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Objective: This study evaluated the antimicrobial effect and cytotoxicity of hypochlorous acid(HClO) obtained from an innovative electrolytic device., Design: The root canals of fifty extracted human teeth were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and divided into 5 groups (n = 10): DW (control); 2% chlorhexidine gel(CHX); 2.5% sodium hypochlorite(NaOCl); 250 ppm HClO and 500 ppm HClO. The counting of colony forming units evaluated the decontamination potential of each group. Cytotoxicity was evaluated after inoculation of tested protocols in fibroblastic cells for 3 min, calculating the cell viability. Specific statistical analysis was performed (α = 5%)., Results: The highest bacterial reduction was observed in experimental groups, with no statistical differences from each other (p > 0.05). The highest number of viable cells was observed in control group, followed by 250 ppm HClO and 500 ppm HClO groups, with statistical differences from each other (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: It could be concluded that HClO presented high antimicrobial activity and low cytotoxicity at both tested concentrations., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest Dr. Liviu Steier owns IP rights on the Dentaqua device. The rest of authors state that they have no financial affiliation (e.g., employment, direct payment, stock holdings, retainers, consultantships, patent licensing arrangements or honoraria) or involvement with any commercial organization with direct financial interest in the subject or materials discussed in this manuscript, nor have any such arrangements existed in the past three years., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the antimicrobial action, cytotoxicity, cleaning ability, and erosion of dentine of hypochlorous acid (HClO) obtained from an electrolytic device at two different concentrations (Dentaqua) and three concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl)., Methods: Microbiological test-The root canals of sixty single-rooted extracted human teeth were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis and divided into 6 groups (n = 10), according to decontamination protocol: DW (control); 1% NaOCl; 2.5% NaOCl; 5.25% NaOCl; 250 ppm HClO and 500 ppm HClO. The colony-forming units were counted to evaluate the decontamination potential of each group, calculating the reduction in bacterial percentage. Cytotoxicity test-Cytotoxicity was evaluated after inoculation of the same tested protocols in fibroblastic cells for 3 min, calculating the cell viability percentages. Specifical statistical analysis was performed (α = 5%). Cleaning ability and erosion-Fifty-six single-rooted bovine lower incisors were divided into seven groups of 8 roots each, being the test groups 1% NaOCl; 2.5% NaOCl; 5,25% NaOCl; 250 ppm HClO and 500 ppm HClO, and a negative and positive control. Negative control was not contaminated, and the other groups were inoculated with Enterococcus faecalis. SEM images were ranked as from the cleanest to the least clean. Erosion was also assessed, being ranked from the least to the most eroded dentine., Results: The highest bacterial reduction was observed in experimental groups, with no statistical differences between them (p > 0.05). The highest number of viable cells was observed in control group, followed by 250 ppm HClO and 500 ppm HClO groups, with statistical differences between them (p < 0.05). 1% NaOCl; 2.5% NaOCl; 5.25% NaOCl and 500 ppm HClO displayed the cleanest areas. All sodium hypochlorite groups displayed erosion with higher ranks with greater concentration, while hypochlorous acid did not display any erosion regardless the concentration., Conclusions: It is possible to conclude that HClO obtained from an electrolytic device presented high antimicrobial activity and low cytotoxicity in both tested concentrations. 500 ppm HClO did not display erosion and showed great cleaning ability., Clinical Relevance: The use of 500 ppm hypochlorous acid may reduce unfavorable behavior of sodium hypochlorite whilst maintaining its antimicrobial action., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Dry-type insulated transformers stand out for their higher applicability in substations, high-voltage instrumentation systems, and electrical installations. In this machine, the insulation system is constituted of dielectric materials such as epoxy resin and Nomex paper. Some critical issues in the operation of this equipment, such as overload, moisture, or heat, can induce a slow degradation of the physical-chemical properties of the dielectric materials, which can culminate in the total failure of the transformer. However, before the transformer's shutdown, it is common to detect discharge activity in the insulation system. Based on this issue, this work proposes an experimental and comparative analysis between acoustic emission and Hall-effect sensors, aiming at differentiating discharges in epoxy resin and Nomex paper, materials that constitute the insulation of the dry-type insulated transformers. Two signal processing techniques were studied: traditional frequency analysis and discrete wavelet transform. The objective is to develop signal processing techniques to differentiate each type of discharge since different discharges require different maintenance actions. The results obtained indicate that acoustic emission sensors and Hall sensors are promising in differentiating discharge in epoxy resin and Nomex paper. Furthermore, the pattern recognition tools presented by this work, which associated the wavelet levels energies and the energy of the full signals with the average band and the equivalent bandwidth, were effective to perform feature extraction of power transformer condition.

Deposition of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides into specific encephalic structures has been pointed as an important event related to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis and associated with activation of glial cells, neuroinflammation, oxidative responses, and cognitive deficits. Aβ-induced pro-oxidative damage may regulate the activity of glutamate transporters, leading to reduced glutamate uptake and, as a consequence, excitotoxic events. Herein, we evaluated the effects of the pretreatment of atorvastatin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, on behavioral and biochemical alterations induced by a single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) injection of aggregated Aβ1-40 in mice. Atorvastatin (10 mg/kg/day, p.o.) was administered through seven consecutive days before Aβ1-40 administration. Aβ1-40 caused significant cognitive impairment in the object-place recognition task (2 weeks after the i.c.v. injection) and this phenomenon was abolished by atorvastatin pretreatment. Ex vivo evaluation of glutamate uptake into hippocampal and cerebral cortices slices showed atorvastatin, and Aβ1-40 decreased hippocampal and cortical Na(+)-dependent glutamate uptake. However, Aβ1-40 increased Na(+)-independent glutamate uptake and it was prevented by atorvastatin in prefrontal cortex slices. Moreover, Aβ1-40 treatment significantly increased the cerebrocortical activities of glutathione reductase and glutathione peroxidase and these events were blunted by atorvastatin pretreatment. Reduced or oxidized glutathione levels were not altered by Aβ1-40 and/or atorvastatin treatment. These results extend the notion of the protective action of atorvastatin against neuronal toxicity induced by Aβ1-40 demonstrating that a pretreatment with atorvastatin prevents the spatial learning and memory deficits induced by Aβ in rodents and promotes changes in glutamatergic and antioxidant systems mainly in prefrontal cortex.

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a 36-amino acid peptide widely distributed in the central nervous system (CNS) that has been associated with the modulation of several functions including food intake, learning and memory, mood and neuroprotection. There is great interest in understanding the role of NPY in the deleterious effects induced by the central accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides, a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, we evaluated the effects of a single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) administration of NPY (0.0234 μmol/μL) 15 min prior to the i.c.v. injection of aggregated Aβ1-40 peptide (400 pmol/mouse) in behavioral and neurochemical parameters related to oxidative stress in mice. Pretreatment with NPY prevented Aβ1-40-induced depressive-like responses and spatial memory impairments evaluated in the tail suspension and object location tasks, respectively. The protective effects of NPY on spatial memory of Aβ1-40-treated mice were abolished by the pretreatment with the selective Y2 receptor antagonist BIIE0246. On the other hand, the administration of NPY and Aβ1-40 did not alter the performance of the animals in the elevated plus-maze and open field arena, indicating lack of effects on anxiety state and locomotor function. Although Aβ1-40 infusion did not change hippocampal and cortical glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and glutathione (GSH) levels, Aβ1-40-infused animals showed an increased lipid peroxidation in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex that were blunted by NPY administration. These findings indicate that central administration of NPY prevents Aβ1-40-induced depressive-like behavior and spatial memory deficits in mice and that this response is mediated, at least in part, by the activation of Y2 receptors and prevention of oxidative stress., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Ghrelin is a gastric hormone that stimulates growth hormone (GH) secretion and food intake to regulate energy homeostasis and body weight by binding to its receptor, GH secretagogue receptor (GHSR1a), which is most highly expressed in the pituitary and hypothalamus. Nowadays there is considerable evidence showing that the GHSR1a is also expressed in numerous extra-hypothalamic neuronal populations and the physiological role of ghrelin is by far wider than considered before including learning and memory, anxiety, depression and neuroprotection. The present review attempts to provide a comprehensive picture of the role of ghrelin in the central nervous system and to highlight recent findings showing its potential as an innovative therapeutic agent in neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.

Methylmercury (MeHg), a potent neurotoxicant, easily passes through the blood-brain barrier and accumulates in brain causing severe irreversible damage. However, the underlying neurotoxic mechanisms elicited by MeHg are still not completed defined. In this study, we aimed to investigate the in vitro toxic effects elicited by crescent concentrations (0-1500 microM) of MeHg on creatine kinase (CK) activity, thiol content (NPSH) and protein carbonyl content (PCC) in mouse brain preparations. In addition, CK activity, MTT reduction and DCFH-DA oxidation (reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation) were also measured in C6 glioma cell linage. CK activity was severely reduced by MeHg treatment in mouse brain preparations. This inhibitory effect was positively correlated to the MeHg-induced reduction of NPSH levels and increment in PCC. Moreover, the positive correlation between brain CK activity and NPSH levels was observed at either 15 or 60 min of MeHg pre-incubation. In addition, MeHg-treated C6 cells showed also a significant inhibition of CK activity at MeHg concentrations, as low as, 50 microM in parallel to reduced mitochondrial function and increased ROS production. Taking together, these data demonstrate that MeHg severely affects CK activity, an essential enzyme for brain energy buffering to maintain cellular energy homeostasis. This effect appears to be mediated by oxidation of thiol groups that might cause subsequent oxidative stress., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Liver is an important item in the human diet. The present study examined the retinol concentration in the fresh livers of Cobb and Ross chicken strains, after freezing at -18 degrees C for 90 days. The retinol dosage in the liver was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. The poultry strain significantly influenced liver retinol levels. The mean retinol value in the fresh samples was 6,678.0+/-1,337.7 and 8,324.1+/-1,158.5 microg/100 g in the Cobb and Ross strains, respectively. These values decreased significantly with liver storage time and reached levels that were 44.1% lower than those of fresh liver after 90 days. The results showed a high concentration of retinol in the chicken livers and demonstrated that more than 30 days of storage causes decreased retinol. Despite the losses resulting from freezing, the ingestion of a typical 100 g portion of liver, regardless of the chicken strain analyzed, exceeds the tolerable upper intake level of vitamin A (3,000 microg/day) for adults.

1. The purpose of this study was to assess the incorporation of retinol into quail egg yolk and cholesterol concentration in response to supplementation with different quantities of retinyl palmitate (600, 1200, 2400 and 4800 microg). 2. Supplementations were performed weekly for 4 weeks and the yolk retinol was measured using high performance liquid chromatography. 3. The results showed a progressive increase in the incorporation of retinol into the egg yolk in response to supplementation, reaching values 384% higher than control values. 4. At the end of supplementation we observed a significant decrease in egg yolk retinol concentrations with supplementations of 2400 and 4800 microg, the most enduring showing high retinol contents even after 3 weeks. 5. Supplementation increased egg weight but neither egg production nor cholesterol levels were significantly altered.