cumulative percentage of a 24-h period that the drug concentration exceeds the MIC under steady-state pharmacokinetic conditions (%T_MIC) of 20 to 40% was achieved in mice using a suitable dosing regimen. Both combinations showed marginal reduction in lung CFU compared to the late controls in the acute model, whereas both were inactive in the chronic model.     

BMS-747 158-02: A novel PET myocardial perfusion imaging agent

Background BMS-747158-02 is a fluorine 18-labeled pyridaben derivative designed as a new myocardial perfusion imaging agent for use with positron emission tomography (PET). This study evaluated BMS-747158-02 in animal models of cardiac perfusion and compared it with established single photon emission computed tomography agents. Methods and Results In a rat biodistribution study, BMS-747158-02 (15 μCi) had substantially higher myocardial uptake than technetium 99m, sestamibi (100 μCi) at 15 minutes (3.5%±0.3% % ID/g vs 1.9%±0.1% %ID/g) and 120 minutes (3.2%±0.4% of injected dose per gram vs 1.8%±0.0% of injected dose per gram) after intravenous administration. Uptake ratios of heart to lung and liver at 60 minutes were also higher for BMS-747158-02 (12.7±1.4 and 3.7±0.2, respectively) than Tc-99m sestamibi (5.9±0.5 and 2.4±0.4, respectively). In an isolated rabbit heart model at flow rates of 1.66 to 5.06 mL · min⁻¹ · g⁻¹ wet left ventricular weight, the net BMS-747158-02 heart uptake increased proportionally (0.93±0.15 to 2.44±0.40 mL · min⁻¹ · g⁻¹) and to a greater extent than that of thallium 201 (0.76±0.02 to 1.11 ±0.02 mL · min⁻¹ · g⁻¹) or Tc-99m sestamibi (0.49±0.03 to 0.77±0.08 mL · min⁻¹ · g⁻¹). PET imaging with BMS-747158-02 showed a clear and sustained cardiac uptake in rats, rabbits, and nonhuman primates with minimal lung interference and rapid liver clearance. Myocardial perfusion deficit zones created by either permanent left coronary ligation or reperfusion after ligation in rats were both clearly identified on PET cardiac images of BMS-747158-02 and had good agreement with in vitro histology. Conclusions BMS-747158-02 exhibited high and sustained cardiac uptake that was proportional to blood flow, and it represents a new class of PET myocardial perfusion imaging agent.     

Introduction to the Symposium

In June 1995, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism sponsored a symposium on "Alcohol and Osteoporosis" at the Research Society on Alcoholism in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The goals of the symposium were to: (a) disseminate current information on the effects of alcohol on osteoporosis, both deleterious and beneficial; (b) discuss the mechanisms, direct and indirect, by which alcohol affects bone remodeling; and (c) encourage research in the area of alcohol and osteoporosis. This report provides an introduction to the problem, as well as to the three scientific presentations. Key Words: Alcohol, Osteoporosis, Bone.