Nicotinamide could reduce growth and cariogenic virulence of Streptococcus mutans

Yongwang Lin; Tao Gong; Qizhao Ma; Meiling Jing; Ting Zheng; Jiangchuan Yan; Jiamin Chen; Yangyang Pan; Qun Sun; Xuedong Zhou; Yuqing Li

doi:10.1080/20002297.2022.2056291

Nicotinamide could reduce growth and cariogenic virulence of Streptococcus mutans

J Oral Microbiol. 2022 Mar 23;14(1):2056291. doi: 10.1080/20002297.2022.2056291. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, National Clinical Research Center for Oral Diseases, Department of Operative Dentistry and Endodontics, West China Hospital of Stomatology, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
² Key Laboratory of Bio-resources & Eco-environment of the Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.

Abstract

Dental caries is among the most prevalent chronic oral infectious diseases. Streptococcus mutans, a major cariogenic bacterial species, possesses several cariogenicity-associated characteristics, including exopolysaccharides (EPS) synthesis, biofilm formation, acidogenicity, and aciduricity. Nicotinamide (NAM), a form of vitamin B3, is a non-toxic, orally available, and inexpensive compound. The present study investigated the inhibitory effects of NAM on the cariogenic virulence factors of S. mutans in vitro and in vivo. NAM inhibited the growth of S. mutans UA159 and the clinical isolates. In addition, there was a decrease in the acid production and acid tolerance ability, as well as biofilm formation and EPS production of S. mutans after NAM treatment. Global gene expression profiling showed that 128 and 58 genes were significantly downregulated and upregulated, respectively, in NAM-treated S. mutans strains. The differentially expressed genes were mainly associated with carbohydrate transport and metabolism, glycolysis, acid tolerance. Moreover, in a rat caries model, NAM significantly reduced the incidence and severity of smooth and sulcal-surface caries in vivo. NAM exhibited good antimicrobial properties against S. mutans, indicating its potential value for antibiofilm and anti-caries applications.

Keywords: Nicotinamide; Streptococcus mutans; biofilm(s); caries; virulence.

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the grant from National Natural Science Foundation of China (32170046), the International Research and Development Program of Sichuan (2022YFH0048, 2021YFH0060), and the Technological Innovation and Development Project of Chengdu Bureau of Science and Technology (2021-YF05-01819-SN).