Materials and Methods: Seventy-five subjects, 42 males (56%) and 35 females (44%) of age group ranging 7-13 years, living in South Canara district of Karnataka, India, were selected as a part of the study. Hair and urine samples were collected for estimation of organic and inorganic levels of mercury, respectively. Informed consent was collected from all the participating subjects.
Results: On comparison between organic and inorganic mercury levels during the study period, the concentration of organic mercury in hair samples was greater irrespective of amalgam restorations present (1.172 and 0.085, respectively; P < 0.001).
Conclusion: Thus inorganic levels of mercury do not seem to pose a threat as much as the organic levels observed in hair, which remain fairly constant for a longer period of time. Hence in a coastal region where this study was undertaken and fish being a staple food, the risk could probably be attributed to more of an organic toxicity than an inorganic one. Thus amalgam is relatively safe to be practiced and the controversy against it should be reevaluated.
Materials and Methods: Immediate skin tissue expansion in 18 adult female rats was performed using three different sizes (small, medium, and big) of polymethylmethacrylate tissue expanders at the dorsal surface of the metatarsal area of the right limb. The contralateral limb was served as the control. The tissue expanders were surgically implanted and kept for 15 days.
Results: The immediate skin expansion resulted in histological changes such as the increased thickness of the epidermal layer, the reduction of the dermal layer, an elevated number of fibroblast as well as increased vascularity. Furthermore, skin adnexal structures such as hair follicles and sebaceous glands were farther apart.
Conclusion: The rat skin was able to rapidly adjust and compensate against a specific range of immediate mechanical expansion. The histological changes suggest that the tissues were prepared to withstand the increased external forces, in addition to create possibly additional skin in a relatively short-term period.