The effect of sucrose diet of rat dams on the dentine apposition and dental caries of their pups

• Published in: Archives of oral biology 2000-03, Vol.45 (3), p.193-200
• Main Authors: Pekkala, E, Hietala, E.-L, Puukka, M, Larmas, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Calcium - urine; Caries; Dental Caries - etiology; Dental Caries - urine; Dentinogenesis; Dentinogenesis - drug effects; Dentistry; Diet, Cariogenic; Dietary Sucrose - adverse effects; Female; Lactation; Male; Mineral excretion; Phosphorus - urine; Potassium - urine; Random Allocation; Rat; Rats; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; Sodium - urine; Statistics, Nonparametric; Sucrose diet; Tooth Demineralization - urine
• ISSN: 0003-9969; 1879-1506
• DOI: 10.1016/S0003-9969(99)00138-7

The purpose was to examine whether a sucrose diet in rat dams reduces dentine apposition and enhances dental caries in their pups. Sprague–Dawley rat pups were randomized into four groups on the day of birth. During the lactation period three dams received a standard rodent diet and three a diet containing 41% sucrose. At the age of 3 weeks the pups were weaned and given an intraperitoneal injection of oxytetracycline hydrochloride. During the experimental period, half of the pups of control dams received a sucrose diet (Cnt-Suc pups) and half of the pups of sucrose dams received a standard diet (Suc-Cnt pups). The pups in the other halves received the same diet as given to their dams during lactation (Cnt-Cnt and Suc-Suc pups). Urine samples were collected from dams and pups during the test periods. After 4 weeks the pups were killed, their blood was collected and their jaws sectioned sagittally. Dentine apposition was determined planimetrically and dental caries using Shiff’s staining. Ca, K and Na of serum and urine were measured flame photometrically and P using an ultraviolet method. The lactational sucrose diet was associated with decreased P and Na excretion in the dams, and also with reduced dentine apposition in their pups. Reduced dentine apposition and induced Ca excretion with decreased P, K and Na excretions were observed in Suc-Suc pups and Cnt-Suc pups during the experiment period. Fewer intact teeth with more enamel and dentinal caries lesions occurred in sucrose-exposed groups (Suc-Cnt, Cnt-Suc and Suc-Suc pups). It was concluded that the sucrose diet given to dams during lactation changed the function of the pulp–dentine complex of their pups leading to reduced dentinogenesis, but also predisposed to a reduction of dentinogenesis in pups during the experimental period and enhanced the occurrence of dental caries.