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Factors associated with presence of coronal and root caries and fillings are discussed. Possible causes and implications for the association between DFS and diabetic nephropathy are provided.

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Previous studies have shown that several factors--such as alloxan-induced diabetes, adrenalectomy, or removal of the thyroid-parathyroid gland complex--can influence the flow rate, protein concentration, and protein composition of rat parotid saliva. The present study was undertaken to explore further the influence of glucocorticoids and thyroxine on rat parotid saliva in hormonally intact animals. As compared with untreated animals, adult male rats treated with 10 micrograms dexamethasone per 100 g body weight for eight days demonstrated a 75% reduction in volume of parotid saliva secreted in response to a uniform stimulus. The protein concentration of the saliva was increased three-fold. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed relative decreases in acidic and basic proline-rich proteins and in a protein identified as Fraction V, while amylase was increased. The electron microscopic appearance of the granules was markedly different from that of the control, in that the granules exhibited an electron-dense periphery and core, with the remainder of the granule having an electronlucent appearance. In contrast, rats treated for eight days with 20 micrograms thyroxine per 100 g body weight exhibited a 50% increase in volume of saliva collected in response to a secretory stimulus. Although the concentration of protein was not different from that of the control, gel electrophoresis showed relative increases in acidic and basic proline-rich proteins and a decrease in Fraction V. Amylase was unchanged. The secretory granules of thyroxine-treated rats were electronlucent and amorphous. The granules appeared to coalesce within the cell.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The temporal response of zinc and copper metabolism to endotoxin administration was examined in Syrian hamsters over a 144-hour period. Serum copper was significantly elevated at 12, 24 and 72 hours after endotoxin, whereas serum zinc was reduced 4-48 hours after treatment. A brief elevation (8 hours) in liver copper concentration and a sustained (72 hours) increase in liver zinc concentration were also observed. The amount of zinc associated with liver metallothionein (MT) progressively increased with time, to a plateau by 24 hours and persisted at the elevated level until 72 hours after endotoxin treatment. In vitro translation of poly (A)+ RNA from liver polyribosomes showed that following endotoxin treatment MTmRNA activity was maximally elevated 6 hours after endotoxin administration and remained elevated 24 and 48 hours thereafter. Slab gel electrophoresis of serum proteins indicated changes in a stainable protein comigrating with purified ceruloplasmin after endotoxin administration. Pooled gingival tissue from endotoxin-treated hamsters demonstrated a consistently elevated copper content 12-144 hours after treatment. Endotoxin isolated from Bacteroides melaninogenicus was more effective in elevating gingival and serum copper and gingival zinc than Escherichia coli endotoxin. It was concluded that endotoxin administration elicits responses that result in enhanced metaollthionein mRNA activity. In addition, Cu and Zn concentrations in serum, liver and gingival tissue are influenced by different endotoxins to different degrees.