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Introduction: Orofacial pain is a common occurrence in daily dental practice; it is frequently attributed to temporomandibular dysfunction, one of its major causes, followed by pathology of the salivary glands, without avoiding interference at the level of the pain pathways caused by complications of periodontal pathology. The main objective of this study is to identify an important cause of pain in the oral–maxillofacial territory by quantifying the changes at the salivary glandular level using stereological methods. The secondary objective of the present research is to identify the implications of periodontal changes as a consequence of salivary quantitative and qualitative changes, quantified using periodontal indices, on the balance of the temporomandibular joint, dysfunction of it being an important cause of facial pain and having a profound impact on the complex oral rehabilitation algorithm of each clinical case, a condition evaluated with the analysis of the results of the Souleroy questionnaire. Material and methods: In a retrospective study, we evaluated the clinical results obtained after applying complex rehabilitation treatment to 35 subjects, 20 women and 15 men with salivary and TMJ dysfunctions, selected between 2020 and 2021 from the Clinic of Maxillofacial Surgery, Iasi. Results and discussion: The most common symptoms of temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) that were identified through the Souleroy questionnaire were pain and different types of damage to the masticatory muscles. The most significant changes in elders are reported in the case of serous cells, which reduced their percentage volume from 46.7% to 37.4%. Conclusion: As regards stereological analysis in conjunction with histological images, there were significant changes in diameters, perimeters, and longitudinal axes in the adult patients as opposed to the elderly patients, which were also influenced by the type of pathology at this level. The scores recorded on the diagnostic Souleroy scale indicated a large number of patients with low efficiency and maximum stress levels: 20.0% in level 1, 25.7% in level 2, and 25.7% in level 3.

Introduction: Sacrococcygeal teratoma (SCT) is a rare tumor in the general population, arising from multipotent stem cells. Whereas most of the cases diagnosed postnatally have good prognosis, the rate of mortality and morbidities associated with prenatally diagnosed SCT remain high, with a reported mortality rate of 30% to 50%. The outcome of fetal SCT can be unpredictable, with some cases with slow growth during fetal life, whereas others grow rapidly, causing multiple complications; also, some of these tumor will develop triggering fetal (preterm delivery, high-output cardiac failure, hydrops fetalis, intrauterine death) or maternal complications (distocia, placentomegaly, maternal mirror syndrome—preeclampsia). Even if prenatal criteria seem to define tumors at risk, it can not totally predict postnatal outcome as treatment-related complications can occur. We present a case of giant prenatally detected SCT. The case was diagnosed at 24th week of gestation, and was closely monitored by serial ultrasound. The morphology of the lesion was defined by fetal MRI performed at 25th week of gestation. A baby girl with a huge sacrococcygeal tumor was born and surgery was performed 48 hours later. Pathological examination revealed a grade 3 immature teratoma. Because of the tumor size and pathological aspect, adjuvant chemotherapy was considered. The outcome was complicated by wound infection, sepsis, and subsequent hydrocephalus, induced by chemotherapy-induced immunosuppression. Conclusion: Our case emphasizes not only the importance of prenatal monitoring of these cases but also the importance of individualized postnatal management, as unusual and unpredictable complications can occur and affect outcome.

High levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) are associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, so that many studies focus on modify HDL levels for therapeutic purpose.The present research aims to highlight changes in plasma levels of HDL-cholesterol in experimental animals with a high-fat diet associated with some branched aminoacids--valine and leucine.The experiment was realised on 32 male Wistar rats, which were divided in four groups: group I--received a standard diet; group II--was fed with cholesterol (C), group III (C + V)--cholesterol and valine and group IV (C + L)--cholesterol and leucine. After 8 weeks animals were evaluated in relation with lipids levels in the blood.The average values of HDL-cholesterol in group who received only cholesterol (C) were significantly lower compared with group III who received cholesterol and valine (C + V) or group IV that received cholesterol and leucine (C + L) (p0.001), after one month and at the end of the experiment.Our results showed that valine and leucine increased the serum levels of HDL-cholesterol and therefore they are useful components in coronary artery disease risk reduction. The association of these aminoacids in human diets can improve clinical conditions associated with hyperlipidaemia such as atherosclerosis.

Inflammation of the vascular wall is an essential event in the development of atherosclerosis, the main leukocytes of the inflammatory infiltrate being the monocyte/macrophages. These cells are very heterogeneous and rapidly change their function in response to signals received from the local environment.The aim of this research was to study the immunohistochemical expression of the anti-CD68 antibody at the level of the atherosclerotic plaque.We used tissue samples obtained by endarterectomies in patients with symptomatic atherosclerotic lesions. Inflammatory reaction was highlighted in the arterial wall by immunohistochemistry using an anti-CD68 monoclonal antibody that marks normal or pathological monocytes/macrophages.The types of analyzed atherosclerotic lesions showed a positive reaction with the anti-CD68 antibody, varying in distribution and intensity in the vascular intima. The CD68 was positive in macrophages depending on the extent of the inflammatory reaction.The presence of many macrophages in the atherosclerotic plaques indicates a chronic inflammatory reaction, accompanied by fibroblast proliferation and connective tissue changes that influence the stability of the plaques.

It seems that the particular intermediary disposal of zona fasciculata in the cortical ensemble of the adrenal gland is not insignificant, especially for the variability and for the glandular activities. Because of its specific cellular arrangement, displaying both positional and dimensional uniformity; it can be considered like a real islet of orderly cordonal symmetric tissue between two other cortical zones which present instead a very irregular cellular disposal. Distinct capsular fibrillar elements inserted around the cells and especially around small calibre vascular structures from zona fasciculata, are directly involved in the distribution of the secretory products. The concentration of the lipidic components is always more important at this cortical level than anywhere else in the whole adrenal gland, probably in connecting with the microsystem of channels from the entire surface of the zona fasciculata cells.