A New NLRP3 Inflammasome Inhibitor,Dioscin, Promotes Osteogenesis

Refractory periapical periodontitis, which is a persistent infection after root canal treatment, still has no effective treatment. Its most common pathogen is Enterococcus faecalis. Here, the precursor of phytosteroids, dioscin, is introduced to fight against the inflammation induced by Enterococcus faecalis. The findings suggest that dioscin inhibits the nuclear transport of NF‐κB and the expression of reactive oxygen species (ROS) induced by lipoteichoic acid from the Enterococcus faecalis. The decrease in mRNA and protein levels of NLRP3, Caspase‐1, and IL‐1β is observed in dioscin treated mouse macrophages. In the MC3T3‐E1 cells, dioscin also promotes the expression of osteogenic‐related factors, ALP, Runx2, and OCN. The increased formation of mineralized nodules after the application of dioscin further indicates that dioscin has the potential to promote osteogenesis. The above results suggest dioscin can be a potential root canal irrigation or root canal sealant for the treatment of refractory apical periodontitis.     

SPS烧结钛固溶体致密陶瓷TiO_xC_yN_z的研究

以TiO、TiC和TiN的商业粉末为原料,采用放电等离子烧结技术(SPS)在1 600℃制备致密的钛固溶体Ti3OCN,系统研究了不同烧结方式下(包括SPS、传统烧结(CS)和它们的组合)烧结Ti3OCN的致密化过程和性能变化。结果表明,制备的Ti3OCN具有面心立方结构,其形成机理是O、N元素进入TiC。在SPS之后进行的CS过程可以小范围地增加钛固溶体的密度和电导率,但会降低其机械性能。