Experimental endocarditis induced by dental manipulation and oral streptococci.

Circumstantial evidence has strongly implicated dental manipulation as an etiologic factor in the development of infective endocarditis. The introduction of human oral streptococci via the oral cavity in rabbits with vegetative cardiac lesions yields a 94 per cent incidence of infective endocarditis, if the number of inoculated organisms is above a threshold level of 10(7).

Immunization with dextransucrases, levansucrases, and glycosidic hydrolases from oral streptococci. II. Immunization with glucosyltransferases, fructosyltransferases, and glycosidic hydrolases from oral streptococci in monkeys.

The feasibility of immunizing monkeys with enzymes from oral streptococci in an attempt to reduce dental caries was investigated. Forty rhesus monkeys, Macaca mulatta, were used. Cariogenic streptococci, S mutans, were implanted into all the monkeys' mouths. There was no pathological effect resulting from immunization. Of the 40 animals, 30 retained the implanted flora throughout the experiment; the remaining 10 were reimplanted until the streptococci remained. In six months, gross carious lesions were evident with plaque. Inhibitiors present in the monkey sera after immunization inhibited glucosyltransferase, fructosyltransferase, and neuraminidase activities. It was presumed the inhibitors were antibodies. There was a reduction of 68.6% in the total carious lesions in the animals immunized intraorally with glucosyltransferase, 62.4% reduction in those injected with fructosyltransferase, and 57.4% reduction in total lesions in those immunized with glycosidic hydrolases after 19 months, as compared to the control group. There were no gross lesions apparent in the group immunized with glycosidic hydrolases. It appears that immunization with enzymes significantly reduces carries and is feasible in a primate model.

Inhibition of glucan and levan synthesis and neuraminidase activity of oral streptococci by monkey antiserums.

A demonstration that antiserums from monkeys immunized with fructosyltransferase and glucosyltransferase reduced the activities of the enzymes in producing glucans and levans was done. The nature of the inhibiting factor has not yet been identified. The local immunization of monkeys with glycosidic hydrolases produced a sufficient amount of inhibiting principle, presumably antibody, to inhibit neuraminidase one month after the first immunization and this degree of immunization, which reached degrees of 50%, remained constant throughout 11 months of immunization of these monkeys. The immunizing principle has not yet been found in saliva. A criterion for the feasibility for immunization has been met. A significant reduction in streptoccal glucosyltransferase, fructosyltransferase, and neuraminidase activity was noted after immunization with enzymes.

Permeability of oral tissues to blood-borne coxsackievirus B-1.

The ability of coxsackievirus B-1 to pass the barriers of the circulatory system into whole saliva has been shown previously. In this investigation, the major salivary glands and the oral mucosa were studied, and their role as participants in the excretion of coxsackievirus B-1 during viremia was evaluated. The effect of the salivary-gland stimulant pilocarpine nitrate on both the salivary flow rate and the recovery of virus during viremia was determined. A comparison was made between the amount of virus recovered from whole saliva during viremia in animals deficient in one or both of the major salivary-gland pairs and animals with a complete complement of salivary glands. The salivary glands in other animals were cannulated, and pure glandular secretions were collected during viremia and assayed for the presence of virus The amount of virus passing from the capillaries of the oral mucosa to the surface was also determined to evaluate this route as a possible site for the excretion of virus into saliva during viremia. The major salivary glands did not excrete appreciable quantities of virus during viremia. The submaxillary-gland secretions did not contain virus, and the parotid-gland secretions showed virus only at extremely high blood virus levels. Either removal of the major salivary glands or decreased salivary flow rates increased the concentration of virus in whole saliva. This observation suggested that the production of saliva by the major salivary glands tends to dilute the virus in the oral cavity. A 0.88-cm(2) sample of the oral mucosa excreted significantly large amounts of virus during viremia and suggested that the passage of virus through the oral mucosa was the major route for the excretion of virus into saliva during viremia.

Toxic properties of the cell wall of gram-positive bacteria.

The biological activity of Odontomyces viscosus, which has been reported to cause periodontal disease in hamsters, was examined. The microorganism was cultured anaerobically in Brain Heart Infusion broth, and the cells were harvested. The washed cells were injected intradermally into the abdomen of rabbits. After 72 hr, a well-defined, firm, raised nodule (about 1.0 by 1.5 cm) with an erythematous border was seen at the injection site. Suspensions of cell wall and cytoplasmic material were injected intradermally, and the lesions appeared only at the site of cell wall injection. The cell walls, which were then treated with trypsin, pepsin, and ribonuclease, again produced the characteristic lesion. These nodular dermal lesions persisted for a minimal time of 10 days. The enzymatically treated cell walls were then hydrolyzed with 1 n HCl, and such hydrolysis up to 1 hr failed to alter the toxic activity of the cell walls. Similar dermal nodular lesions were obtained by injection of enzymatically treated cell walls of strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus groups B, C, E, F, K, Lactobacillus casei, and Actinomyces israelii. Treatment with hot and cold trichloroacetic acid solutions and proteolytic enzymes, or with formamide, yielded insoluble fractions which produced the characteristic nodular lesions. The size of the lesion resulting from injection of these fractions was proportional to the amount of the injected material. The active fraction, which does not appear susceptible to hydrolysis by lysozyme, is thought to be cell wall mucopeptide. Histological studies showed skin abscesses due to the toxic reaction; however, in addition to the acute inflammatory reaction, there was local eosinophilia.

Chemical composition and serological analysis of the cell wall of Peptostreptococcus.

Bahn, Arthur N. (Northwestern University, Chicago, Ill.), Patrick C. Y. Kung, and James A. Hayashi. Chemical composition and serological analysis of the cell wall of Peptostreptococcus. J. Bacteriol. 91:1672-1676. 1966.-Chemical and serological analyses were made of the cell wall of Peptostreptococcus to characterize taxonomically this genus of anaerobic streptococci. Cell wall hydrolysates of P. putridus strains 06 and 85, P. intermedius strains 11 and 87, and P. elsdenii strain B-159 were prepared, and the cell wall sugars were measured quantitatively by paper chromatography. Strain 85 contained only glucose, whereas strain 06 contained 93% glucose and 7% mannose. Strain 87 contained only rhamnose, and strain 11 contained approximately equal amounts of glucose and rhamnose. Strain B-159 differed from all the other strains in having a low (3.1%) content of total carbohydrate, consisting of rhamnose, galactose, and glucose. Quantitative amino acid analyses showed that the major amino compounds present in the cell wall were glutamic and aspartic acids, alanine, lysine, muramic acid, glucosamine, and galactosamine. Strains 06 and 85 possessed this complement of amino compounds, but strains 11 and 87 had relatively little aspartic acid. Strain B-159 was markedly different in having a high content of glycine and diaminopimelic acid, with only traces of lysine; it was the only strain in which teichoic acid was found. Serological analyses were made with the use of cell wall extracts as antigenic material and with homologous antisera, as well as streptococcal group antisera for groups A through S. The only strong agglutination was obtained between strain 87 antigen and group C antisera; weak agglutination was obtained with 87 against N, O, and K, and between strain 11 and groups E and F. All other antisera gave negative reactions. It is concluded that strain B-159 does not belong to the genus Peptostreptococcus, that strains 06 and 85 are members of P. putridus, and that strains 11 and 87 may be members of two different genera.

Salivary excretion of Coxsackie b-1 virus in rabbits.

Coxsackie B-1 virus was injected into the ear vein of albino doe rabbits. Saliva and blood samples were taken before the injection of virus and at specific times thereafter. Virus was recovered in the whole saliva when the blood titer was approximately 10(4) TCID(50) per 0.1 ml or greater. The virus could be detected in the saliva as early as 2 min after the initiation of the viremia. The recovered virus was shown to be the same as the injected virus by serological identification of the recovered virus with neutralizing antibody for Coxsackie B-1 virus. These results suggest that virus may be transmitted to other animals in the saliva of animals who are in the viremic phase of infection without infection of the oropharyngeal tissues.