Combined Casein Phosphopeptide-Amorphous Calcium Phosphate and Fluoride Is Not Superior to Fluoride Alone in Early Carious Lesions: A Meta-Analysis.

There is a growing need for effective methods in the management of early stage carious lesions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of combined casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) and fluoride on white spot lesions (WSLs) compared to fluoride-only interventions. This meta-analysis was performed according to PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD42021286245). The Medline, Embase, and Cochrane Central databases were searched until October 17, 2022. Eligible studies were randomized controlled trials. Outcome variables included laser fluorescence (LF), quantitative light-induced fluorescence (QLF), and lesion area scores. The random-effects model was used for analysis, and results were given as standardized mean difference (SMD) and mean difference (MD) with a 95% confidence interval. Risk of bias was assessed using the RoB 2 tool, and the level of evidence with GRADE. Our systematic search yielded 973 records after duplicate removal, 21 studies were included for qualitative synthesis, and 15 studies were eligible for quantitative analysis. No significant difference was found between CPP-ACP and fluoride versus fluoride alone in LF at 1, 3, and 6 months of use: SMD -0.30 (-0.64; 0.04); SMD -0.47 (-1.02; 0.07); SMD -0.49 (-1.13; 0.15), respectively. For QLF, the analysis did not demonstrate significant differences between these two kinds of treatment at 1 and 6 months of use: MD 0.21 (-0.30;0.71); MD 0.60 (-1.70;2.90), but at 3 months, higher QLF values were found in the fluoride-only group compared to the CPP-ACP and fluoride combination was shown regarding the WSLs: MD 0.58 (0.25;0.91). On the contrary, data showed a small but statistically significant decrease in the lesion area in favor of the CPP-ACP plus fluoride versus fluoride alone at 6 months MD -0.38 (-0.72; -0.04). None of these observed changes indicated substantial clinical relevance. The combination of CPP-ACP and fluoride did not overcome the effect of fluoride given alone. Our data suggest that fluoride itself is effective in improving WSLs. However, the certainty of evidence was very low. These results indicate that further studies and future development of more effective products than CPP-ACP are needed in addition to fluoride to achieve robust amelioration of WSLs.

Osteopontin phosphopeptide mitigates calcium oxalate stone formation in a Drosophila melanogaster model.

Kidney stone disease affects nearly one in ten individuals and places a significant economic strain on global healthcare systems. Despite the high frequency of stones within the population, effective preventative strategies are lacking and disease prevalence continues to rise. Osteopontin (OPN) is a urinary protein that can inhibit the formation of renal calculi in vitro. However, the efficacy of OPN in vivo has yet to be determined. Using an established Drosophila melanogaster model of calcium oxalate urolithiasis, we demonstrated that a 16-residue synthetic OPN phosphopeptide effectively reduced stone burden in vivo. Oral supplementation with this peptide altered crystal morphology of calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) in a similar manner to previous in vitro studies, and the presence of the OPN phosphopeptide during COM formation and adhesion significantly reduced crystal attachment to mammalian kidney cells. Altogether, this study is the first to show that an OPN phosphopeptide can directly mitigate calcium oxalate urolithiasis formation in vivo by modulating crystal morphology. These findings suggest that OPN supplementation is a promising therapeutic approach and may be clinically useful in the management of urolithiasis in humans.

Efficacy of Fluoride Varnish with Casein Phosphopeptide and Amorphous Calcium Phosphate vs Fluoride Varnish in Prevention of White Spots Lesion in fixed Orthodontic Patients: In Vivo Study.

AIM: The aim of the study is to compare the in vivo efficiency of Michigan (MI) varnish containing casein phosphopeptide (CPP) and amorphous calcium phosphate (ACP) and Fluoritop containing sodium fluoride (5% NaF) in the prevention and remineralization of white spot lesions (WSLs) around orthodontic brackets at days 28 and 56 after bonding. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 30 patients were selected and divided into two groups I (MI varnish) II (Fluoritop varnish) of 15 patients in each group. All the patients were bonded and then varnish was applied around the brackets. Right-side upper and lower first premolar teeth were taken as the control group and left-side upper and lower first premolar teeth as the experimental group. Also, 14, 24 teeth were extracted on day 28 after bonding and 34, 44 teeth after day 56 of bonding. Samples were collected and sent to laboratory for evaluation of surface microhardness (SMH). RESULTS: Based on the statistics results, there was a significant decrease in demineralization and an increase in remineralization of WSLs after the application of varnish. No statistical significance was found between the effectiveness of MI varnish and Fluoritop except in the cervical region. CONCLUSION: Through our study, we concluded that no statistical significance was found between the effectiveness of MI varnish and Fluoritop except in the cervical region where MI varnish was found to be more effective than Fluoritop in preventing WSLs. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: The results from the above study concluded that CPP-ACP varnish can be an effective method in preventing WSLs in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment.

Heteropolysaccharides from S. cerevisiae show anti-adhesive properties against E. coli associated with Crohn's disease.

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-3856 was previously reported to strongly inhibit adherent-invasive Escherichia coli (AIEC) adhesion to intestinal epithelial cells in vitro and to favor AIEC elimination from the gut in a murine model of Crohn's disease in vivo. In order to identify which cell wall components of yeast are responsible for AIEC elimination, constituent polysaccharides of yeast were isolated and their anti-adhesive ability against AIEC adhesion in vitro was screened. A fraction containing mannan, ß-glucan and α-glucan extracted from yeast cell-walls was shown to inhibit 95% of AIEC adhesion in vitro and was thus identified as the strongest anti-adhesive yeast cell wall component. Furthermore, this mannan-glucan-containing fraction was shown to accelerate AIEC decolonization from gut in vivo. This fraction could be proposed as a treatment to eliminate AIEC bacteria in patients with Crohn's disease, a microbial trigger of intestinal inflammation.

Biomateriales que inducen la remineralización del esmalte dental y dentina / Biomaterials that induce remineralization of the dentin and enamel surface

Desde los sesentas, con la invención del vidrio bioactivo, los tratamientos de remineralización se han popularizado entre los cirujanos dentistas y su utilización es cada vez mayor; la remineralización, en conjunto con las adecuadas medidas de higiene preventiva, representa uno de los mejores abordajes mínimamente invasivos y a un costo comparativamente bajo. Este estudio documental tiene por objetivo establecer una mejor comprensión del uso clínico de los biomateriales que inducen la remineralización de la superficie del esmalte dental y dentina. Se realizó una exploración utilizando motores de búsqueda (bases de datos en PubMed, Medigraphic, y Science Direct). El proceso de localización de los estudios relevantes se efectuó introduciendo palabras clave como: silicatos de calcio, fosfopéptidos de caseína-fosfato de calcio amorfo, remineralización, esmalte y dentina, incluyéndose en el procedimiento artículos de antigüedad no superior a siete años, en español e inglés, publicados en revistas científicas aprobadas por pares.Actualmente, no es posible remineralizar del todo la estructura dentaria, por lo cual, en un futuro cercano, los esfuerzos de la odontología de remineralización deben apuntar al desarrollo de agentes biomiméticos inteligentes que restauren al cien por ciento la estructura dental perdida (AU)

Since the sixties, with the invention of bioactive glass, remineralization treatments have become popular among dental surgeons. Their usage is increasing; remineralization, in conjunction with appropriate preventive hygiene measures, represents one of the best minimally invasive treatments at a relatively low cost. This documentary study aims to establish a better understanding of the clinical use of biomaterials that induce remineralization of the surface of teeth enamel and dentin. A search was conducted using search engines (PubMed and Medigraphic databases, and Science Direct). The search process for the relevant studies was carried out by introducing keywords such as calcium silicates, phosphopeptides of amorphous calcium casein-phosphate, remineralization, enamel and dentin, including in the search articles no older than seven years in Spanish and English published in scientific reviewed journals. Currently, it is not possible to completely remineralize the dentary structure so, in the near future, remineralization dentistry efforts should aim to develop (AU)

Vasorelaxing cell permeant phosphopeptide mimetics for subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) due to rupture of an intracranial aneurysm leads to vasospasm resulting in delayed cerebral ischemia. Therapeutic options are currently limited to hemodynamic optimization and nimodipine, which have marginal clinical efficacy. Nitric oxide (NO) modulates cerebral blood flow through activation of the cGMP-Protein Kinase G (PKG) pathway. Our hypothesis is that SAH results in downregulation of signaling components in the NO-PKG pathway which could explain why treatments for vasospasm targeting this pathway lack efficacy and that treatment with a cell permeant phosphopeptide mimetic of downstream effector prevents delayed vasospasm after SAH. Using a rat endovascular perforation model, reduced levels of NO-PKG pathway molecules were confirmed. Additionally, it was determined that expression and phosphorylation of a PKG substrate: Vasodilator-stimulated phosphoprotein (VASP) was downregulated. A family of cell permeant phosphomimetic of VASP (VP) was wasdesigned and shown to have vasorelaxing property that is synergistic with nimodipine in intact vascular tissuesex vivo. Hence, treatment targeting the downstream effector of the NO signaling pathway, VASP, may bypass receptors and signaling elements leading to vasorelaxation and that treatment with VP can be explored as a therapeutic strategy for SAH induced vasospasm and ameliorate neurological deficits.

Preorganization Increases the Self-Assembling Ability and Antitumor Efficacy of Peptide Nanomedicine.

Inspired by the biological process of phosphorylation for which different sites of the same protein may have different activities and functions, we utilized phosphatase-based enzyme-instructed self-assembly (EISA) to construct self-assembled nanomedicine from the precursors with different phosphorylated sites. We found that, although the obtained self-assembling molecules after EISA were identical, the changes of EISA catalytic sites could determine the outcome of molecular self-assembly. The precursor with the phosphorylated site in the middle preorganized before EISA, while the ones with other phosphorylated sites could not preorganize before EISA. After EISA, the preorganized precursor then resulted in more stable and ordered assemblies than those of the others, which showed increased cellular uptake and up to 1.7-fold higher efficacy in an antitumor therapeutic compared to those assembled from unorganized precursors.

The Role of Diet in Osteoporotic Fracture Healing: a Systematic Review.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Summarize the in vivo evidences on the association between nutrition and osteoporosis fracture healing. RECENT FINDINGS: Osteoporotic fractures constitute a considerable public health burden. The healing capacity of fractures is influenced by local factors related to the fracture and by general factors (e.g., age, sex, osteoporosis, muscular mass, smoking, alcohol, drugs, and diet). The systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA statement. From the literature search on PubMed and Web of Science, from January 2016 to October 2019, twelve studies were selected and resulted highly variable in samples, exposure, methods, outcomes, and outcome assessment. Eleven studies were conducted on laboratory animals. Only one study aimed to investigate the impact of nutritional status on fracture healing in osteoporotic patients. In this review, the role of calcium/vitamin D supplementation remained controversial, while sialoglycoprotein supplementation, phytoestrogen-rich herb extract, flavonoids, and phosphorylated peptides showed a positive effect on osteoporotic fracture healing.

Evaluation of the efficacy of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate on remineralization of white spot lesions in vitro and clinical research: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review with meta-analyses sought to answer whether casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) provided a remineralizing benefit superior to that of nonintervention or placebo. METHODS: Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines, Cochrane databases, PubMed, EmBase, and Ovid up to May 20th, 2019, were scanned, only published in English. Study information extraction and methodological quality assessments were accomplished independently by two reviewers. The "Criteria for judging risk of bias in the 'Risk of bias' assessment tool" was used for methodological quality assessment. The continuous data was analyzed by mean difference (MD) or standardized mean difference (SMD) with a 95% confidence interval (CI). Review Manager 5.3 was used for statistical analysis. Outcome variables include quantitative light-induced fluorescence in clinical research, average surface roughness and surface microhardness in vitro. RESULTS: There were significant differences in the quantitative light-induced fluorescence (SMD = - 0.43, 95% CI: [- 0.79, - 0.07], P = 0.02), average surface roughness (SMD = - 8.21, 95% CI: [- 10.37, - 6.04], P < 0.01), Vickers microhardness (SMD = 1.19, 95% CI: [0.72, 1.66], P < 0.01), and Knoop microhardness (SMD = 3.52, 95% CI: [2.68, 4.36], P < 0.01) between the CPP-ACP and control groups or baseline. CONCLUSION: Within the limitations of this meta-analysis, CPP-ACP exhibited excellent remineralization effects evaluated in clinical research and in vitro, indicating outstanding restoration of form, aesthetics, and function in treating white spot lesions.

Does systemic administration of casein phosphopeptides affect orthodontic movement and root resorption in rats?

OBJECTIVES: To assess the potential effects of casein phosphopeptides (CPPs) on orthodontically induced iatrogenic root resorption (OIIRR) and orthodontic teeth movement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty Wistar rats (aged 11 weeks) were randomly divided into experimental group (EG; n = 20) that received a diet supplemented with CPP and control group (CG; n = 20) devoid of diet supplement. A 150 g force was applied using nickel titanium (NiTi) coil that was bonded on maxillary incisors and extended unilaterally to a maxillary first molar. At Day 28, animals in both groups were euthanized. Volumetric assessment of root resorption craters and linear measurement of maxillary first molars movement were blindly examined using a micro-computed tomography scan. RESULTS: Nine rats were excluded from the experiment due to loss during general anesthesia or appliances' failure. Intra-operator reproducibility was high in both volumetric and linear measurements, 92.8 per cent and 98.5-97.6 per cent, respectively. The results reveal that dietary CPP has statistically insignificant effect on the overall OIIRR and orthodontic movement. CONCLUSIONS: CPP seems to have statistically insignificant effect on the volume of OIIRR and orthodontic movement in rats. A long-term study with larger sample size using a different concentration of CPP is required to clarify the dentoalveolar effect of CPP.

Engineering phosphopeptide-decorated magnetic nanoparticles as efficient photothermal agents for solid tumor therapy.

Due to the high therapeutic efficiency and minimum damage towards normal tissues, phototherapy has drawn a great deal of attention in recent decades. Herein, we reported the synthesis of novel phosphopeptide-decorated magnetic nanoparticles (peptide-Fe3O4 nanoparticles), and their usages in photothermal therapy against solid tumor. By using a classical coprecipitation method and a facile ligand exchange route, these peptide-Fe3O4 nanoparticles were prepared with inexpensive inhesion. Upon the irradiation of a near-infrared (NIR) light, these nanoagents exhibited great photothermal effect with high photo-stability. In vitro biocompatibility studies of these peptide-Fe3O4 nanoparticles indicated their low cytotoxicity, negligible hemolysis, and no effect on blood coagulation. As expected, 4T1 murine breast cancer cells could be effectively damaged by these light-mediated nanoagents. Significantly, animal experiments demonstrated that these nanoagents held great solid tumor ablation effect with the assistance of a NIR laser irradiation. Additional studies focused on the long-term toxicity of these nanoagents indicated their high bio-compatibility. Thus, these peptide-Fe3O4 nanoparticles could bring more opportunities to a new generation of photothermal agents in the field of biomedicine.

Targeting SH2 domains in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is among the most commonly diagnosed cancer types in women worldwide and is the second leading cause of cancer-related disease in the USA. SH2 domains recruit signaling proteins to phosphotyrosine residues on aberrantly activated growth factor and cytokine receptors and contribute to cancer cell cycling, metastasis, angiogenesis and so on. Herein we review phosphopeptide mimetic and small-molecule approaches targeting the SH2 domains of Grb2, Grb7 and STAT3 that inhibit their targets and reduce proliferation in in vitro breast cancer models. Only STAT3 inhibitors have been evaluated in in vivo models and have led to tumor reduction. Taken together, these studies suggest that targeting SH2 domains is an important approach to the treatment of breast cancer.

Efeito in situ de uma goma de mascar contendo caseína fosfopeptídea - fosfato de cálcio amorfo (CPP-ACP) na erosão dentária / n situ effect of chewing gum containing casein phosphopeptide - amorphous calcium phosphate on dental erosion

O presente trabalho avaliou o efeito in situ de uma goma de mascar comercialmente disponível contendo caseína fosfopeptídea - fosfato de cálcio amorfo (CPP-ACP) na erosão dentária. Para a primeira etapa do estudo (capacidade remineralizadora) utilizaram-se 72 blocos de esmalte humano selecionados pela dureza de superfície (SHi) e erodidos in vitro pela imersão em Coca Cola®, pH 2,4 por 3 min (avaliação da dureza - SHd). Os blocos foram randomizados entre os grupos: GI Trident Fresh® (sem CPP-ACP), GII controle (sem chiclete) e GIII Trident Total® (com CPPACP). Doze voluntários utilizaram dispositivos intrabucais palatinos por 24 h em 3 fases cruzadas. Nas fases de GI e GIII os voluntários mascaram um chiclete (30 min) e em todas as fases após 2h, a dureza foi avaliada (SHf1). Os blocos foram reposicionados e os dispositivos usados por mais 22 h (+ 3 ciclos de mastigação de chiclete - GI e GIII). A dureza foi reavaliada (SHf2) para cálculo do percentual de recuperação de dureza (%SHR) após 2 e 24h. Na segunda etapa do estudo (ciclagem erosiva) 48 blocos de esmalte humano hígidos foram aleatorizados entre os grupos (GI, GII e GIII) e 8 voluntários utilizaram dispositivos intrabucais palatinos em fases cruzadas de 7 dias cada (washout de 7 dias). O protocolo de ciclagem erosiva foi de 4 imersões diárias do dispositivo intrabucal em 150 ml de Coca Cola® durante 5 min. Nos grupos I e III após cada desafio erosivo e reinserção do dispositivo na cavidade bucal, os voluntários mascaram um chiclete durante 30 min. A alteração da superfície do esmalte foi mensurada por perfilometria (μm). Os dados foram submetidos à ANOVA (2 critérios - etapa 1; 1 critério - etapa 2) e teste Tukey (α=0,05). Os resultados da recuperação de dureza demonstraram haver diferença significativa entre os grupos e os tempos (p<0,05). O Trident Total® (2h = 50,0%; 24h = 95,9%) promoveu maior recuperação de dureza que o Trident Fresh® (2h= 30,0%; 24h= 71,1%) e o grupo controle (2h = 15,7%...

This study evaluated the in situ effect of a commercial chewing gum containing casein phosphopeptide - amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP) on dental erosion. On the first stage (remineralizing effect) 72 human enamel blocks, which were selected by surface hardness (SHi) and eroded in vitro by immersion in cola drink, pH 2,4 for 3 minutes (hardness evaluation - SHd) were used. Blocks were randomized into 3 groups: GI Trident Fresh® (conventional gum, without CPP-ACP), GII control (no gum) and GIII Trident Total® (with CPP-ACP). Twelve volunteers wore intraoral palatal devices for 24 h in 3 crossover phases. In phases of GI and GIII volunteers chewed a gum (30 min) and in all phases after 2h, the surface hardness was evaluated (SHf1). The blocks were reinserted and the devices used for additional 22h (+ 3 cycles of chewing gum - GI e GIII). The surface hardness was reassessed (SHf2) to calculate the percentage of surface hardness recovery (%SHR) after 2 and 24h. In the second stage (erosive cycling) 48 healthy human enamel blocks were randomized between groups (GI, GII and GIII) and 8 volunteers wore intraoral palatal devices in crossover phases of 7 days each (washout of 7 days). The cycling protocol consisted of 4 daily immersions of the intraoral device into 150 ml of cola drink for 5 min. In groups I and III after each erosive challenge and oral device reinsertion into oral cavity, the volunteers chewed a gum for 30 min. The enamel surface alterations were measured by profilometry (μm). Data were analyzed by Anova (Two way - stage 1, One way - stage 2) and Turkeys test (α=0,05). The results of percentage of surface hardness recovery showed significant differences for factors groups and time (p<0.05). Trident Total® (2h = 50.0%; 24h = 95.9%) showed higher percentage of surface hardness recovery than the Trident Fresh® (2h = 30.0%; 24h = 71.1%) and control group (2h = 15.7% 24h = 40.9%). In the prolonged erosive challenge, Trident Total® (5.2 ± ...

Casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate: a remineralizing agent of enamel.

The pathogenesis of enamel caries involves a succession of demineralization and remineralization activities. The net effect can result in lesion consolidation when the redeposited minerals improve the resistance of the surface to the extent that the usual level of cariogenic activity cannot cause mineral dissolution. Since it has been established that the caries process is a continuum, albeit one that is interrupted numerous times daily, it is therefore possible to intervene at any stage with a therapeutic product or an intervention methodology. Incorporation of remineralizing treatments into routine dental care programmes will have a strong impact on the public health aspects of caries control. A recent advancement in the phenomenon of remineralization is the casein phosphopeptides. These casein phosphopeptides localize the amorphous calcium phosphate and are proved to be anticariogenic. This review discusses the mechanism of remineralization by casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate and its incorporation into various products.

Effective treatment of experimental ragweed-induced asthma with STAT-6-IP, a topically delivered cell-penetrating peptide.

BACKGROUND: Treatment of allergic airways disease including asthma remains primarily local immunosuppression with topical corticosteroid and symptomatic management with antihistamines and anti-leucotrienes. We have developed a novel topical therapy designed to specifically inhibit the events associated with Th2 cell activation. OBJECTIVE: We assessed the efficacy of our cell-penetrating STAT-6 inhibitory peptide (STAT-6-IP), a novel treatment for allergic airways disease, in a model of chronic ragweed-induced asthma. METHODS: Six- to eight-week-old mice were sensitized over 5 weeks with intranasal (IN) exposures to whole ragweed allergen without adjuvant. Mice were then IN challenged with Amba 1 with and without treatment IN with STAT-6-IP and allergic responses assessed. Two weeks later, some animals were rechallenged with Amba 1 with or without STAT-6-IP. RESULTS: Animals exposed to IN ragweed developed significant airway hyperresponsiveness and airways inflammation upon challenge. Cell cultures showed increases in Th2 cytokines IL-4 and IL-13. Topical STAT-6-IP treatment reduced production of Th2 cytokines, demonstrated increased expression of IL-10 and reduced frequency of cultured IL-4 positive CD4+ T cells derived from treated mice, suggesting that STAT-6-IP treatment may be immunomodulatory. Airway responsiveness to methacholine challenge in the treatment group was similarly reduced to that of the non-allergic PBS-exposed animals. Importantly, STAT-6-IP-treated mice remained hyporesponsive following second ragweed challenge 2 weeks after treatment. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: These data suggest that topical application of the STAT-6-IP is sufficient to inhibit allergic airways responses in animals chronically sensitized and challenged with ragweed. Data show that a single topical treatment course is sufficient to block signs of allergic responses to ragweed in the airways for at least 2 weeks. STAT-6-IP is a novel potential treatment for chronic allergic asthma.

Inhibition of dental erosion by casein and casein-derived proteins.

The application of milk-derived proteins such as casein as anti-erosion agents in oral healthcare products is of current interest. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of 3 commercially available, milk-derived proteins as agents to inhibit enamel erosion. Aqueous solutions of 0.5% w/v casein, casein phosphopeptide (CPP) or glycomacropeptide (GMP) with and without 300 ppm fluoride (F, as NaF) were investigated with regard to enamel softening and tissue loss, in comparison with a deionised water (DIW) negative control and 300 ppm F positive control. Casein and F reduced enamel surface softening compared to DIW, but CPP and GMP did not (DIW: 58.2% reduction in hardness; F: 13.3%; casein: 21.8%; CPP: 50.8%; GMP: 62.4%). Similar results were obtained with solutions containing protein and F, and the effects were statistically indistinguishable from protein alone (casein + F: 19.1%; CPP + F: 48.2%; GMP + F: 66.1%). By contrast, all protein solutions and F significantly reduced tissue loss (p < 0.050; DIW: 25.8 µm tissue loss; F: 21.6 µm; casein: 20.3 µm; CPP: 20.5 µm; GMP: 20.0 µm). Solutions containing protein and F reduced erosion more than protein alone, but this difference was only significant from protein alone for casein (casein + F: 12.2 µm; CPP + F: 17.3 µm; GMP + F: 18.2 µm). Casein and casein-derived proteins may therefore have the potential to act as agents to reduce or prevent enamel erosion. Furthermore, the erosion-reducing efficacy is not reduced by F, and is in some cases enhanced.

The effect of casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate on erosive enamel and dentine wear by toothbrush abrasion.

OBJECTIVE: In addition to its role as a remineralizing agent in preventing dental caries, calcium product (CPP-ACP) delivered as a mousse (Tooth Mousse, TM) can reduce erosion of enamel and dentine. The aim of this study was to determine whether CPP-ACP could also reduce erosive tooth wear involving toothbrush abrasion. METHODS: Flat, polished enamel and dentine specimens (n=72) were subjected to 10 wear regimes, with each regime involving erosion in 0.3% citric acid (pH 3.2) for 10 min followed by toothbrush abrasion in a slurry of fluoride-free toothpaste and artificial saliva (1:3 ratio by weight) under a load of 2N for 200 cycles. The specimens were immersed in artificial saliva for 2h between wear regimes. In the experimental group 1, TM (containing CPP-ACP) was applied at the beginning of each wear episode for 5 min whereas TM- (without CPP-ACP) was applied in the experimental group 2. No mousse was applied in the control group. RESULTS: TM significantly reduced enamel wear (mean+/-S.E., 1.26+/-0.33 microm in the experimental group 1 vs 3.48+/-0.43 microm in the control group) and dentine wear (2.16+/-0.89 microm in the experimental group 1 vs 10.29+/-1.64 microm in the control group), and dentine wear was significantly less in the experimental group 1 than in the experimental group 2 (5.75+/-0.98 microm). CONCLUSION: The finding that TM reduced erosive tooth wear involving toothbrush abrasion, probably by remineralizing and lubricating eroded tooth surfaces, may have implications in the management of tooth wear.

Casein phosphopeptides in oral health--chemistry and clinical applications.

The casein phosphopeptides (CPP) are derived from the milk protein casein by tryptic digestion. The CPP, containing the sequence -Pse-Pse-Pse-Glu-Glu- where Pse is a phosphoseryl residue, stabilize calcium and phosphate ions in aqueous solution and make these essential nutrients bioavailable. Under alkaline conditions the calcium phosphate is present as an alkaline amorphous phase complexed by the CPP, referred to as casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium phosphate (CPP-ACP). The CPP-ACP complexes readily incorporate fluoride ions forming casein phosphopeptide-amorphous calcium fluoride phosphate (CPP-ACFP). A mechanism is discussed which provides a rationale for the ability of the CPP-ACP to remineralize carious lesions in dental enamel. Clinical applications of the CPP-ACP as agents in the treatment of dental caries and other hypomineralized conditions are reviewed. It is concluded that the CPP are a safe and novel carrier for calcium, phosphate and hydroxide (fluoride) ions to promote enamel remineralization with application in oral care products, dental professional products and foodstuffs.

Effect of casein phosphopeptide and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on tibial dyschondroplasia in growing broiler chickens.

1. An experiment was conducted to investigate the influence of dietary casein phosphopeptides and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol on the incidence of tibial dyschondroplasia (TD) in 14-d-old commercial broiler chickens. 2. Three hundred and twenty broiler chicks (one day old) were randomly allocated to one of 4 dietary treatments. A standard broiler diet was used as the control with the three experimental treatments receiving the control diet supplemented with 10 g casein phosphopeptide/kg, 14 g casein phosphopeptide/kg or 69 microg 25-hydroxycholecalciferol/kg. 3. Those birds fed the diets supplemented with 14g casein phosphopeptide/kg or 25-hydroxycholecalciferol had a lower incidence of TD than both the control and 10g casein phosphopeptide/kg treatments when assessed grossly. 4. The body weight of birds fed the 10 g casein phosphopeptide/kg diet or the 25-hydroxycholecalciferol diet was higher than birds fed the control diet. Although not significant, the body weight of birds fed the 14 g casein phosphopeptide/kg diet was also greater than the control birds. 5. The current experiment demonstrated that both casein phosphopeptide and 25-hydroxycholecalciferol can reduce the incidence of TD in the young broiler chicken. More research is required to explain the unexpected increase in body weight described above.