Publications by authors named "Leonardo Oliveira Bittencourt"

Background: The prostate plays a crucial role in male reproduction but is susceptible to diseases such as prostate cancer. Periodontitis, as an inflammatory disease, has the potential to modulate systemic conditions. This systematic review aimed to evaluate the association between periodontitis and prostatic alterations.

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Excessive fluoride (F) exposure is associated with adverse effects at different life stages and can affect various biological systems, including the mineralized tissues of the oral cavity. However, there is limited evidence that early F exposure during pregnancy and lactation impairs the development of offspring dental enamel. From a translational perspective, this study aimed to investigate the effects of F at different concentrations on the ultrastructural, physicochemical, and functional properties of dental enamel in the offspring of rats exposed during the prenatal and lactation periods.

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This study aimed to explore how the long-term use of midazolam (MDZ) influences the biochemistry and structural alterations in the salivary glands of adult rats, along with the function of their saliva. Twenty male Wistar rats were allocated in two groups (n = 10) and received daily intragastric administration of 0.1mg/kg MDZ solubilized in distilled water or only distilled water (control) for 30 days.

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Fluoride can harm various tissues depending on its concentration and exposure duration. While its effects on mineralized tissues like bones and teeth are known, few studies have explored its impact on preosteoblastic cells. This study examined the effects of fluoride on differentiating osteoblastic cells.

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Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of açai on bone and systemic damage caused by apical periodontitis (AP) in an animal model.

Methodology: In this experimental study, 32 male Wistar rats were randomly allocated into six groups-Control 14 days (n = 4), Control 28 days (n = 4), AP 14 days (n = 4), AP 28 days (n = 4), AP plus açai treatment for 14 days (n = 8) and AP plus açai treatment for 28 days (n = 8). Apical periodontitis was induced under general anaesthesia by exposing the pulp of the first molars to the oral environment.

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Stroke is a severe medical condition resulting from an interruption in the blood supply to the brain, ultimately compromising tissue homeostasis. Currently, stroke stands as the second leading cause of death worldwide and the third leading cause when considering both mortality and disability together. Periodontitis is characterized by persistent inflammation in hard and soft tissues which support the teeth, primarily caused by bacterial biofilms, and is one of the most common causes of tooth loss in adults and can contribute to a systemic inflammatory burden.

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Lead poisoning is a global public health concern. Maternal exposure during intrauterine and lactational periods can present a higher susceptibility of harm to the offspring. Thus, pregnant female Wistar rats (Rattus norvegicus) were randomly divided in two experimental groups: control group and Lead group.

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This study aimed to investigate the impact of minocycline on the alveolar bone in experimental periodontitis in rats. Thirty Wistar rats were randomly assigned to three groups: control without periodontitis; experimental periodontitis induced by ligature; experimental periodontitis + intraperitoneal administration minocycline for seven days. Ligatures remained in place in both periodontitis groups for 14 days.

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The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of a moderate intensity physical training protocol, on alveolar bone morphology of rats submitted to ligature-induced periodontitis. Twenty-eight male Wistar rats were divided into four groups, considering the presence/absence of periodontitis and presence/absence of training. The training protocol was performed on a treadmill, 30 min/day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks.

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Article Synopsis
  • This systematic review investigated the link between apical periodontitis (a dental condition) and systemic biomarkers in adults, using established research protocols like PRISMA.
  • The study evaluated 656 initial articles, ultimately including 17 after applying specific eligibility criteria, and assessed their methodological quality, revealing varying levels of bias among them.
  • Findings indicated a significant association between apical periodontitis and specific inflammatory biomarkers, such as interleukins (IL-1, IL-2, IL-6) and immunoglobulins (IgG, IgM), primarily measured in blood plasma and saliva.
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The açai juice contains high concentrations of phenolic compounds, including cyanidin-3-glucoside and others flavonoids. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of açai supplementation on healthy mandibular alveolar bone in male albino rats of the Wistar strain. 24 rats were divided into 3 groups, in which one group received a daily dose of saline solution and the other two groups were treated with daily doses of clarified açai juice for 14 or 28 days.

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We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of physical training as a protective strategy to mitigate alveolar bone damage and blood antioxidant defense caused by ethanol (EtOH) consumption in a binge-drinking pattern. Male Wistar rats aged approximately 90 days were divided into four groups: control, training, EtOH, and training + EtOH. The physical training protocol was conducted on a treadmill for four consecutive weeks, while the animals in the EtOH group were administered EtOH via orogastric gavage for three consecutive days each week, following the binge drink pattern.

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Article Synopsis
  • Numerous studies have investigated the effects of fluoride (F) on various systems, especially its interaction with the thyroid, but a clear consensus is still lacking.
  • This systematic review aimed to collate evidence regarding the impact of fluoride levels in drinking water on thyroid function, focusing on studies recognized by the World Health Organization.
  • Out of 3,568 studies, only seven met the criteria, with five indicating that high fluoride exposure may harm thyroid function; however, all studies had significant methodological issues leading to low confidence in the findings.
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  • - Mercury is a serious environmental and public health threat due to its toxic effects, and this study focused on assessing its impacts on human health through experimental research.
  • - Using bibliometric analysis of articles published between 1965 and 2021, the study identified key trends, including that the USA contributed 38% of the research and highlighted Clarkson TW as a leading author in the field.
  • - The findings emphasized the significant neurodevelopmental risks associated with mercury exposure, particularly methylmercury, and identified gaps in current knowledge that could inform future research and policy development.
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Article Synopsis
  • - Apical periodontitis (AP) is an inflammatory condition affecting the tooth canal and surrounding tissues, which can lead to systemic health issues.
  • - The study examined how aerobic physical training (PT) influences both the alveolar bone and inflammatory responses in cases with and without AP.
  • - Results showed that PT reduced inflammation and bone damage in AP-affected areas, suggesting it can be an effective strategy for patients undergoing dental treatment.
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Ethanol is one of the psychoactive substances most used by young individuals, usually in an intermittent and episodic manner, also called binge drinking. In the adolescent period, brain structures undergo neuromaturation, which increases the vulnerability to psychotropic substances. Our previous studies have revealed that ethanol binge drinking during adolescence elicits neurobehavioral alterations associated with brain damage.

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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of long-lasting morbidity and mortality worldwide, being a devastating condition related to the impairment of the nervous system after an external traumatic event resulting in transitory or permanent functional disability, with a significant burden to the healthcare system. Harmful events underlying TBI can be classified into two sequential stages, primary and secondary, which are both associated with breakdown of the tissue homeostasis due to impairment of the blood-brain barrier, osmotic imbalance, inflammatory processes, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and apoptotic cell death, ultimately resulting in a loss of tissue functionality. The present study provides an updated review concerning the roles of brain edema, inflammation, excitotoxicity, and oxidative stress on brain changes resulting from a TBI.

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Alcohol consumption is common in many societies and has increased considerably, resulting in many socioeconomic and public health problems. In this sense, studies have been carried out in order to understand the mechanisms involved in alcohol consumption and related harmful effects. This study aimed to identify and map the knowledge and to perform bibliometric analysis of the neurotoxicology of alcohol based on the 100 most cited articles.

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Article Synopsis
  • - This study investigates how methylmercury (MeHg) exposure impacts tooth enamel in rats, particularly during critical periods of prenatal and postnatal development when enamel forms.
  • - Researchers gave female rats a specific dose of MeHg during pregnancy and lactation, then analyzed their offspring's enamel using advanced techniques like infrared spectroscopy and electron microscopy.
  • - Results showed that MeHg exposure led to significant alterations in the enamel's inorganic and organic composition, affecting its structure and strength, highlighting the potential risks of MeHg exposure on dental health in developing organisms.
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Fluoride is added to water due to its anticariogenic activity. However, due to its natural presence in soils and reservoirs at high levels, it could be a potential environmental toxicant. This study investigated whether prolonged exposure to fluoride from adolescence to adulthood-at concentrations commonly found in artificially fluoridated water and in fluorosis endemic areas-is associated with memory and learning impairments in mice, and assessed the molecular and morphological aspects involved.

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The potential of fluoride (F) as a neurotoxicant in humans is still controversial in the literature. However, recent studies have raised the debate by showing different mechanism of F-induced neurotoxicity, as oxidative stress, energy metabolism and inflammation in the central nervous system (CNS). In the present study, we investigated the mechanistic action of two F concentration (0.

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Article Synopsis
  • Obesity is a significant public health issue, with food consumption decisions heavily influenced by individual taste perceptions, impacting eating behaviors and body weight.
  • The study reviewed various research articles to assess the connection between obesity and taste alterations by analyzing data from multiple electronic databases, resulting in the inclusion of 19 relevant studies.
  • Findings indicate that 40% of eligible studies showed a link between obesity and altered taste perceptions, with most studies demonstrating good methodological reliability, although some limitations exist in the research.
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This study aimed to analyze the research trends on salivary oxidative stress associated with dental caries and to perform bibliometric approaches for existing publications on this association. A search was performed using the Web of Science Core Collection, without any restriction of language or publication year. The number of periodicals with the most published articles in this theme, most published authors and keywords were mapped; other metrics were also evaluated such as the countries that have more research on the subject and the period in which there were more publications on the subject.

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Secondary degeneration is defined as a set of destructive events that damage cells and structures that were initially spared or only peripherally affected by the primary insult, constituting a key factor for functional impairment after traumatic brain injury or stroke. In the present study, we evaluated the patterns of astrocytosis, inflammatory response, axonal damage and oligodendrocytes/myelin impairment in the internal capsule following a focal injection of endothelin-1 (ET-1) into the dorsal striatum. Animals were perfused at 1, 3 and 7 post-lesion days (PLD), and tissue was processed to immunohistochemistry for neutrophils (MBS1), macrophages/microglia (ED1), astrocytes (GFAP), axonal lesion (βAPP), oligodendrocytes (Tau) and myelin (MBP).

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The tolerable aluminum (Al) intake levels for humans are constantly under review by regulatory agencies due to novel pre-clinical evidence on the neurotoxicity of prolonged Al exposure; however, little is known about the effects of Al on the spinal cord. This study aimed to investigate potential adverse effects on both spinal cord and systemic biochemical balance after prolonged exposure to a low dose of Al. Twenty adult rats were distributed in the control (distilled water) and exposed group (8.

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