Effect of matrix bound phosphate and fluoride on mineralization of dentin

The Effects of Gic Restorations on Enamel and Dentin Demineralization and Remineralization

Glass-ionomer cement (GIC) restorations release fluoride after placement in the oral environment. This is assumed to be one of the reasons for the decreased prevalence of secondary caries. In the current studies, the effects of GIC restorations on demineralization and remineralization of enamel and dentin lesions were studied, in an in vitro and an intra-oral model, respectively. The in vitro pH-cycling study revealed that the excessive fluoride release of the freshly placed restorations upset the (commonly observed) mineral balance between the specimens and the de/remineralizing solutions. Anomalous patterns of calcium uptake by the specimens (with GIC) during the demineralization phase and calcium loss during the remineralization phase were observed. This was hypothetically explained from the behavior of a surface coating on the GIC restorations, which was observed with SEM. The intra-oral studies showed, after three months in situ, hypermineralization of dentin close to or in contact with the restoration. It is concluded that the fluoride released from GIC or the decreased permeability as a result of hypermineralization causes lower susceptibility of the dentin of the cavity walls.

Remineralization of partially demineralized dentine substrate based on a biomimetic strategy

Dentine remineralization is clinically significant for prevention and treatment of dentine caries, root caries, and dentine hypersensitivity. However, dentine remineralization is more difficult than enamel remineralization due to the abundant presence of organic matrix in dentine. The objective of this study was to develop a biomimetic method to facilitate remineralization of demineralized dentine through phosphorylation of type I collagen in demineralized dentine using sodium trimetaphosphate. The experimental results indicated that the effect of fluoride on remineralizing dentine was limited when residual mineral crystals were lacking on the surface of demineralized dentine, whereas the phosphorylation and Ca(OH)(2) pretreatment enhanced surface remineralization of the partially demineralized dentine. This biomimetic methodology resulted in favorable surface properties (i.e. highly negative charge and low interfacial free energy between substrate and aqueous medium) for crystal nucleation, and thus could be a promising method to remineralize superficially demineralized dentine lesions.

Tissue reactions to various percutaneous materials with different surface properties and structures

Tissue responses to various percutaneous materials with different surface properties and structures were investigated. Dense hydroxyapatite (HA), tricalcium phosphate (TCP), glassy carbon (GC), and 2 types of porous HA were used. Cutaneous and subcutaneous tissues were tightly attached to the surface of the penetrating portion of an HA percutaneous device (PD). Neither bacterial infection nor serious epidermal downgrowth were observed in the area surrounding the shaft of the HA-PD. At the margin of the epidermis, fibroblasts and collagen fibrils of fibrous connective tissue were well oriented and formed perpendicular to the shaft. The tissue response to the TCP was mild and nearly the same as that to the HA. The GC induced serious epidermal downgrowth and inflammatory cell infiltration. In contrast to dense HA-PD, the insertion of both types of porous HA-PDs, 1 with a spongy structure and 1 with close pores was followed by acute infection within 1 month. Based upon these results, it was concluded that the dense HA was the best percutaneous material of those tested.

A new method for in vitro calcification using acrylamide gel and bovine serum

To investigate the mechanism of biological calcification in vitro, a model system consisting of an acrylamide gel block (1 x 3 x 3 mm) and fetal bovine serum was developed. Mineral deposition was induced in gel blocks which were immersed in 300 microliters of fetal bovine serum at 37 degrees C for 7 days in a CO2 incubator. X-ray diffraction indicated that the mineral was hydroxyapatite with low crystallinity. Effects of the concentration of acrylamide gel, the partial pressure of CO2 and matrix proteins within the gel on the mineral formation were investigated. In the gel concentration range of 10-60%, the largest amount of crystal grew in 40% acrylamide gel, where the serum protein did not penetrate. With an increase in the partial pressure of CO2 the Ca content in the gel block increased, reached the highest level at about 3.5% CO2 and then began to decrease. In 40% gel and at 5% CO2, the mineral formation was enhanced by phosvitin, phosphophoryn, demineralized dentin powder and alkaline phosphatase. Mineral deposition occurred around the collagen fibers immobilized in 40% acrylamide gel. These results indicate that 1) a putatively serum-derived inhibitor of calcification with high-molecular weight was prevented from penetrating into the 40% acrylamide gels, 2) immobilized polyanionic proteins and alkaline phosphatase were able to increase mineral deposition and 3) the partial pressure of CO2 greatly influenced the mineral deposition. It was concluded that this gel system is useful to investigate the mechanism of biological calcification in vitro.

Comparison of phosphoprotein isolated from mature and immature human tooth roots

Mature (average patient age = 29.5 yr, closed apical foramen) and immature (average patient age = 17.5 yr, open apical foramen) root shards were placed in dialysis tubing and demineralized to completion using either 10% disodium EDTA plus protease inhibitors or 0.6 N HCl. The demineralized shards were re-extracted (five times) with 0.05 M tris-HCl, 1.0 M NaCl and then collagenase digested. No major differences were observed in chromatograms of extracts, re-extracts or collagenase digests from root shards demineralized in either way. In contrast, chromatograms of immature and mature roots showed qualitative differences. Chromatograms of mature roots demineralized in either way showed broader protein peaks and less organic phosphorus than those from immature tooth roots. A distinct band amid degraded phosphoprotein (150 K) was found in SDS-PAGE gels (7.5%) from EDTA-extracted immature tooth roots but not from mature tooth roots. Electroelution of this band revealed a typical phosphoprotein amino-acid profile containing increased aspartic acid and serine residues. Comparison of the total phosphoprotein and amino acid composition of extracts, re-extracts and collagenase digests revealed that phosphoprotein, serine and to a lesser extent aspartic acid were recovered in greater quantities from immature roots than mature tooth roots. These data suggest that the degree of maturation is crucial to the isolation of an intact phosphoprotein and provides additional evidence that human dentine phosphoprotein undergoes amino acid compositional changes during maturation.

Phosphoprotein extraction from the dentine/cementum complex of human tooth roots

Root shards were placed in dialysis tubing and demineralized to completion in either 10% disodium EDTA, pH 7.4, 0.6 M HCl, 0.1 M HCl, 0.5 M acetic or 75 mM-25 mM lactic-acetic acids. The demineralized shards were then re-extracted with 0.05 M tris-HCl, 1.0 M NaCl. DEAE chromatography revealed that the major peak of the 0.6 M CHl and EDTA extracts contained organic phosphorus, whereas much less organic phosphorus was found in the major peak of the 0.1 M HCl extract. Analysis of the re-extracts gave a pattern opposite to that obtained from the initial extractions. Measurements of protein and organic phosphorus released during extraction and re-extraction confirmed these results. Staining of SDS-PAGE gels for phosphoprotein with Stains-All resulted in a blue smear in fractions containing organic phosphorus. Thus the extraction of phosphoproteins from human tooth roots differed depending upon the demineralizing conditions. This ability to remove phosphoprotein differentially will allow further investigation of the role of phosphoprotein in mineralization and remineralization.

On the state of anionic groups of demineralized matrices of bone and dentine

Calcium-binding and biochemical studies have been applied to characterize the state of the carboxylate and protein-bound phosphate groups in the EDTA-demineralized matrices of rat bone and dentine. The organic phosphate and carboxylate content of demineralized bone is virtually identical to that of purified steer skin collagen whereas demineralized dentine has a significantly higher phosphate and carboxylate content, presumably due to the presence of an acidic non-collagenous phosphoprotein. Two classes of calcium-binding sites can be detected in demineralized bone, demineralized dentine, and purified, reconstituted collagen. The number of strong calcium-binding sites correlates with the number of protein-bound phosphate groups. Depending on the preparative procedure, seven to nine such sites (per collagen molecule) are present in dentine, and one to two in the purified reconstituted collagen and in bone. The binding constant for the dentinal sites (1.1 X 10(4) M-1), however, is 20 times greater than that for bone or reconstituted collagen fibrils from skin. We tentatively conclude that the strong calcium-binding site in bone and reconstituted collagen is of the form protein-PO-4Ca++ whereas in dentine it is of the form protein (formula: see text); the weak binding sites in bone and dentine are of the form protein-COO-Ca++; and that approximately 160 of the 217 carboxylate groups of the collagen molecules of dentine or bone are present as electrostatic linkages of the form protein-COO-+H3N-protein.