epiglucan and Gingivitis

Gingivitis is an inflammatory disorder of the periodontium induced by dental plaque bacteria. Soluble beta-1,3/1,6-glucan (SBG) is known to enhance infection defense by preventing excessive inflammatory responses caused by bacterial endotoxins.. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of SBG on experimental gingivitis in man.. Experimental gingivitis was induced over a period of 24 days in 30 healthy volunteers who were simultaneously treated with SBG. Two groups (n=10/group) rinsed twice daily with an SBG mouthwash that was either swallowed or expectorated. A third group (n=10) received a water rinse as a control. Plaque index (Pl.I), gingival index (GI), and amount of gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) were assessed at baseline and at six times during the study.. The results showed that in the SBG groups, GCF decreased significantly during the study. The swallow group experienced a significant increase in GCF during the first week. The control group followed the expected pattern of experimental gingivitis, with a significant increase in the gingival fluid secretion during the test period. There was a significant increase in GI and Pl.I during the study for all groups, with no significant differences between them. No adverse effects of SBG were recorded.. In this 24-day experimental gingivitis study of subjects who used either a SBG or a control mouthrinse: (1) all subjects had increased plaque and gingivitis, (2) GCF increased in control-rinse subjects and GCF decreased in SBG-rinse subjects. The only statistically significant difference between the SBG-rinse and control-rinse subjects was an increase in GCF at day 7 for subjects who rinsed and swallowed SBG.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Epidemiologic Methods; Female; Gingival Crevicular Fluid; Gingivitis; Glucans; Humans; Male; Mouthwashes

Periodontal disease is the consequence of a mixed Gram-negative infection in the gingival sulcus and has been associated with deficits in the neutrophil response. A novel, and heretofore untested, alternative approach to therapy is the use of biological-response modulators that enhance the neutrophil response. Poly-beta1-6-glucotriosyl-beta1-3-glucopyranose glucan (PGG-glucan) is an immunomodulator, derived from yeast, which specifically enhances neutrophil priming, phagocytosis and bacterial killing while failing to induce inflammatory cytokine expression. The hypothesis tested was that PGG-glucan could enhance host resistance to a Gram-negative periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis. Chambers were implanted subcutaneously in the dorsolumbar region of C57BL/6J mice and allowed to heal for 14 days. PGG-glucan was administered subcutaneously to one-half of the animals and saline to the other half. In the first set of experiments the chambers were inoculated with P. gingivalis (A7436) at 4 x 10 (6), 4 x 10 (7), and 4 x 10 (8) colony-forming units (CFU). In the second set of experiments the chambers were inoculated with 5 x 10 (8) CFU of either P. gingivalis or Streptococcus sanguis, a Gram-positive oral microbe that is not periodontopathic. Chambers were sampled over the following 2 weeks. The results demonstrated that: (1). bacterial CFU and neutrophils increased with increasing bacterial inoculum (P<0.02); (2). bacterial CFU were lower in the PGG-glucan-treated animals than in the saline controls (P<0.02); and (3). neutrophil counts were higher in the PGG-glucan-treated animals than in the saline controls (P<0.01). These results indicate that PGG-glucan significantly enhances neutrophil emigration and bacterial killing, thus decreasing the bacterial infection in this model system.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Analysis of Variance; Animals; Bacterial Infections; beta-Glucans; Cell Movement; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Gingivitis; Glucans; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Models, Animal; Neutrophil Infiltration; Neutrophils; Porphyromonas gingivalis; Specific Pathogen-Free Organisms; Time Factors