1. Effect of saliva viscosity on the co-aggregation between oral streptococci and Actinomyces naeslundii.
- Author
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Kitada K and Oho T
- Subjects
- Actinomyces drug effects, Adult, Buffers, Glycerol administration & dosage, Glycerol pharmacology, Humans, Microbial Interactions drug effects, Microbial Interactions physiology, Middle Aged, Phosphates chemistry, Saliva microbiology, Spectrophotometry, Streptococcus drug effects, Streptococcus anginosus drug effects, Streptococcus anginosus physiology, Streptococcus constellatus drug effects, Streptococcus constellatus physiology, Streptococcus gordonii drug effects, Streptococcus gordonii physiology, Streptococcus intermedius drug effects, Streptococcus intermedius physiology, Streptococcus mitis drug effects, Streptococcus mitis physiology, Streptococcus mutans drug effects, Streptococcus mutans physiology, Streptococcus oralis drug effects, Streptococcus oralis physiology, Streptococcus pneumoniae drug effects, Streptococcus pneumoniae physiology, Streptococcus sanguis drug effects, Streptococcus sanguis physiology, Viscosity, Young Adult, Actinomyces physiology, Saliva physiology, Streptococcus physiology
- Abstract
Background: The co-aggregation of oral bacteria leads to their clearance from the oral cavity. Poor oral hygiene and high saliva viscosity are common amongst the elderly; thus, they frequently suffer from pneumonia caused by the aspiration of oral microorganisms., Objectives: To examine the direct effect of saliva viscosity on the co-aggregation of oral streptococci with actinomyces., Materials and Methods: Fifteen oral streptococcal and a single actinomyces strain were used. Co-aggregation was assessed by a visual assay in phosphate buffer and a spectrophotometric assay in the same buffer containing 0-60% glycerol or whole saliva., Results: Nine oral streptococci co-aggregated with Actinomyces naeslundii ATCC12104 in the visual assay and were subsequently used for the spectrophotometric analysis. All tested strains displayed a decrease in co-aggregation with increasing amounts of glycerol in the buffer. The co-aggregation of Streptococcus oralis with A. naeslundii recovered to baseline level following the removal of glycerol. The per cent co-aggregation of S. oralis with A. naeslundii was significantly correlated with the viscosity in unstimulated and stimulated whole saliva samples (correlation coefficients: -0.52 and -0.48, respectively)., Conclusion: This study suggests that saliva viscosity affects the co-aggregation of oral streptococci with actinomyces and that bacterial co-aggregation decreases with increasing saliva viscosity., (© 2011 The Gerodontology Society and John Wiley & Sons A/S.)
- Published
- 2012
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