Artificial biofilm thickness and salivary flow effects on fluoride efficacy – A model development study

This laboratory model development study investigated the interaction between artificial biofilm thickness and salivary flow rate on fluoride-mediated prevention of enamel caries lesion formation. This 5-day pH cycling study on sound bovine enamel specimens utilized a continuous flow model and followed a 4 (agarose biofilm thickness-‘no biofilm’/1/2/3mm)×2 (remineralizing solution flow rate-0.05/0.5ml/min)×2 (fluoride-0/383ppm as sodium fluoride) factorial design. Vickers surface microhardness change was the outcome measure. Data were analyzed with three-way ANOVA. The three-way interaction gel thickness×flow rate×fluoride concentration was significant (p=0.0006). 383ppm fluoride caused less softening than 0ppm regardless of gel thickness or flow rate. 0.5ml/min flow rate caused less softening than 0.05ml/min for ‘no biofilm’ and 1mm biofilm thickness regardless of fluoride concentration, for 2 and 3mm with 0ppm F but not for 383ppm F. For 0.05ml/min, softening was reduced as gel thickness increased from ‘no biofilm’-1-2mm, but not from 2-3mm. For 0.5ml/min, ‘no biofilm’ caused more softening than 1, 2, and 3mm, but 1, 2, and 3mm were not different from each other for both 0 and 383ppm F. The present findings suggest that the efficacy of fluoride in preventing enamel demineralization is affected by both biofilm thickness and salivary flow rate, with both thicker biofilms and higher flow rate resulting in less demineralization

Bacteria-instructed synthesis of polymers for self-selective microbial binding and labelling

The detection and inactivation of pathogenic strains of bacteria continues to be an important therapeutic goal. Hence, there is a need for materials that can bind selectively to specific microorganisms, for diagnostic or anti-infective applications, but which can be formed from simple and inexpensive building blocks. Here, we exploit bacterial redox systems to induce a copper-mediated radical polymerisation of synthetic monomers at cell surfaces, generating polymers in situ that bind strongly to the microorganisms which produced them. This ‘bacteria-instructed synthesis’ can be carried out with a variety of microbial strains, and we show that the polymers produced are self-selective binding agents for the ‘instructing’ cell types. We further expand on the bacterial redox chemistries to ‘click’ fluorescent reporters onto polymers directly at the surfaces of a range of clinical isolate strains, allowing rapid, facile and simultaneous binding and visualisation of pathogens

Surfing the spectrum - what is on the horizon?

Diagnostic imaging techniques have evolved with technological advancements - but how far? The objective of this article was to explore the electromagnetic spectrum to find imaging techniques which may deliver diagnostic information of equal, or improved, standing to conventional radiographs and to explore any developments within radiography which may yield improved diagnostic data. A comprehensive literature search was performed using Medline, Web of Knowledge, Science Direct and PubMed Databases. Boolean Operators were used and key-terms included (not exclusively): terahertz, X-ray, ultraviolet, visible, infra-red, magnetic resonance, dental, diagnostic, caries and periodontal. Radiographic techniques are primarily used for diagnostic imaging in dentistry, and continued developments in X-ray imaging include: phase contrast, darkfield and spectral imaging. Other modalities have potential application, for example, terahertz, laser doppler and optical techniques, but require further development. In particular, infra-red imaging has regenerated interest with caries detection in vitro, due to improved quality and accessibility of cameras. Non-ionising imaging techniques, for example, infra-red, are becoming more commensurate with traditional radiographic techniques for caries detection. Nevertheless, X-rays continue to be the leading diagnostic image for dentists, with improved diagnostic potential for lower radiation dose becoming a reality

Effect of Lesion Baseline Severity and Mineral Distribution on Remineralization and Progression of Human and Bovine Dentin Caries Lesions

The aims of this laboratory study were to compare the effects of lesion baseline severity, mineral distribution and substrate on remineralization and progression of caries lesions created in root dentin. Lesions were formed in dentin specimens prepared from human and bovine dentin using three protocols, each utilizing three demineralization periods to create lesions of different mineral distributions (subsurface, moderate softening, extreme softening) and severity within each lesion type. Lesions were then either remineralized or demineralized further and analyzed using transverse microradiography. At lesion baseline, no differences were found between human and bovine dentin for integrated mineral loss (ΔZ). Differences in mineral distribution between lesion types were apparent. Human dentin lesions were more prone to secondary demineralization (ΔΔZ) than bovine dentin lesions, although there were no differences in ΔL. Likewise, smaller lesions were more susceptible to secondary demineralization than larger ones. Subsurface lesions were more acid-resistant than moderately and extremely softened lesions. After remineralization, differences between human and bovine dentin lesions were not apparent for ΔΔZ although bovine dentin lesions showed greater reduction in lesion depth L. For lesion types, responsiveness to remineralization (ΔΔZ) was in the order extremely softened > moderately softened > subsurface. More demineralized lesions exhibited greater remineralization than shallower ones. In summary, some differences exist between human and bovine dentin and their relative responsiveness to de- and remineralization. These differences, however, were overshadowed by the effects of lesion baseline mineral distribution and severity. Thus, bovine dentin appears to be a suitable substitute for human dentin in mechanistic root caries studies

Influence of preexercise muscle glycogen content on transcriptional activity of metabolic and myogenic genes in well-trained humans

To determine whether pre-exercise muscle glycogen content influences the transcription of several early-response genes involved in the regulation of muscle growth, seven male strength-trained subjects performed one-legged cycling exercise to exhaustion to lower muscle glycogen levels (Low) in one leg compared with the leg with normal muscle glycogen (Norm) and then the following day completed a unilateral bout of resistance training (RT). Muscle biopsies from both legs were taken at rest, immediately after RT, and after 3 h of recovery. Resting glycogen content was higher in the control leg (Norm leg) than in the Low leg (435 ± 87 vs. 193 ± 29 mmol/kg dry wt; P < 0.01). RT decreased glycogen content in both legs (P < 0.05), but postexercise values remained significantly higher in the Norm than the Low leg (312 ± 129 vs. 102 ± 34 mmol/kg dry wt; P < 0.01). GLUT4 (3-fold; P < 0.01) and glycogenin mRNA abundance (2.5-fold; not significant) were elevated at rest in the Norm leg, but such differences were abolished after exercise. Preexercise mRNA abundance of atrogenes was also higher in the Norm compared with the Low leg [atrogin: ?14-fold, P < 0.01; RING (really interesting novel gene) finger: ?3-fold, P < 0.05] but decreased for atrogin in Norm following RT (P < 0.05). There were no differences in the mRNA abundance of myogenic regulatory factors and IGF-I in the Norm compared with the Low leg. Our results demonstrate that 1) low muscle glycogen content has variable effects on the basal transcription of select metabolic and myogenic genes at rest, and 2) any differences in basal transcription are completely abolished after a single bout of heavy resistance training. We conclude that commencing resistance exercise with low muscle glycogen does not enhance the activity of genes implicated in promoting hypertrophy

Polymers for binding of the gram-positive oral pathogen <i>Streptococcus mutans</i> - Fig 3

<p>Binding of coumarin 343-tagged a) cationic <b>(3)_25-100%</b> and b) sulfobetaine <b>(4)_25-100%</b> polymers at different degrees of functionalization, to <i>E</i>. <i>coli</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>mutans</i> in bacterial suspensions of OD₆₀₀ 0.1, and 1.0 mg mL^-1 polymer solutions. Area of fluorescence (%) was quantified using ImageJ. Error bars represent standard deviations on independent experiments (N = 3). Fluorescence micrographs are shown for fully functionalised (c, d) cationic and (e, f) sulfobetaine polymers, <b>(3)</b>_<b>100%</b> and <b>(4)</b>_<b>100%</b>, respectively using the 488 nm (green) channel.</p