Abstract. The aim of the present prospective study was to evaluate the impact of laser phototherapy (LPT) on the healing of oral ulcers. Different power densities were used on oral wounds in Wistar rats (n ¼ 72) randomly divided into three groups: control (0 J∕cm 2 ), 4 J∕cm 2 laser, and 20 J∕cm 2 laser. Ulcers (3 mm in diameter) were made on the dorsum of the tongue with a punch. Irradiation with an indium-gallium-aluminum-phosphide laser (660 nm; output power: 40 mW; spot size: 0.04 cm 2 ) was performed once a day in close contact with the ulcer for 14 consecutive days. A statistically significant acceleration in healing time was found with wounds treated with 4 J∕cm 2 LPT. Moreover, striking differences were found in the ulcer area, healing percentage, degree of reepithelialization, and collagen deposition. The most significant changes occurred after 5 days of irradiation. Based on the conditions employed in the present study, LPT is capable of accelerating the oral mucosa wound-healing process. Moreover, faster and more organized reepithelialization and tissue healing of the oral mucosa were achieved with an energy density of 4 J∕cm 2 in comparison to 20 J∕cm 2 .
The effects of drugs of abuse on oral mucosa are only partly understood. The aims of the present study were to: (1) evaluate the frequency of nuclear changes in normal-appearing oral mucosa of alcoholics and crack cocaine users and (2) assess their association with cell proliferation rate. Oral smears were obtained from the border of the tongue and floor of the mouth of 26 crack cocaine users (24 males and 2 females), 29 alcoholics (17 males and 12 females), and 35 controls (17 males and 18 females). Histological slides were submitted to Feulgen staining to assess the frequency of micronuclei (MN), binucleated cells (BN), broken eggs (BE), and karyorrhexis (KR). A significant increase in the frequency of MN was observed in cells exfoliated from the tongue of crack cocaine users ( p = 0.01), and alcoholics showed a higher frequency of KR in cells obtained from the floor of the mouth ( p = 0.01). Our findings suggest that the use of crack cocaine induces clastogenic effects, whereas alcoholism is associated with higher degrees of keratinization in the floor of the mouth.
The effect of topical application of Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis Miller) extract was assessed on the healing of rat oral wounds in an in vivo model using 72 male Wistar rats divided into three groups (n = 24): control, placebo and Aloe Vera (0.5% extract hydroalcoholic). Traumatic ulcers were caused in the dorsum of the tongue using a 3-mm punch tool. The Aloe Vera and placebo group received two daily applications. The animals were sacrificed after 1, 5, 10 and 14 days. Clinical analysis (ulcer area and percentage of repair) and histopathological analysis (degree of re-epithelialization and inflammation) were performed. The comparison of the differences between scores based on group and experimental period, both in quantitative and semi-quantitative analyses, was performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test. The significance level was 5%. On day 1, all groups showed predominantly acute inflammatory infiltrate. On day 5, there was partial epithelialization and chronic inflammatory infiltrate. On the days 10 and 14 total repair of ulcers was observed. There was no significant difference between groups in the repair of mouth ulcers. It is concluded that treatment using Aloe Vera as an herbal formulation did not accelerate oral wound healing in rats.
Objectives To evaluate the number of AgNORs per nucleus and the expression of Ki-67 at the tumor invasion front (TIF) in relation to clinical parameters (TNM), TIF classification and the prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinomas in an Uruguayan population.Material and Methods This study was conducted through a retrospective survey from 2000 to 2010 at the National Institute of Cancer Montevideo, Uruguay and included 40 patients. The samples were obtained from the resection of the tumor and the TIF was defined according with Bryne, et al.5 (1992). Expression of Ki-67 was assessed by the percentage of positive tumor cells and the AgNOR was recorded as the mean AgNOR (mAgNOR) and the percentage of AgNOR per nucleus (pAgNOR). All analyzes were performed by a blinded and calibrated observer.Results No statistically significant association was observed between immunostaining of Ki-67 and AgNOR with the different types of TIF, regional metastasis and patients prognosis, however it was observed an increase in Ki-67 expression associated with worse patient’s clinical staging, although not statistically significant.Conclusions Our results suggest that proliferation markers as AgNOR and Ki-67 are not prognostic markers at the tumor invasive front of carcinoma of oral squamous cell.
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