Relationship between host age and susceptibility to oral colonization by Actinomyces viscosus in Sprague-Dawley rats

The colonization of Actinomyces viscosus strain Ny-1R on the molar teeth of conventional and ex-germfree rats of various ages fed either a high-sucrose diet, a high-glucose diet, or laboratory chow was studied. Conventional rats directly after weaning and up to 30 days of age are less susceptible to experimental infection by strain Ny-1R than are older rats regardless of the test diet. The relationship between host age and susceptibility to infection is also demonstrable in ex-germfree rats fed a high-sucose diet. Host factors responsible for the differences in susceptibility were investigated. The results from these studies do not implicate host antibodies, host indigenous flora, or host saliva. In other studies, it was demonstrated that within the mouths of rats, strain Ny-1R preferentially colonizes in the pits and fissures of the molar teeth rather than on the dorsum of the tongue or on the vestibular mucosa. In short-term experiments, it was found that strain Ny-1R attaches to the first molars of 40-day-old conventional rats to a greater extent than it attaches to the first molars of 20-day-old rats. The differences in attachment and subsequent colonization of strain Ny-1R in 20- and 40-day-old rats may be related to the varying amounts of the reduced enamel epithelium and connective tissue present in the fissures of the molar teeth.