The aim of this study was to compare the in vitro cytotoxicity of white mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA), MTA Fillapex® and Portland cement (PC) on human cultured periodontal ligament fibroblasts. Periodontal ligament fibroblast culture was established and the cells were used for cytotoxic tests after the fourth passage. Cell density was set at 1.25 X10 4 cells/well in 96-well plates. Endodonti...

AIM To measure the intracolonic release of nitric oxide end products (nitrates plus nitrites) and eicosanoids in response to intraluminal irritation with deoxycholic acid (DCA). PATIENTS Seven patients with irritable bowel syndrome. METHODS The left colon was perfused with a solution with or without 3 mM deoxycholic acid. Aspirates were assayed for eicosanoids by specific radioimmuno-assay,...

To examine the proand anti-oxidant properties of nitric oxide (NO) production in alcoholic liver disease, we compared the effects of ethanol pretreatment (24 hrs, 100 mM concentration in a dedicated CO2 incubator) on the induction of inducible NO synthase and its activity in a cell culture system. We employed two types of liver cells as models for the intact liver parenchyma: the rat hepatoma c...

BACKGROUND Abdominal colic, constipation and delay in gastric emptying are symptoms of lead poisoning, but there is scant information about the effect of lead on gastric motility. In the present study, we investigated the effect of lead acetate on gastric motility in rats. METHODS Animals were divided into nine groups (n=8); four groups were exposed to lead acetate solution (1%) for 1, 2, 3, ...

17β-estradiol (E2), the predominant and most biologically active form of estrogen has been shown to modulate various macrophage activities, sometimes with opposite effects, related to experimental conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of E2 alone or in combination with PKA inhibitor H-89 or recombinant human chorionic gonadotropin (rhCG) on leishmanicidal activity and ...

The purpose of the study was to examine: 1/ endometrial concentrations of nitrate/nitrite (NOx) in pregnant pigs, and 2/ the influence of estradiol-17beta (E(2)) and/or progesterone (P(4)) on NOx production by porcine endometrium during the first half of pregnancy. Total NOx concentrations were determined using a microplate assay method based on the Griess reaction. Evident fluctuations of endo...

To study the role and (sub) cellular nitric oxide (NO) constitution in various disease processes, its direct and specific detection in living cells and tissues is a major requirement. Several methods are available to measure the oxidation products of NO, but the detection of NO itself has proved challenging. We visualized NO production using a NO-sensitive copper-based fluorescent probe (Cu 2FL...

Xanthosoma sagittifolium Schott is a herb of the Araceae family, popularly known as taioba, which is consumed as food in some regions of Brazil, Africa, and Asia. This species has already been evaluated for the antifungal activities. However, based on its potential antitumor activity, the present study further aimed to examine the antitumor, as well as chelation, activity of X. sagittifolium le...

OBJECTIVES To analyse the role of nitric oxide (NO) in peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and its association with inflammation and brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (BAFMD) as an estimation of endothelial dysfunction. MATERIAL AND METHODS Cross-sectional study of 82 patients with ischaemia (50 with Fontaine stage II and 32 with Fontaine stage III-IV) in whom BAFMD, hsCRP and nitrite leve...

OBJECTIVE Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer worldwide. Chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to have adverse side-effects, and natural compounds have been recommended for cancer treatment, nowadays. Crab shell has been shown to have cancer preventative and suppressive effects in vivo and in vitro. The aim of present study was to investigate the effect of crab shell extract on p...