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Background/Aim. Appropriate selection of suture materials is a crucial step in oral, maxillofacial and periodontal surgery for uneventful healing. We have scarcity of comprehensive studies comparing mechanical properties of commonly used suture material in oral surgery. The present in vitro study sought to evaluate the effect of saliva on the strength, elongation and stiffness of the commonly used suture material over a period of two weeks. Methods. Three suture materials, silk (SL), polyglactin 910 (PG) and polypropylene (PP), were used in 4–0 gauge. A total of 120 suture samples (40 from each material) were used for the investigation. Artificial saliva was mixed with human serum in 1:1 ratio and maintained at pH of 7.4 to 8.1 to simulate oral environment. All samples were tested at pre-immersion (baseline), as well as on the 3rd, 7th and 14th day in the post-immersion period. A universal testing machine was used to test the selected mechanical properties. The collected data were subjected to statistical analysis. Results. The distribution of mean baseline strength and percentage elongation was significantly higher in the PP group (p < 0.001), whereas stiffness score was the highest in the SL group (p < 0.001). Inter-group comparison revealed that the PP group had maximum tensile strength compared to the PG and SL groups at all time points. When percentage elongation was compared, the PP and PG groups showed the highest values on the 7th and 14th day, respectively. The PP group exhibited the highest stiffness values compared to the SL and PG groups on the 7th and 14th day in the post-immersion period (p < 0.001). Intra-group comparison showed that all suture materials had significant difference in mechanical properties when pre-immersion values were compared to the 14th day post-immersion values (p < 0.001). Conclusion. PP sutures are the strongest and have the highest tensile strength and elongation property. PP seems to sustain its tensile strength better than SL and PG at the end of the 14th day. Controlled clinical studies are necessary to verify this finding in an in vivo set-ting.

Background/Aim. Healthy periodontium comprises the dento-gingival junction. Periodontal disease starts to appear when the integrity of the junctional epithelium is disturbed. Assessment of the supracrestal tissue attachment (SCTA) is essential because there is a frequent need for restoration or prosthesis after periodontal surgical and non-surgical therapy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the SCTA variations in a patients with chronic periodontitis before and after treatment. Methods. Thirty systemically healthy patients with periodontitis were enrolled in the study. Fifteen patients were subjected to scaling and root planing and 15 to open flap debridement. Radiographic and clinical findings of the SCTA were assessed before and after treatment at 3-month and 6-month intervals. Results. Comparison between clinical and radiographic findings of the SCTA showed a significant difference in patients with periodontitis (p < 0.05). This difference was not significant after treatment of patients with shallow pockets with scaling and root planing (p > 0.05), but showed a significant difference in patients with moderate pockets treated by open flap debridement (p < 0.05). Conclusion. Progression in periodontal disease causes a reduction in the SCTA dimension, which regains its original dimensions after periodontal therapy. It takes around 3 months for the shallow pockets to regain the supracrestal tissue attachment to the original dimension when treated by scaling and root planing, whereas moderate pockets regain it after 6 months when treated with open flap debridement.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signals cell survival, cell migration, osteogenesis, cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and vascular permeability by binding to VEGF receptor 2 (VEGFR-2). Osteosarcoma is the most common primary bone cancer, majorly affects young adults. Activation of VEGFR-2 signaling is a therapeutic target for osteosarcoma. The present study aimed to evaluate the potency of stylopine in regulation of the VEGFR-2 signaling pathway and its anti-tumour effect human MG-63 osteosarcoma cells. The in silico study on benzylisoquinoline alkaloids was carried out for analyzing and shortlisting of compounds using a virtual screening, Lipinski's rule, bioavailability graphical RADAR plot, pharmacokinetics, toxicity, and molecular docking studies. Among the benzylisoquinoline alkaloids, stylopine was selected and subjected to in-vitro studies against human MG-63 osteosarcoma cells. Various experiments such as MTT assay, EtBr/AO staining, mitochondrial membrane potential assessment, transwell migration assay, gene expression analysis by a quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) method, SDS-PAGE followed by immunoblotting were performed to evaluate its anti-tumour effect as compared to standard axitinib. The MTT assay indicates that stylopine inhibits cell proliferation in MG-63 cells. Similarly, as confirmed by the EtBr/Ao staining method, the MMP assay indicates that stylopine induces mitochondrial membrane damage and apoptosis as compared to axitinib. Moreover, stylopine inhibits the VEGF-165 induced MG-63 cell migration by a trans-well migration assay. The immunoblotting and qRT-PCR analysis showed that stylopine inhibits the VEGF-165 induced VEGFR2 expression in MG-63 cells. It is concluded that stylopine has potential to regulate VEGFR2 and can inhibit osteosarcoma cells to offer a new drug candidate for the treatment of bone cancer in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Periodontitis is a chronic infectious disease affecting periodontium having multifactorial etiology, can cause significant systemic challengein addition to localized inflammation, tissue damage, and bone resorption. A serological marker of systemic inflammation known as C-reactive protein has been linked to an increased risk for a number of pathological conditions, including cardiovascular diseases. Aim. To estimate levels of serum C-reactive protein in healthy individuals and subjects with periodontal diseases and to compare serum C-reactive protein levels in subjects having periodontal disease pre-operatively & post-operatively. Materials and methods. The study was conducted on 60 subjects age ranging from 35 to 60 years. 30 individuals with healthy periodontium were in group 1 (control group) and the remaining 30 were diagnosed as adult periodontitis were in group 2 (experimental group). Periodontal examination done using gingival index, plaque index, periodontal pocket depth, and Russel's index. CRP levels were examined between group 1 and group 2 and in group 2 between baseline visit before treatment and 2 months after treatment. Results. The findings of this study show a significant connection between periodontal disease and the inflammatory marker CRP in the body, as well as a tendency for a significant decrease in serumCRP levels following periodontitis therapy. At baseline, there was a positive correlation among C-reactive protein, probing pocket depth, and Russell's index. Conclusion. As CRP is a key mediator for cardiovascular disease, an increase in C-reactive protein levels in periodontal diseases suggests a significant connection between periodontitis and cardiovascular diseases. Early periodontal treatment might decrease the severity of cardiovascular disease that already exists. This suggests that periodontal examination should be part of routine practicealong with cardiovascular examination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Punica granatum (Pomegranate fruit) and its constituents are proven effective against various cancer types. However, a kinome‐wide screening for the active phytochemicals against kinases is not reported. This study aims in validating pomegranate fruit extract (PFE) against acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells, and computationally identifying the phytochemicals interacting with active kinases. PFE was made with Soxhlet extractor using absolute ethanol. Gas‐chromatography–mass spectroscopy (GC–MS) for phytochemical identification and MTT assay for cytotoxicity in AML (THP‐1, TF‐1 and HL‐60) cells were performed. Apoptosis, CDK5 and CDK8 were assessed with flow cytometry. Kinase profiling was performed using In silico kinome screening. GC–MS analysis revealed 38 bioactive phytochemicals in PFE including pyrazoles, aldehydes, phenols, esters, pyranosides, and octadecadienoic acids. The extract inhibited the AML cell proliferations with GI50 values of 195.5 μg/ml, 289.1 μg/ml, and 353.5 μg/ml in THP‐1, THP‐1, and HL‐60 cells, respectively. PFE also exhibited a dose‐responsive increase in apoptotic cell populations when treated to the AML cells. Computational screening and modeling predicted three critical constituents, viz., Deoxyartemisinin, 3‐Methyl‐3‐phenyl‐3H‐indazole, and 8‐fluoro‐5,6‐dimethoxy‐3,4‐dihydro‐2H‐naphthalen‐1‐one of pomegranate extract to interact mainly with cyclin‐dependent kinases, including CDK5 and CDK8. Proteinand ligand docking predicted binding energies, and binding pose for top candidate lead molecules. In vitro assay exhibited the anticancer properties of PFE in AML cells. Computational kinome screening predicted top three PFE constituents targeting CDKs which may be responsible for the demonstrated anticancer efficacy of the extract against AML. This hypothesis further aligned with observed efficacy of PFE to inhibit CDK5 and CDK8 in all AML cells tested. Practical applications: Though Punica granatum (Pomegranate fruit) and its constituents are proven effective against various cancer types, a kinome‐wide screening for the active phytochemicals against kinases is not reported. In this study, we have conducted GC/MS characterization of the active phytochemicals of PFE and have performed a kinome‐wide screening for all the 38 identified compounds toward 310 active kinases commonly expressed in cancers. These observations warrant isolation and further evaluation of these phytochemicals or their analogues as effective CDK inhibitors against AML proliferation. Further, the computational methods used in this study will throw light on literature for new options of kinome panel screening of active phytochemicals or small molecules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]