| Autor: |
Estes Bright LM; School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States., Garren MRS; School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States., Ashcraft M; Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States., Kumar A; School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States., Husain H; School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States., Brisbois EJ; School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States., Handa H; School of Chemical, Materials and Biomedical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States.; Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences Department, College of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, United States. |
| Abstrakt: |
Demineralization and breakdown of tooth enamel are characterized by a condition called dental caries or tooth decay, which is caused by two main factors: (1) highly acidic food intake without proper oral hygiene and (2) overactive oral bacteria generating acidic metabolic byproducts. Fluoride treatments have been shown to help rebuild the hydroxyapatite structures that make up 98% of enamel but do not tackle the bacterial overload that continues to threaten future demineralization. Herein, we have created a dual-function Pluronic F127-alginate hydrogel with nitric oxide (NO)- and fluoride-releasing capabilities for the two-pronged treatment of dental caries. Analysis of the hydrogels demonstrated porous, shear-thinning behaviors with tunable mechanical properties. Varying the weight percent of the NO donor S -nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) within the hydrogel enabled physiologically actionable NO release over 4 h, with the fabricated gels demonstrating storage stability over 21 days. This NO-releasing capability resulted in a 97.59% reduction of viable Streptococcus mutans in the planktonic state over 4 h and reduced the preformed biofilm mass by 48.8% after 24 h. Delivery of fluoride ions was confirmed by a fluoride-sensitive electrode, with release levels resulting in the significant prevention of demineralization of hydroxyapatite discs after treatment with an acidic demineralization solution. Exposure to human gingival fibroblasts and human osteoblasts showed cytocompatibility of the hydrogel, demonstrating the potential for the successful treatment of dental caries in patients. |
