The effect of human dental plaque on bone resorption and hyaluronic acid synthesis in in-vitro cultures of fetal rat calvaria.

Dental bacterial plaque affects bone demineralization both in vivo and in vitro. Since hyaluronic acid may play a role in demineralization, calcium release into the media as a measure of bone resorption was correlated with the synthesis of [3H]-glucosamine-labelled macromolecules in bone culture. The synthesis of glycosaminoglycans was determined by both a Millipore method and by DEAE-cellulose chromatography. Addition of plaque extract to the culture media stimulated both the synthesis and release of hyaluronic acid to the culture media, while stimulating calcium release. Thus, the bone-demineralizing effect of dental plaque seems to be associated to the induced synthesis of hyaluronic acid.