Effects of Fluoride, Lithium, and Strontium on Intracellular Polysaccharide Accumulation in S. mutans and A. viscosus

Abstract

Fluoride (5 mg/l) consistently depressed the accumulation of intracellular iodophilic polysaccharides (IPS) in Streptococcus mutans strains BHT, FA-1, and GS-5 by over 90% and in Actinomyces viscosus strain RC-45 by over 50%. There was little further reduction in IPS content when fluoride was increased from 5 to 100 mg/l. Lithium (0 to 1 mg/l) neither enhanced nor inhibited IPS accumulation, nor did it modify the inhibitory effects of fluoride in three of the four strains tested. Strontium (0 to 100 mg/l) did not alter IPS accumulation in S. mutans GS-5 but decreased accumulation (less than 10%) in S. mutans FA-1 and BHT and significantly enhanced IPS accumulation in A. viscosus RC-45. Analysis of variance indicated no statistically significant interactions between fluoride and strontium, fluoride and lithium, or strontium and lithium.

Effects of Fluoride, Lithium, and Strontium on Growth and Acid Production of Mutans Streptococci and Actinomyces viscosus

“…Fluoride also inhibited the synthesis of intracellular iodophilic poly saccharides [Wegman et al, 1984] and may affect the extracellular polysaccharide synthesis [Treasure, 1981;Bowen and Hewitt, 1974] and the intracellular adenosine triphosphate levels [Greger et al, 1985]. The current study supports the view that acidogenic mutans streptococci and Actinomyces species are inhibited even by a low fluoride concentration (5 mg/l).…”

“…Our data are in agreement with those of Gallagher and Cutress [1977] in that the oral bacteria we studied were resis tant to lithium at concentrations likely to be encount ered in the oral environment. Wegman et al [1984] found that fluoride consist ently depressed accumulation of intracellular iodophilic polysaccharides in mutans streptococci and A. viscosus, but lithium (0-1 mg/1) neither enhanced nor inhibited the effect. Strontium did not alter iodophilic polysaccharide accumulation in S. mutans GS-5, but did decrease accumulation by about 10% in S. rattus strains FA-1 and BHT and significantly en hanced iodophilic polysaccharide synthesis in A. vis cosus RC-45.…”

“…Fluoride and other elements may act together as cariostatic agents [Curzon and Crocker, 1978] by de creasing the enamel apatite solubility [Featherstone et al, 1983], enhancing enamel remineralization [Fea therstone et al, 1986], or by reducing the metabolic activity of plaque and Strepto coccus mutans [Izaguirre-Fernandez et al, 1989;Ei senberg et al, 1980;Wegman et al, 1984]. The present study was designed to determine whether fluoride, lithium, and strontium interact to reduce the growth of, or acid production by, the important plaque mi croorganisms, mutans streptococci and Actinomyces viscosus.…”

Composition and Flow Rate of Saliva and Caries Development in Young Rats following Administration of Lithium

“…It has been demonstrated that lithium (0-0.14 mEq) does not in fluence cell growth or acid production [Eisenberg et al. 1991], intracellular polysaccharide accumulation [Wegman et al, 1984] or extracellular polysaccharide production [Treasure, 1981] o f mutans streptococci. These reports and the lack o f differences in the microbial populations among groups indicate that the reduced sulcal caries in lithiumtreated rats may not be attributed to any antibacterial prop erties of lithium.…”

Effect of Fluoride, Lithium or Strontium on Acid Production by Pelleted Human Dental Plaque (Short Communication)

“…Wegman et al [1984] found that strontium enhanced IPS accumula tion in A. viscosus RC-45 (by about 30%) and in S. mutans GS-5, BHT or FA-1 by 0,9 (or 26%), respectively. Lithium neither enhanced nor inhibited IPS accumulation in the strains tested.…”