RESUMEN
Objective:To prepare a peptide fluorescent probe based on aggregation-induced emission and to investigate its application in the detection of early caries.Methods:Eight aspartate-serine-serine (DSS) were combined with aggregation-induced emission material to prepare peptide fluorescent probes, and an artificial demineralization model was established in vitro. The samples were immersed in the peptide fluorescent probe solution for 1 min, and a fluorescence imaging system was applied to examine the tooth samples and collect images and fluorescence data. Scanning electron microscopy was also applied to observe the phenotype of the teeth, and electron microscopy was applied to detect the calcium-phosphorus ratio on the enamel surface of the teeth. Polarized light microscopy was also applied to observe the enamel area of the teeth. Results:The fluorescence intensity of demineralized teeth was clearly observed to be lower than that of normal teeth in the peptide fluorescent probe-treated area, and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). The results of scanning electron microscopy showed that the enamel surface of the demineralized group had more irregular pores, while the enamel surface of the undemineralized group was flatter with only some irregular accumulation of flakes. The results of polarized light microscopy showed that a clear birefringence could be observed in the enamel region of normal teeth, while a black area or the disappearance of the birefringence effect accompanied by a partial black dark shadow could be observed in the enamel region of demineralized teeth. Conclusions:An aggregation-induced luminescence-based peptide fluorescent probe was successfully prepared, which can precisely localize the enamel and show some application value in early caries detection.