[Utility of the Method for Calculating the Heart to Contralateral Ratio for Cardiac Amyloidosis by Using Ray-summation Images in Tc-pyrophosphate Scintigraphy].

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to avoid the influence of background activity in the calculation of heart to contralateral ratio (H/CL) in Tc-pyrophosphate (PYP) scintigraphy for diagnosis of cardiac amyloidosis. Therefore, we investigated the utility of the H/CL calculation method using ray-summation (ray-sum) images created by multi-planar reconstruction and summing slices of the heart range from single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) images.

Methods: The subjects were 33 patients who underwent Tc-PYP planar and SPECT/CT at 3 hours after injection.

The chemokine receptor type 4 antagonist, AMD3100, interrupts experimental tooth movement in rats.

Objective: The aim of this study was to clarify the role of the stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1)/C-X-C chemokine receptor type 4 (CXCR4) axis in osteoclast accumulation, and the influence of orthodontic tooth movement (OTM) under mechanical force application to periodontal tissues, by administration of the CXCR4 antagonist AMD3100.

Design: The upper right first molar (M1) of rats was moved mesially with a 10-g force titanium-nickel closed coil spring. Rats were treated with phosphate-buffered saline or AMD3100 (5mg/kg), which is a SDF-1 antagonist.

Intermittent Hypoxia Influences Alveolar Bone Proper Microstructure via Hypoxia-Inducible Factor and VEGF Expression in Periodontal Ligaments of Growing Rats.

Intermittent hypoxia (IH) recapitulates morphological changes in the maxillofacial bones in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Recently, we found that IH increased bone mineral density (BMD) in the inter-radicular alveolar bone (reflecting enhanced osteogenesis) in the mandibular first molar (M1) region in the growing rats, but the underlying mechanism remains unknown. In this study, we focused on the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway to assess the effect of IH by testing the null hypothesis of no significant differences in the mRNA-expression levels of relevant factors associated with the HIF pathway, between control rats and growing rats with IH.

An accurate bimaxillary repositioning technique using straight locking miniplates for the mandible-first approach in bimaxillary orthognathic surgery.

Bimaxillary orthognathic surgery has been widely performed to achieve optimal functional and esthetic outcomes in patients with dentofacial deformity. Although Le Fort I osteotomy is generally performed before bilateral sagittal split osteotomy (BSSO) in the surgery, in several situations BSSO should be performed first. However, it is very difficult during bimaxillary orthognathic surgery to maintain an accurate centric relation of the condyle and decide the ideal vertical dimension from the skull base to the mandible.

U-shaped Osteotomy Around the Descending Palatine Artery to Prevent Posterior Osseous Interference for Superior/Posterior Repositioning of the Maxilla in Le Fort I Osteotomy.

In maxillary orthognathic surgery, superior repositioning of the maxilla is sometimes difficult, and removal of bony interference, especially around the descending palatine artery (DPA), is very time-consuming in cases of severe maxillary impaction. Posterior repositioning of the maxilla for removal of bony interference between the posterior maxilla and the pterygoid process is also technically difficult. Because the most common site of hemorrhage in Le Fort I osteotomy is the posterior maxilla, this bone removal is a source of frustration for surgeons in DPA injury.

Vital staining of palatal soft tissue in horseshoe Le Fort I osteotomy for superior repositioning of the maxilla.

In maxillary orthognathic surgery, superior repositioning of the maxilla is sometimes difficult, and removal of the bony interference, especially around the descending palatine artery, is very time-consuming in cases of severe maxillary impaction. A useful method introduced for superior repositioning of the maxilla is horseshoe-shaped osteotomy combined with Le Fort I osteotomy (horseshoe Le Fort I osteotomy). However, injury to the palatal soft tissue during horseshoe-shaped osteotomy may cause aseptic complications of the maxilla.

Efficient collection and sensitive detection using conducting magnetic microbeads.

Conducting magnetic microbeads were successfully fabricated through a simple procedure that involves coating magnetic microbeads with gold nanoparticles. The formation of a gold layer on the bead enabled the simple introduction of a biotin probe onto the bead, resulting in the binding capacity with streptavidin being 10 times greater than that of commercially available biotin-binding magnetic beads. In addition to the high recovery via magnetic forces and high dispersibility in the sample solution, the accumulation of highly conductive beads on the electrode resulted in the amplification of the electrochemical response of the detection system.

Occlusal hypofunction causes periodontal atrophy and VEGF/VEGFR inhibition in tooth movement.

Objective: To examine changes in microvasculature and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2) in rat hypofunctional periodontal ligament (PDL) during experimental tooth movement.

Materials And Methods: Twelve-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into normal occlusion and occlusal hypofunction groups. After a 2-week bite-raising period, rat first molar was moved mesially using a 10-gf titanium-nickel alloy closed coil spring in both groups.

Effect of sympathetic nervous activity on alveolar bone loss induced by occlusal hypofunction in rats.

Objective: To elucidate the effect of sympathetic nervous activity on alveolar bone loss induced by occlusal hypofunction in rat molars.

Design: Occlusal hypofunction in the molar area was produced by attaching appliances to rat maxillary and mandibular incisors. In addition, a non-selective β-adrenergic receptor antagonist, propranolol, was administered orally to rats in drinking water to pharmacologically suppress sympathetic nervous activity.

Influence of occlusal stimuli on the microvasculature in rat dental pulp.

Objective: To examine the influence of occlusal stimuli on the vasculature in the dental pulp, using an occlusal hypofunction model.

Materials And Methods: Twenty 7-week-old male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups. To produce occlusal hypofunction, the appliances were attached to the maxillary and mandibular incisors.