Effect of fluoride on protein and collagen biosynthesis in rabbit dental pulp in vitro

The time course for incorporation of KC-proline into various fractions of rabbit dental pulp in vitro has been measured. In the TCA-soluble precursor pool a steady state level of activity was indicated upon incubation after 3 h, whereas incorporation into protein and 14C-hydroxyproline, i.e. collagen formation, increased linearly for 9 h, leveling off upon further incubation. A lag period of about 3 h was indicated for the appearance of high molecular weight 14C-activity, including 14C-hydroxyproline, in the medium, increasing linearly from 3 h to the end of the incubation period (22 h). In this system, fluoride exhibited a dose-dependent inhibitory effect. At 5.3 mM fluoride the uptake of 14C-proline into the TCA-soluble pool was inhibited by about 50%, and the incorporation into protein and the subsequent conversion to hydroxyproline by about 90 and 60%, respectively. Release of collagen, i.e. 14C-hydroxyproline-containing material, seemed to be the process most sensitive to fluoride; it was inhibited by about 50% at the lowest concentration (1.3 mM) tested.