Inhibitory effect of sorbitol on sugar metabolism of Streptococcus mutans in vitro and on acid production in dental plaque in vivo.

This study was conducted to find out whether sorbitol inhibits the sugar metabolism of Streptococcus mutans in vitro and the acid production in dental plaque in vivo. S. mutans NCIB 11723 was anaerobically grown in sorbitol-containing medium. The rate of acid production from sugars was estimated with a pH stat. The rate of acid production from glucose or sucrose was not changed at various concentrations of oxygen. By the addition of sorbitol to sugar, however, the acid production was decreased with increasing levels of oxygen. Intracellular NADH/NAD+ ratio and (dihydroxyacetone-phosphate+glyceraldehyde-phosphate)/3-phosphoglycerate ratio were high whenever the acid production was inhibited by sorbitol. Sorbitol also inhibited the acid production in dental plaque in vivo. These results suggest that the increased NADH/NAD+ ratio during sorbitol metabolism through the inactivation of pyruvate formate-lyase by oxygen inhibited glyceraldehyde-phosphate dehydrogenase and then the acid production of S. mutans and the one in dental plaque.

Blocking effect of serotonin on beta-adrenoceptor activity in follicle-enclosed Xenopus oocytes.

The effects of serotonin (5-HT) on a beta-adrenergic response were studied, using the voltage clamp technique, in Xenopus laevis oocytes surrounded by their follicular cells. noradrenaline induced marked hyperpolarization, with a specific increase in the permeability of the membrane toward K+. Application of 10 microM 5-HT had little effect on the resting membrane, but significantly depressed the response to 0.1 microM noradrenaline. The dose-response curve for noradrenaline showed a parallel shift to the right in the presence of 5-HT, suggesting that 5-HT competes with noradrenaline for common binding sites at the beta-adrenoceptor.

Potassium ion channels operated by receptor stimulation can be activated simply by raising temperature.

Application of either dopamine (DA), acetylcholine (ACh), or histamine (HA) to the identified ganglion cells of Aplysia elicits a K(+)-dependent slow hyperpolarization. When temperature of the bathing solution was raised from 22 to 32 degrees C, these cells were also hyperpolarized with a marked increase in K+ conductance. The warm- and transmitter-induced current responses recorded under voltage clamp were not blocked by either 1 mM Ba2+ or 10 mM TEA. Intracellularly injected guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP beta S) depressed both warm- and transmitter-induced K+ responses immediately after the injection. Intracellular application of guanosine 5'-O-(3-thiotriphosphate) (GTP gamma S) caused a gradual, irreversible increase in K+ conductance of the plasma membrane and occluded both responses. Transmitter-induced response markedly decreased when the temperature was raised from 22 to 32 degrees C, suggesting that the response to transmitter was occluded during the warm-induced response. These results suggested that the G-protein regulating the receptor-operated K+ channels could be activated simply by raising temperature.

A slow voltage-dependent Na(+)-current induced by 5-hydroxytryptamine and the G-protein-coupled activation mechanism in the ganglion cells of Aplysia.

Application of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5HT) induces a slowly depolarizing response in the neurons of Aplysia abdominal ganglion. In voltage-clamped cells, 5HT induced a slow inward current that increased steeply with membrane depolarization from -85 mV showing a negative slope conductance, but never reversed into outward when hyperpolarized beyond the equilibrium potential for K+. The 5HT-induced response was markedly augmented in Ca(2+)-free media, but depressed in Na(+)-free media, and unaffected by a change in external potassium. Intracellular injection of guanosine 5'-O-(2-thiodiphosphate) (GDP beta S) significantly depressed the 5HT response in a dose-dependent way. Injection of cholera toxin (CTX) selectively blocked the 5HT-induced response, the effect being irreversible. Neither 3'-deoxyadenosine, an inhibitor of adenylate cyclase, nor H-8, an inhibitor of protein kinase A, depressed the 5HT response. 3-Isobutyl-1-methylxanthine (IBMX) did not augment the 5HT response appreciably. The 5HT responses were not depressed at all during a saturated response to Br-cyclic AMP injected intracellularly. It was concluded that the 5HT response is produced by opening of the voltage-dependent Na(+)-channels with activation of CTX-sensitive G-protein but not necessarily with an increase in intracellular cyclic AMP.

[Roentgenological study of the form of pulp cavities on upper central incisors].

The purpose of this study is to estimate the form of pulp cavities of upper central incisors using roentgenograms. Materials were fifty extracted upper central incisors. First, roentgenograms of these materials were taken from labio-lingual and mesio-distal directions. Then ten dentists read and traced the form of pulp cavities as shown by the roentgenograms, after which the percentage of readability was determined. Furthermore, the incisors were then cut in order to trace the actual form of pulp cavities and these tracings were compared with those made by the dentists as based on the roentgenograms. It was shown by this study that the tracings of pulp chamber at the dental cervix based on the roentgenograms taken from the labio-lingual direction and the tracings at the horn of pulp chamber based on the roentgenograms taken from the mesio-distal direction closely approximated the tracings of the cut materials. It was also found that readability of these points was 100% for all ten dentists. Based on these results, the two above mentioned points were designated as the datum points to be used when estimating the form of pulp cavities. Furthermore, the form of pulp cavities of the cut teeth was considered in order to determine the angle of the mesial and distal projection of the horn of pulp chamber against the datum plane of the dental cervix. In the above manner, a possible method of estimating the form of pulp cavities of upper central incisors using two roentgenograms was investigated.