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Comparative pathogenicity of streptococci of human origin in hamster caries
A&J oral Biol. V&l,
pp.1419-1420.1966.
Pcrgmon
Press Ltd. Printed in Cit. Britain.
SHORT COlVMUNI CATIONS
COMPARATIVE PATHOGENICITY OF STREPTOCOCCI OF HUMAN ORIGIN IN HAMSTER CARIES D. D. ZINNER,J. M. JABLON,A. P. ARANand M. S. SASLAW* Department of Micriobiology, University of Miami School of Medicine Miami, Florida, U.S.A. R. J. FITZGERALD Laboratory of Microbiology, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A. A NUMBERof streptococci isolated from different host species, while possessing different antigenic and biochemical properties, appear to be related by their ability to induce experimental dental caries in animals. ORLAND (1955) induced experimental caries in germ-free rats with a strain of enterococcus; FITZGERALD,JORDANand STANLEY(1960) also induced caries in germ-free rats, but with a different streptococcal strain (FA-1) of rat origin; and FITZGERALDand KEYES(1960) reported the development of experimental caries in hamsters with a streptococcal strain (HS-1) of hamster origin. The results of the work in experimental caries in animals suggested that dental caries in rodents was a specific bacterial disease in which certain strains of streptococci were of aetiologic significance. ZINNERet al. (1965a) reported the isolation of streptococcal strains from human carious lesions that were morphologically and antigenically similar to either the hamster (HS-1) or the rat (FA-1) strains. The human hamster-like strain, AHT, induced experimental caries in hamsters and the rat-like strain, BHT, induced caries in gnotobiotic rats (ZINNERet al. 1965b), both animal species requiring a special cariogenic diet (KEYES,1959). In preliminary studies of human carious lesions it appeared that AHT-type strains were associated with severe, active, and rapidly progressive lesions while the BHTtype strains were associated with slowly progressive lesions (ZINNER ef al. 1965b). The present study compares the cariogenic activity of both strains in hamsters. Nineteen-day old hamsters, albino and golden, weighing 30 g, were maintained on a cariogenic diet (KEYES,1959) and orally infected with AHT or BHT strains by established techniques (FITZGERALDet al. 1960). The albino hamsters were supplied originally by the National Institute of Dental Research and maintained at the National Children’s Cardiac Hospital for the past 5 years. The golden hamsters were purchased locally and the colony has been maintained since 1959. * Presentaddress:Dade County Department of PublicHealth, Miami,Florida. 1419
1420
D. D. ZINNER,J. M. JABLON, A. P. ARAN,M. S. SASLAWand R. J. Fmmm
Sixty-two hamsters were orally infected with the AHT type strain of streptococcus. Initial caries was observed in 26 days; the lesions progressed rapidly to moderate caries in 40-55 days, and complete destruction occurred in 75-90 days. Sixty-one hamsters orally infected with the BHT strain of streptococcus failed to show macroscopic signs of initial caries in less than 64 days. In about 65-75 days initial lesions were observable and between 90-100 days the lesions usually progressed to moderate caries comparable to that following AHT infection in 40-55 days. Complete dental destruction usually occurred in 150-170 days. Two hundred uninfected control hamsters maintained on a cariogenic diet did not develop caries. This large number of controls is a cumulative number representing the dietary controls in a series of parallel experiments testing the cariogenic activity of different human streptococcal isolates. These uninfected controls maintained on a cariogenic diet for over 200 days did not develop caries. The comparative degree of caries following oral infection by AHT and BHT streptococci is presented in Fig. 1. The AHT streptococcal strain induced experimental caries formation in hamsters much more rapidly than the BHT strain; this is consistent with the earlier observations of FITZGERALD and KEYES (1960) that the cariogenic rat strain streptococcus (FA-l), which is immunologically related to our human BHT strain, did not induce caries formation in albino hamsters even though the organisms were found to persist in the oral cavity for at least 4 weeks. However, the observation period in the above experiments did not extend beyond 70 days when initial caries formation might have been evident following infection with this organism. The finding that the AHT strain is more active in initiating experimental caries formation in hamsters than the BHT strain is also consistent with the observation that in human caries the AHT strain is usually found with a more severe type of caries than the BHT strain (ZINNER et cd., 1965b). Acknowledgement-This report is part of investigations supported by the National Institute for Dental Research, Grant DE-01 519-05, DE-021 80-02 and Contract PH 43-64-583 of the United States Public Health Service. REFERENCES FITZGERALD,R. J. and KEYES, P. H. 1960. Demonstration of the etiologic role of streptococci in experimental caries in the hamster. J. Am. dent. Ass. dent Cosmos. 61,919. FITZGERALD,R. J., JORDAN, H. V. and STANLEY,H. R. 1960. Experimental caries and gingival pathologic changes in the gnotobiotic rat, J. dent. Res. 39, 923-935. KEYES,P. H. 1959. Dental caries in the Syrian hamsters. VIII. The induction of rampant caries activity in albino and golden animals. J. dent. Res. 38, 523-533. ORLAND, F. F., BLAYNEY,J. R., H ARRISON,R. W., REYNIP~~,J. A., TREXLER,P. C., ERVIN, R. F., GORDON,H. A. and WAGNER,M. 1955. Experimental caries in germ free rats inoculated with enterococci. J. Am. dent. Ass. dent. Cosmos. 50, 259-272. ZINNER, D. D., JABLON,J. M., ARAN, A. P. and SASLAW,M. S. 1965a. Experimental caries induced in animals by streptococci of human origin. Proc. Sot. exp. Biol. Med. 118,766-770. Z~NNER,D. D., ARAN, A. P., JABLON,J. M. and SASLAW,M. S. 1965b. Cariogenic streptococci related to types of human clinical caries. International Association for Dental Research, General Meeting, Abstracts, p. 102.
COMPARATIVE
PATHOGENICITY
OF STREPTOCOCCI
OF HUMAN
ORIGIN IN HAMSTER CARIES
FIG. 1. Effect of oral infection with cariogenic streptococci in hamsters on a sucrose diet. No caries, uninfected control hamsters; 201 days. Moderate caries after 85 days of oral infection with BHT streptococci. Caries comparable to B, following oral infection with AHT streptococci in only 35 days. D = Complete destruction on infection with BHT streptococci in 250 days. This usually occurs in 170-200 days. Comparable destruction with AHT streptococci occurs in 75-90 days.
high A = B = C =
PLATE
1
A.O.B. f.p. 1420
pp.1419-1420.1966.
Pcrgmon
Press Ltd. Printed in Cit. Britain.
SHORT COlVMUNI CATIONS
COMPARATIVE PATHOGENICITY OF STREPTOCOCCI OF HUMAN ORIGIN IN HAMSTER CARIES D. D. ZINNER,J. M. JABLON,A. P. ARANand M. S. SASLAW* Department of Micriobiology, University of Miami School of Medicine Miami, Florida, U.S.A. R. J. FITZGERALD Laboratory of Microbiology, National Institute of Dental Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.A. A NUMBERof streptococci isolated from different host species, while possessing different antigenic and biochemical properties, appear to be related by their ability to induce experimental dental caries in animals. ORLAND (1955) induced experimental caries in germ-free rats with a strain of enterococcus; FITZGERALD,JORDANand STANLEY(1960) also induced caries in germ-free rats, but with a different streptococcal strain (FA-1) of rat origin; and FITZGERALDand KEYES(1960) reported the development of experimental caries in hamsters with a streptococcal strain (HS-1) of hamster origin. The results of the work in experimental caries in animals suggested that dental caries in rodents was a specific bacterial disease in which certain strains of streptococci were of aetiologic significance. ZINNERet al. (1965a) reported the isolation of streptococcal strains from human carious lesions that were morphologically and antigenically similar to either the hamster (HS-1) or the rat (FA-1) strains. The human hamster-like strain, AHT, induced experimental caries in hamsters and the rat-like strain, BHT, induced caries in gnotobiotic rats (ZINNERet al. 1965b), both animal species requiring a special cariogenic diet (KEYES,1959). In preliminary studies of human carious lesions it appeared that AHT-type strains were associated with severe, active, and rapidly progressive lesions while the BHTtype strains were associated with slowly progressive lesions (ZINNER ef al. 1965b). The present study compares the cariogenic activity of both strains in hamsters. Nineteen-day old hamsters, albino and golden, weighing 30 g, were maintained on a cariogenic diet (KEYES,1959) and orally infected with AHT or BHT strains by established techniques (FITZGERALDet al. 1960). The albino hamsters were supplied originally by the National Institute of Dental Research and maintained at the National Children’s Cardiac Hospital for the past 5 years. The golden hamsters were purchased locally and the colony has been maintained since 1959. * Presentaddress:Dade County Department of PublicHealth, Miami,Florida. 1419
1420
D. D. ZINNER,J. M. JABLON, A. P. ARAN,M. S. SASLAWand R. J. Fmmm
Sixty-two hamsters were orally infected with the AHT type strain of streptococcus. Initial caries was observed in 26 days; the lesions progressed rapidly to moderate caries in 40-55 days, and complete destruction occurred in 75-90 days. Sixty-one hamsters orally infected with the BHT strain of streptococcus failed to show macroscopic signs of initial caries in less than 64 days. In about 65-75 days initial lesions were observable and between 90-100 days the lesions usually progressed to moderate caries comparable to that following AHT infection in 40-55 days. Complete dental destruction usually occurred in 150-170 days. Two hundred uninfected control hamsters maintained on a cariogenic diet did not develop caries. This large number of controls is a cumulative number representing the dietary controls in a series of parallel experiments testing the cariogenic activity of different human streptococcal isolates. These uninfected controls maintained on a cariogenic diet for over 200 days did not develop caries. The comparative degree of caries following oral infection by AHT and BHT streptococci is presented in Fig. 1. The AHT streptococcal strain induced experimental caries formation in hamsters much more rapidly than the BHT strain; this is consistent with the earlier observations of FITZGERALD and KEYES (1960) that the cariogenic rat strain streptococcus (FA-l), which is immunologically related to our human BHT strain, did not induce caries formation in albino hamsters even though the organisms were found to persist in the oral cavity for at least 4 weeks. However, the observation period in the above experiments did not extend beyond 70 days when initial caries formation might have been evident following infection with this organism. The finding that the AHT strain is more active in initiating experimental caries formation in hamsters than the BHT strain is also consistent with the observation that in human caries the AHT strain is usually found with a more severe type of caries than the BHT strain (ZINNER et cd., 1965b). Acknowledgement-This report is part of investigations supported by the National Institute for Dental Research, Grant DE-01 519-05, DE-021 80-02 and Contract PH 43-64-583 of the United States Public Health Service. REFERENCES FITZGERALD,R. J. and KEYES, P. H. 1960. Demonstration of the etiologic role of streptococci in experimental caries in the hamster. J. Am. dent. Ass. dent Cosmos. 61,919. FITZGERALD,R. J., JORDAN, H. V. and STANLEY,H. R. 1960. Experimental caries and gingival pathologic changes in the gnotobiotic rat, J. dent. Res. 39, 923-935. KEYES,P. H. 1959. Dental caries in the Syrian hamsters. VIII. The induction of rampant caries activity in albino and golden animals. J. dent. Res. 38, 523-533. ORLAND, F. F., BLAYNEY,J. R., H ARRISON,R. W., REYNIP~~,J. A., TREXLER,P. C., ERVIN, R. F., GORDON,H. A. and WAGNER,M. 1955. Experimental caries in germ free rats inoculated with enterococci. J. Am. dent. Ass. dent. Cosmos. 50, 259-272. ZINNER, D. D., JABLON,J. M., ARAN, A. P. and SASLAW,M. S. 1965a. Experimental caries induced in animals by streptococci of human origin. Proc. Sot. exp. Biol. Med. 118,766-770. Z~NNER,D. D., ARAN, A. P., JABLON,J. M. and SASLAW,M. S. 1965b. Cariogenic streptococci related to types of human clinical caries. International Association for Dental Research, General Meeting, Abstracts, p. 102.
COMPARATIVE
PATHOGENICITY
OF STREPTOCOCCI
OF HUMAN
ORIGIN IN HAMSTER CARIES
FIG. 1. Effect of oral infection with cariogenic streptococci in hamsters on a sucrose diet. No caries, uninfected control hamsters; 201 days. Moderate caries after 85 days of oral infection with BHT streptococci. Caries comparable to B, following oral infection with AHT streptococci in only 35 days. D = Complete destruction on infection with BHT streptococci in 250 days. This usually occurs in 170-200 days. Comparable destruction with AHT streptococci occurs in 75-90 days.
high A = B = C =
PLATE
1
A.O.B. f.p. 1420