Acute liver failure is a refractory disease and its prognosis, if not treated using liver transplantation, is extremely poor. It is a good candidate for regenerative medicine, where stem cell-based therapies play a central role. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are known to differentiate into multiple cell lineages including hepatocytes. Autologous cell transplant without any foreign gene induction is feasible using MSCs, thereby avoiding possible risks of tumorigenesis and immune rejection. Dental pulp also contains an MSC population that differentiates into hepatocytes. A point worthy of special mention is that dental pulp can be obtained from deciduous teeth during childhood and can be subsequently harvested when necessary after deposition in a tooth bank. MSCs have not only a regenerative capacity but also act in an anti-inflammatory manner via paracrine mechanisms. Promising efficacies and difficulties with the use of MSC derived from teeth are summarized in this review.
Background/Aim: Amitriptyline is a major tricyclic antidepressant that is also used to relieve chronic orofacial pain. Recently, alterations in gut flora due to various antidepressants have been demonstrated. However, it remains unknown how antidepressants affect the oral environment, including microbiota and innate immunity. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of amitriptyline on oral microflora and antimicrobial peptides. Materials and Methods: Sprague-Dawley rats were intraperitoneally injected with amitriptyline for 2 weeks. The DNA extracted from the oral swabs were used to perform 16SrRNA sequencing to evaluate the oral microbiome. Quantitative RT-PCR was performed to evaluate the mRNA levels of antimicrobial peptides in the buccal tissues. Results: No significant differences in salivary flow rates were observed between the amitriptyline and control groups. Taxonomic analysis showed significant alterations in bacteria such as Corynebacterium, Rothia, and Porphyromonas due to amitriptyline administration. The beta diversity showed significant differences between the amitriptyline and control groups. Additionally, the predicted metagenome functions were significantly different between the two groups. The mRNA expression levels of antimicrobial peptides in the amitriptyline group were significantly higher as compared to controls. Conclusion: Systemic administration of amitriptyline may affect the oral environment, including oral microbes and innate immunity in the oral mucosa. Amitriptyline (AMI) is a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA) drug that increases monoamine levels in the synaptic region by blocking the reuptake of both serotonin and norepinephrine neurotransmitters (1). AMI relieves neuropathic pain, acts as an antidepressant, and has been applied to treat orofacial chronic pain, such as postherpetic neuralgia, trigeminal neuralgia, and burning mouth syndrome (2, 3). AMI has strong binding affinity for alpha-adrenergic, histamine (H1), and muscarinic (M1) receptors, leading to a wide range of side effects. Owing to AMI's anticholinergic effects, dry mouth is one of the most common side effects (4, 5).The relationship between the enteric nervous systems of the gut and central nervous system has been recently established as a "gut-brain axis" (6). This concept includes the alteration of gut flora caused by psychological stress, while changes in human behavior and appetite increase the sense of anxiety due to gut inflammation (6, 7). In addition, 2134
Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from dental tissues have gained attention in the field of regenerative medicine, in part because they can be obtained from deciduous or extracted teeth. This study aims to investigate the potential of dental pulp-derived MSCs (DP-MSCs) to differentiate into cells with hepatocyte function and to examine the therapeutic effects of these cells on acute chemical liver injuries of rats. MSC fractions from dental pulp were cultured using specific reagents containing activin A and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). Albumin, fibrinogen, and urea production were assessed and their specific mRNAs were detected by reverse transcription (RT)-PCR. Therapeutic effects of DP-MSCs on rats with acute chemical injuries induced by concanavalin A (ConA) and D-galactosamine (D-gal) were also investigated. DP-MSCs differentiated into polygonal hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) that produced albumin and converted ammonium to urea. Importantly, HNF4α, which is a liver-specific transcription factor, was expressed in HLCs, confirming the liver-specific properties of HLCs. Administration of HLCs induced significant improvements in liver function following hepatic injury in rats. Thus, DP-MSCs could differentiate into cells with hepatic function. The potential contribution of these cells in regenerative medicine for refractory liver diseases is expected.
Oral mucositis is highly prevalent among the elderly, for whom oral care is often difficult. Oral mucositis, such as candidiasis, can induce systemic fungemia. Antifungal prophylaxis may be useful in such cases to prevent systemic fungemia; however, studies on this are limited. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the effectiveness of antifungal prophylaxis to prevent systemic Candida dissemination compared to oral care using a mice model. Oral candidiasis was induced using chemotherapy and inoculation with C. albicans in 8-week-old male mice. Group A was given oral care, Group B was orally administered an antifungal drug, Group C was intravenously administered an antifungal drug, and Group D was used as the negative control group. Macroscopic features of the tongue surface, colony forming units (CFU) on the tongue, and blood culture for C. albicans were evaluated. CFU was significantly higher in Group A than in Groups B and C. The oral care group, but not the groups administered antifungal agents, showed significantly higher positive numbers of animals with C. albicans in the blood as compared to the control group, indicating the effectiveness of antifungal prophylaxis over oral care. Antifungal prophylaxis may be an option for the prevention of systemic fungemia in individuals with difficulty in oral care.
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