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The employed technique provided a thin and uniform pure crystalline hydroxyapatite coating. The characterization of the precipitated film is promising for clinically successful long-term bone fixation.

Salvadora persica L. (S. persica, Siwak) is an ethnic plant that is widely used for improving oral hygiene. This study aimed to provide a phytochemical profiling of S. persica ethyl acetate fraction (SPEAF) and to evaluate the healing activity of a muco-adhesive formula of the fraction against acetic acid-induced oral ulcers in rats. HPLC-ESI-QTOF-MS-MS analysis of SPEAF resulted in the tentative identification of 56 metabolites containing fatty acids (23%), urea derivatives (10.5%) and sulphur compounds (10%), in addition to several amides, polyphenols and organic acids (6.5%, 5% and 2%, respectively). For the first time, 19 compounds were identified from S. persica. In vitro and in vivo experiments indicated that the extract is non-toxic. SPEAF exhibited superior healing activities compared to both the negative and positive control groups on days 7 and 14 of tongue ulcer induction. This was confirmed by histopathological examinations of haematoxylin and eosin-stained (H&E) and Masson’s trichrome-stained tongue sections. Moreover, SPEAF showed potent anti-inflammatory activities, as evidenced by the inhibited expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis alpha (TNF-α). Moreover, SPEAF exhibited potent antioxidant activity, as it prevented malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation, reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion and superoxide dismutase (SOD) exhaustion. SPEAF significantly enhanced hydroxyproline tongue content and upregulated collagen type I alpha 1 (Col1A1) mRNA expression. SPEAF also improved angiogenesis, as shown by the increased mRNA expression of the angiopoietin-1 (Ang-1). In conclusion, S. persica has a wide range of secondary metabolites and ameliorates acetic acid-induced tongue ulcers in rats. This can be attributed, at least partly, to its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, procollagen and angiogenic activities. These findings provide support and validity for the use of S. persica as a traditional and conventional treatment for oral disorders.

Activity-dependent modulation of NMDA receptors containing selective NR2 subunits has been implicated in plastic processes in developing and adult sensory cortex. Aiming to reveal differential sensitivity of NR2 subunits to sustained changes in sensory activity, we utilized four paradigms that blocked, reinstated, or initiated sensory visual activity. Laminar prevalence of NR2A-and NR2B-containing synapses in visual cortex of postnatal and adult ferrets was assessed using quantitative electron microscopy. Light-deprivation at all ages resulted in a downregulation of NR2A, while recovery from deprivation resulted in an upregulation. Furthermore, premature eyelid opening caused a precocious increase of NR2A. Thus, transitions between periods of dark and light rapidly and bidirectionally regulate NR2A, regardless of cortical layer or age. In contrast, NR2B regulation is layer-and age-dependent. Only in layer IV, NR2B prevalence displays a one-time decline about three weeks after the initiation of sensory activity upon normal or premature eyelid opening, or upon termination of dark-rearing. Incongruity in patterns of NR2A and NR2B modulation by activity is consistent with involvement of these subunits in two distinct, yet partially co-occurring processes: developmental plasticity with a critical period, and life-long plasticity that is established in early developmental ages. Keywords ferret; glutamate receptors; immuno electron microscopy; ocular dominance plasticity; NMDAR Activity dependent modulation of NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDAR) has been proposed to underlie a wide range of cortical processes, including critical period plasticity of thalamocortical innervation, elicitation of LTP/LTD, metaplasticity in both developing and adult brains, and the development and maintenance of orientation selectivity (Kleinschmidt et al. 1987;Bear et al. 1990;Abraham and Bear 1996;Roberts et al. 1998;Bear and Rittenhouse 1999;Quinlan et al. 1999a;Quinlan et al. 1999b;Philpot et al. 2001;Ramoa et al. 2001;Rivadulla et al. 2001;Fagiolini et al. 2003;Sawtell et al. 2003;Cao et al. 2007;Philpot et al. 2007). Notable functional heterogeneity of NMDAR at different ages, brain structures, cortical Corresponding Author: Alev Erisir, University of Virginia, 102 Gilmer Hall, P.O. 400400, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4400, erisir@virginia.edu, (434)-982-4753. The first two authors contributed equally to this work.Publisher's Disclaimer: This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. NIH Public Access Author ManuscriptNeuroscience. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2010 October 20. NIH-PA Author Manuscript...

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