(1) Aim: To perform a systematic review of the literature on the biocompatibility of root canal sealers that encompasses the various types of sealers that are commercially available as well as both in vitro and in vivo evidence. (2) Methods: This systematic review has been registered in PROSPERO (ID 140445) and was carried out according to PRISMA guidelines using the following databases: PubMed, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, Science Direct, and Web of Science Core Collection. Studies published between 2000 and 11 June 2019 that evaluated cytotoxicity (cell viability/proliferation) and biocompatibility (tissue response) of root canal sealers were included. (3) Results: From a total of 1249 studies, 73 in vitro and 21 in vivo studies were included. In general, studies suggest that root canal sealers elicit mild to severe toxic effects and that several factors may influence biocompatibility, e.g., material setting condition and time, material concentration, and type of exposure. Bioactive endodontic sealers seem to exhibit a lower toxic potential in vitro. (4) Conclusions: The available evidence shows that root canal sealers exhibit variable toxic potential at the cellular and tissue level. However, the methodological heterogeneity among studies included in this systematic review and the somewhat conflicting results do not allow a conclusion on which type of sealer presents higher biocompatibility. Further research is crucial to achieve a better understanding of the biological effects of root canal sealers.

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The present work is focused on the characterisation of the polyphenolic content of an Oxalis pes-caprae L. leaf extract and on the evaluation of its bioactivity with particular interest on its vascular activity and antioxidant potential. The polyphenolic content was characterised by HPLC-DAD and LC-MS/MS. The vascular activity was evaluated according to the influence on the serotonergic and adrenergic systems of the human internal mammary artery (HIMA). Antioxidant and neuroprotective studies were also conducted. Several luteolin and apigenin derivatives were identified as main constituents of the extract, which did not present any contractile effect nor had any effect on the serotonergic system of HIMA. However, it showed antagonistic effect on the adrenergic system, inhibiting the contraction to noradrenaline (reduction of 58.44% of maximum contraction). The extract showed antioxidant activity and standardised luteolin and apigenin derivatives showed neuroprotective potential, particularly homoorientin.

Coronary artery disease represents a major health problem worldwide for which coronary artery bypass surgery remains a standard of care. Among the several grafts that are available, the internal thoracic artery (ITA) has long been considered the best as several advantages have been described compared with other vessels (e.g. saphenous vein or radial artery), namely, an absent to minor atherosclerotic development. In fact, several studies showed the presence of preatherosclerotic lesions, such as intimal and/or medial thickening, medial fibrosis, among others, in the presence of certain cardiovascular risk factors as well as established atherosclerotic lesions (i.e. type II or more lesions). This paper primarily aimed at reviewing the current knowledge on the histomorphological characteristics of ITA as well as the comparative histomorphology of ITA with other vessel grafts currently in use in coronary surgery. As some of the evidence is not clear or consensual, this paper also aimed at reviewing the main histopathological, histomorphometrical, and ultrastructural findings in ITAs from patients with known cardiovascular risk factors (e.g. aging, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and others). As the presence of preatherosclerotic and/or atherosclerotic lesions may compromise the success of the myocardial revascularization and lead to graft failure, contributing toward the associated morbidity and/or mortality, it is essential to improve the scientific knowledge on the structural characterization of ITAs and its correlation with the cardiovascular risk profile.

Coronary artery disease is recognized as a major health problem worldwide, particularly because of the associated morbidity and mortality. Coronary artery bypass grafting has been an established mainstay in the treatment of this disease for almost half a century and is arguably the most intensively studied surgical procedure ever undertaken. Because of its unique properties, the human internal mammary artery has long been considered the best graft to use in this type of surgery. Previous studies have shown several advantages of this graft compared with others, that is, lower incidence of atherosclerosis. However, few comparative studies on the reactivity of this artery have been published. Moreover, these studies usually focus on isolated cardiovascular risk factors rather than combined risk factors. In fact, patients who require coronary revascularization usually present multiple risk factors, which can interfere with several pathways of regulation of vascular function, namely endothelial function. Several diseases and cardiovascular risk factors have been shown to interfere with endothelial function, promoting the production of vasoconstrictors, inhibiting the production of vasodilators, or both, and thus eventually leading to endothelial dysfunction. Therefore, it is of great interest to study the endothelial function, particularly of the human internal mammary artery, in the presence of combined cardiovascular risk factors and concomitant diseases. Many techniques have been developed to assess the endothelial function, in particular, studies on isolated arteries, as well as spectroscopic, electrochemical, and immunological methods, among others.

Crataegus almaatensis, an endemic ornamental plant in Kazakhstan is used in popular medicine due to its cardiotonic properties. The most studied species of the same genus are commonly found in Europe, which shows the importance of having the Kazakh species validated via its chemical and pharmacological studies. High-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC) operated under optimized conditions enabled an isolation of the three main compounds from the aqueous phase of the leaves ethanol extract, further identified by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), as quercetin 3-O-rhamnoside (quercitrin) (4.02% of the crude extract-CECa); quercetin 3-O-β-galactoside (hyperoside) (1.82% of CECa); kaempferol 3-O-α-L-rhamnoside (afzelin) (0.94% of CECa). The CECa, the aqueous phase of the crude extract (APCa) together with the isolates were evaluated for their vascular (vascular reactivity in human internal mammary artery-HIMA), anti-nociceptive (formalin-induced liking response and hot plate) and anti-inflammatory (subcutaneous air-pouch model-SAP) activities. CECa at the concentrations of 0.014 and 0.14 mg/mL significantly increased the maximum contractility response of HIMA to noradrenaline. The APCa CR curve (0.007–0.7 mg/mL) showed an intrinsic relaxation effect of the HIMA. APCa at the dose of 100 mg/kg i.p. significantly decreased the total leukocyte count and the IL-1β release in the SAP wash.

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