Face, palate, and craniofacial morphology in patients with a solitary median maxillary central incisor.
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The occurrence of a solitary median maxillary central incisor (SMMCI) is a very rare condition and might be a sign of a mild degree of holoprosencephaly. In this investigation, material from 10 patients, nine girls and one boy with a SMMCI (8-17 years of age) registered in orthodontic clinics was examined. The purpose was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and craniofacial morphology in this group of patients. Oral photographs, study casts, profile radiographs, and orthopantomograms were analysed. The study showed that this group of SMMCI patients were characterized by an indistinct philtrum, an arch-shaped upper lip, absence of the fraenulum of the upper lip, a complete or incomplete mid-palatal ridge, a SMMCI, and nasal obstruction or septum deviation. The craniofacial morphology of the nine girls, compared with normal standards for girls showed a short anterior cranial base, a short, retrognathic and posteriorly inclined maxilla, and a retrognathic and posteriorly inclined mandible. Furthermore, the sella turcica had a deviant morphology in five of the 10 subjects. The results indicate that the presence of a SMMCI should not be considered as a simple dental anomaly, since it may be associated with other clinical characteristics and more complex craniofacial malformations. It is therefore suggested that the SMMCI condition in future studies is classified according to clinical symptoms and craniofacial morphology. (+info)
The development of the olfactory mucosa in the mouse: light microscopy.
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The development of the olfactory and vomeronasal epithelia of the mouse has been investigated from the 9th day of gestation until shortly after birth. On the 10th day axons emerge from the base of the olfactory epithelium to reach the olfactory bulb primordia on the 11th day, at which time the olfactory dendrites first appear. On the 13th day a distinction between the elongate nuclei of the embryonic stem cells and the rounded nuclei of the differentiating receptors is visible. A basal layer of stem cells remains mitotically active from the 13th day of gestation onwards, and after the 15th day the majority of mitoses occur in this layer. It is suggested that from the 15th day of gestation onwards the nuclei situated most apically become those of the supporting cells. The glands of Bowman are first visible on the 17th day of gestation. The diverticulum of the vomeronasal organ begins to form on the 11th day and the development of its sensory epithelium resembles that of the olfactory organ except for the absence of basally situated stem cell nuclei in the later stages of the vomeronasal organ. (+info)
Recovery of anaerobic bacteria from 3 patients with infection at a pierced body site.
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We describe 3 adolescents who developed infections due to anaerobes at pierced body sites: the nipple, the umbilicus, and the nasal septum. Anaerobes (Prevotella intermedia and Peptostreptococcus anaerobius) were recovered from pure culture of specimens obtained from 1 patient with nipple infection and were mixed with aerobic bacteria in cultures of specimens obtained from 2 patients (Streptococcus aureus, Peptostreptococcus micros, and Prevotella melaninogenica were recovered from a patient with nasal septum infection, and Bacteroides fragilis and Enterococcus faecalis were recovered from a patient with umbilical infection). The infection resolved in all patients after removal of the ornaments and use of antimicrobial drug treatment. (+info)
Immunohistochemical studies on the differential maturation of three types of olfactory organs in the rats.
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Differential maturation of three types of olfactory organs, the olfactory epithelium (OE), the vomeronasal organ (VNO) and the septal olfactory organ of Masera (MO), was examined immunohistochemically in embryonic and newborn rats by the use of antiprotein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) serum. These olfactory organs were derived in common from the olfactory placode as neuroepithelia. In the OE, PGP 9.5-immunopositive olfactory cells first appeared at 13 days of gestation. The OE maturated completely, and showed the same cytological features as in the adult at 20 days of gestation. The MO first appeared as a dense mass of PGP 9.5-immunopositive sensory cells on the most ventrocaudal part of the nasal septum at 15 days of gestation and was evidently isolated from the OE by the decrease of immunopositive cells in the intercalated epithelium between the OE and the MO at 20 days of gestation. However, even at 7 days after birth, the MO did not complete its development and contained sensory cells aggregating in the mass. The VNO was separated from the nasal cavity at 13 days of gestation as a tubular structure of a neuroepithelium including PGP 9.5-immunopositive sensory cells. These cells gradually increased in number in the sensory epithelium of the VNO and extended their dendritic processes to the free surface at 7 days after birth. These findings clarified the differential maturation of these olfactory organs. That is, the OE completes its development before birth, while the MO and VNO after birth. (+info)
Reappraisal of the vomeronasal system of catarrhine primates: ontogeny, morphology, functionality, and persisting questions.
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The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a chemosensory organ that functions in sociosexual communication in many vertebrates. In strepsirhine primates and New World monkeys, the bilateral VNOs are traditionally understood to exist as a well-developed chemosensory epithelial unit. In contrast, the VNOs of catarrhine primates are thought to be absent or exist only as reduced epithelial tubes of uncertain function. However, the VNO of New World monkeys shows substantial variation in the extent of sensory epithelium. Recent findings that the chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) possesses a VNO similar to humans suggest the variability of the VNO among haplorhine primates may be more extensive than previously thought, and perhaps more at par with that observed in chiropterans. The atypical histologic structure and location of the human/chimpanzee VNO suggest accessory glandular secretion and transport functions. Other catarrhine primates (e.g., Macaca spp.), may truly be characterized by VNO absence. Unique aspects of facial growth and development in catarrhine primates may influence the position or even presence of the VNO in adults. These recent findings demonstrate that previous investigations on some catarrhine primates may have missed the VNO and underestimated the extent of variability. As an understanding of this variation increases, our view of VNO functionality and associated terminology is changing. Further investigations are needed to consider phylogenetic implications of VNO variability and the association of craniofacial form and VNO anatomic position in primates. (+info)
Characterization of glycosaminoglycans from human normal and scoliotic nasal cartilage with particular reference to dermatan sulfate.
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The composition and the distribution of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) present in normal human nasal cartilage (HNNC), were examined and compared with those in human scoliotic nasal cartilage (HSNC). In both tissues, hyaluronan (HA), keratan sulfate (KS) and the galactosaminoglycans (GalAGs)--chondroitin sulfate (CS) and dermatan sulfate (DS)--were identified. The overall GAG content in HSNC was approx. 30% higher than the HNNC. Particularly, a 114% increase in HA, and 46% and 86% in KS and DS, respectively, was recorded. CS was the main type of GAG in both tissues with no significant compositional difference. GalAG chains in HSNC exhibited an altered disaccharide composition which was associated with significant increases of non-sulfated and 6-sulfated disaccharides. DS, which was identified and quantitated for the first time in HNNC and HSNC, contained low amounts of iduronic acid (IdoA), 18% and 28% respectively. In contrast to other tissues, where IdoA residues are organized in long IdoA rich repeats, the IdoA residues of DS in human nasal cartilage seemed to be randomly distributed along the chain. DS chains in HSNC were of larger average molecular size than those from HNNC. These results clearly indicate the GAG content and pattern in both HNNC and HSNC and demonstrate that scoliosis of nasal septum cartilage is related to quantitative and structural modifications at the GAG level. (+info)
Genotoxicity induced in CD-1 mice by inhaled lead: differential organ response.
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Lead is perhaps the longest used and best recognized toxic environmental chemical and it is still being used recklessly. Lead (Pb) has been found to be capable of eliciting a positive response in an extraordinarily wide range of biological and biochemical tests; among them tests for enzyme inhibition, fidelity of DNA synthesis, mutation, chromosomal aberrations, cancer and birth defects. Since inhalation is one of the most important routes of environmental Pb exposure, in the present study a lead inhalation model in mice was implemented in order to detect the induction of genotoxic damage as single-strand breaks and alkali-labile sites in several mouse organs (nasal epithelial cells, lung, whole blood, liver, kidney, bone marrow, brain and testes), assessed by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) or Comet assay. We found differences among the organs studied after a single and subsequent inhalations: in the organs analyzed we observed a positive induction of DNA damage after a single inhalation only in the liver and the lung. In subsequent inhalations the response was positive in all organs except the testicle, however, DNA damage induction over time was different for each organ. A correlation between length of exposure, DNA damage and metal tissue concentration was observed for lung, liver and kidney. Differences in DNA damage occurred in organs when lead acetate was administered acutely or sub-chronically. These results show that lead acetate inhalation induces systemic DNA damage but that some organs are special targets of this metal, such as lung and liver, depending in part on length of exposure, suggesting alternative organ processes to handle lead intoxication. (+info)
The mechanism of aggrecan release from cartilage differs with tissue origin and the agent used to stimulate catabolism.
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The mechanisms of aggrecan degradation in adult human articular, adult bovine nasal and fetal bovine epiphyseal cartilage in response to either interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) or retinoic acid were compared using an explant culture system. Bovine nasal cartilage cultured with either IL-1beta or retinoic acid exhibited significant release of glycosaminoglycan (GAG). For both factors, aggrecan proteolysis occurred predominantly at the 'aggrecanase' site, with no evidence for the action of matrix metalloproteinases, and resulted in the appearance of the corresponding G1 fragment in tissue extracts and in culture media. In human cartilage, little effect of IL-1beta was seen, but abundant release of GAG occurred in the presence of retinoic acid, with evidence of aggrecanase action. Treatment of fetal epiphyseal cartilage with retinoic acid resulted in significant GAG release, whereas treatment with IL-1beta did not. In the retinoic acid-treated tissue, however, no evidence for the cleavage of aggrecan in the interglobular region was apparent. Thus, in the fetal system, agents in addition to aggrecanase and matrix metalloproteinases appear to be active. Taken together, these data demonstrate that the pathways utilized for aggrecan catabolism may vary between different cartilages for a given stimulatory agent, and that, for a given tissue, different factors may elicit aggrecan release via different pathways. (+info)