S. mutans Antisense vicK RNA Over-Expression Plus Antibacterial Dimethylaminohexadecyl Methacrylate Suppresses Oral Biofilms and Protects Enamel Hardness in Extracted Human Teeth

Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans) antisense vicK RNA (ASvicK) is a non-coding RNA that regulates cariogenic virulence and metabolic activity. Dimethylaminohexadecyl methacrylate (DMAHDM), a quaternary ammonium methacrylate used in dental materials, has strong antibacterial activity. This study examined the effects of S. mutans ASvicK on DMAHDM susceptibility and their combined impact on inhibiting S. mutans biofilm formation and protecting enamel hardness. The parent S. mutans UA159 and ASvicK overexpressing S. mutans (ASvicK) were tested. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentrations for planktonic bacteria (MBC-P) and biofilms (MBC-B) were measured. As the ASvicK MBC-B was 175 μg/mL, live/dead staining, metabolic activity (MTT), colony-forming units (CFUs), biofilm biomass, polysaccharide, and lactic acid production were investigated at 175 μg/mL and 87.5 μg/mL. The MIC, MBC-P, and MBC-B values for DMAHDM for the ASvicK strain were half those of the UA159 strain. In addition, combining S. mutans ASvicK with DMAHDM resulted in a significant 4-log CFU reduction (p < 0.05), with notable decreases in polysaccharide levels and lactic acid production. In the in vitro cariogenic model, the combination achieved the highest enamel hardness at 67.1% of sound enamel, while UA159 without DMAHDM had the lowest at 16.4% (p < 0.05). Thus, S. mutans ASvicK enhanced DMAHDM susceptibility, and their combination effectively inhibited biofilm formation and minimized enamel demineralization. The S. mutans ASvicK + DMAHDM combination shows great potential for anti-caries dental applications.