Association between dental-oral health in young adults and salivary glutathione, lipid peroxidation and sialic acid levels and carbonic anhydrase activity

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the relationship between salivary oxidative stress and dental-oral health. Healthy young adults, matched for gender and age, with (N = 21, 10 men, mean age: 20.3 ± 1 years) and without (N = 16, 8 men, mean age: 21.2 ± 1.8 years) caries were included in this study. The World Health Organization (WHO) caries diagnostic criteria were used for determining the decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) index. The oral hygiene and gingival status were assessed using the simplified oral hygiene index and gingival index, respectively. Unstimulated salivary total protein, glutathione (GSH), lipid peroxidation and total sialic acid levels, carbonic anhydrase activity, and salivary buffering capacity were determined by standard methods. Furthermore, salivary pH was measured with pH paper and salivary flow rate was calculated. Simplified oral hygiene index and gingival index were not significantly different between groups but DMFT scores were significant (P < 0.01). Only, GSH values were significantly different (P < 0.05) between groups (2.2 and 1.6 mg/g protein in young adults without caries and with caries, respectively). There was a significant negative correlation between DMFT and GSH (r = -0.391; P < 0.05; Pearson's correlation coefficient). Our results suggest that there is an association between caries history and salivary GSH levels.

histochemical study X-irradiation of the rabbit lens and its treatment

Na-K-ATPase and carbonic anhydrase [CA] activities in rabbit lens were studied histochemically at various times after exposure to a single dose of 2000 rads of X-ray, and were compared with their activities in the contralateral control lens. In the X-irradiated lenses, an increase in the Na-K-ATPase and CA activities was observed at the third and fourth weeks after exopsure, respectively. This was followed by a reduction in Na-K ATPase activites at the fourth week, and CA at the Twelfth week [prior to development of opacity at the thirteenth week]. The effect of topical applications of two proposed substances, horseradish peroxidase [HRP] as an antioxidant and honey as an anecdotal drug were studied clinically and histochemically in the X-irradiated rabbit lenses. Both drugs, particularly HRP. were able to delay or prevent changes due to X-irradiation. The histochemical verdict and the possible role of these substances are discussed in term combating the free radicals formed