From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2006-11-04 18:17:38 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] abstracts and press releases of latest ferret medical studies and related ones
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Public release date: 2-Nov-2006
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Contact: Rebecca Jones
rebecca_jones@urmc.rochester.edu
585-275-8490
University of Rochester Medical Center =
Common antacids could help keep gingivitis at bay
Chemicals commonly used to treat heartburn also display fighting power agai=
nst the oral bacteria linked with gum disease, according to researchers at =
the University of Rochester Medical Center and G=F6teborg University in Swe=
den.
A study published in November's Archives of Oral Biology explores how the a=
ctive ingredients in popular antacids could help fend off gingivitis. If th=
e work holds up in subsequent studies in people, the compounds could one da=
y find themselves widely available in oral care products like toothpaste an=
d mouthwashes.
"The American diet and the constant drip of sugar allows little time for th=
e natural repair of teeth. All day, it's a cycle of acidic erosion and repa=
ir =96 or at least, it should be =96 but our constant sucking on hard candy=
and guzzling sodas with high fructose syrups leaves little time for repair=
," said Robert Marquis, Ph.D., of the University of Rochester Medical Cente=
r. Marquis, an internationally recognized expert on the bacteria that inhab=
it our mouths, is the study's lead author.
The team studied a compound known as lansoprazole, part of a family of comp=
ounds known as benzimidazoles that already have a range of uses, primarily =
controlling stomach hyperacidity and killing Helicobacter pylori (the bacte=
ria responsible for stomach ulcers). Now, the compounds are brandishing pot=
ent antimicrobial actions that interfere with the dirty work of other types=
of bacteria that cause plaque buildup and gingivitis.
Such bacteria make their home on unbrushed teeth, which become coated with =
plaque, a filmy substance that, under a microscope, appears as a teeming se=
a of hundreds of bacteria. Among these are gingivitis-causing bacteria that=
break down sugars and amino acids into toxins that are harmful to our gums=
.=
Unchecked, an accumulation of plaque and an overgrowth of these ravenous, t=
oxin-oozing bacteria leads to one of the body's natural immune responses, i=
nflammation, where bacteria-fighting cells are recruited to the gums to fig=
ht off the infection. Unfortunately, instead of just fending off the bacter=
ia, the immune response also inflicts damage to the healthy gums. In the ca=
se of an intense infection, the battle drags out and results in more devast=
ation to the gums, or gingivitis.
Since gingivitis can be a preamble for periodontal disease =96 an oral infl=
ammation so persistent that it destroys the bone where the teeth anchor, ca=
using them to fall out =96 researchers at the University of Rochester and G=
=F6teborg University in Sweden decided to focus on Fusobacterium nucleatum,=
an especially hardy bacterial troublemaker that plays a crucial role in se=
tting the stage for gum disease.
When it's not secreting irritating chemicals itself, F. nucleatum acts as a=
binding site for other dangerous oral bacteria that cannot directly attach=
to tooth surfaces on their own. These bacteria, dubbed "secondary colonize=
rs," rely on the help of F. nucleatum, which serves almost like an aircraft=
landing strip atop an aircraft carrier, allowing planes (or in this case, =
bacteria) to set down. With the help of F.nucleatum, these dangerous bacter=
ia now have a place to "land" and create the damage that causes periodontal=
disease and tooth decay.
"It acts as a transitional organism, welcoming the bacteria which couldn't =
survive there on their own, and moving the infection from above the gum lin=
e to below it," said Marquis, professor of both Microbiology & Immunology a=
nd Oral Biology.
That's where lansoprazole comes in. When the oral environment becomes acidi=
c =96 a telltale sign of bacteria at work =96 lansoprazole is chemically mo=
dified to kick into action, disabling F. nucleatum and preventing it from p=
roducing toxins or serving as a landing site. Once the oral environment ret=
urns to normal, the lansoprazole simply switches off.
"Benzimidazoles aren't just for acid-reflux anymore," said Marquis, whose r=
esearch project was supported by the National Institute of Dental and Crani=
ofacial Research. "We've shown their promise for preventing cavities in pre=
vious research, and now, perhaps even some protective benefits to guard aga=
inst gingivitis. It's not unthinkable that one day these compounds might be=
more broadly used to promote dental health in toothpastes and mouthwashes.=
"
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