[Appositional rate of incisor dentin and hematic calcium level in rats. Application of time marking method using lead...

Matsumoto et al. have reported that the remineralization of rat incisor dentin following administration of various drugs depends upon the hematic calcium (hCa) level in parathyroidectomized (PTX) rats. It is known that injected lead according to a time marking method deposits at the mineralizing front in hard tissues. In the present study, we observed the alteration of the mineralizing front of the incisor dentin and examined the dependency of the dentin remineralization on the hCa level in PTX rats given 1,25 (OH)2D3. Male Wistar rats (7-8 weeks old) were used. They were fed a synthetic diet containing 0.3% Ca or 0.02% Ca (Ca-deficient) from 3 days before PTX. In order to mark the time in the incisor dentin, lead acetate was injected at 3 day intervals. Exp. I: A group of rats fed a diet containing 0.3% Ca was given a single injection (400 ng/kg) of 1,25 (OH)2D3 on the 9th day after PTX. Exp. II: four groups of rats were given daily injections of various doses (vehicle, 25, 50 and 100 ng/kg) of 1,25 (OH)2D3 from the 11th day after PTX for 13 days. The distance between the two lead-lines observed in the histological sections of the incisor was measured as an indicator of the appositional rate of dentin. In rats given a diet containing Ca below 0.3%, the hCa level was about 5 mg/dl after PTX. Mineralization of the incisor dentin was suppressed markedly, and a hematoxylin unstained zone was observed in the histological sections, indicating that the mineralizing front had been stagnant. In Exp I, a high dosage of 1,25 (OH)2D3 raised the hCa level to over 8 mg/dl within 12 hours; formation of a new mineralizing front and remineralization of the dentin were observed. In Exp. II, daily injections of 1.25 (OH)2D3 raised the hCa levels gradually and dose dependently. The hCa levels in groups of rats given 50 and 100 ng/kg of 1,25 (OH)2D3 were over 8 and 10 mg/dl respectively after the 6th day from the beginning of the drug administrations. The distance between the two lead-lines deposited in dentin also increased gradually. Therefore, the appositional rate of the incisor dentin seemed to increase in accordance with the rise in the hCa level. The correlation coefficient between the appositional rate of lingual dentin and the hCa level was estimated to be 0.922 (p less than 0.001, y = 4.4x + 19.2).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)