Photodynamic nano hydroxyapatite with biofilm penetration capability for dental plaque eradication and prevention of demineralization

Wenjing Guo; Yang Li; Siyuan Wang; Yueying Wang; Chenhui Li; Yangye Jin; Yuanyuan Li; Xu Chen; Wenjun Miao

doi:10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113242

Photodynamic nano hydroxyapatite with biofilm penetration capability for dental plaque eradication and prevention of demineralization

Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces. 2023 May:225:113242. doi: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113242. Epub 2023 Mar 6.

Authors

Wenjing Guo¹, Yang Li², Siyuan Wang¹, Yueying Wang¹, Chenhui Li¹, Yangye Jin¹, Yuanyuan Li¹, Xu Chen³, Wenjun Miao⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China.
² Department of Stomatology, The Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210011, PR China.
³ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Oral Diseases, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, PR China; Department of Periodontics, Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, PR China. Electronic address: chenxu.hei@outlook.com.
⁴ School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211816, PR China. Electronic address: miaowj@njtech.edu.cn.

PMID: 36905831
DOI: 10.1016/j.colsurfb.2023.113242

Abstract

Dental caries represents one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide, characteristic of the growth of dental plaque and demineralization of tooth enamel. Current medications for eradication of dental plaques and prevention of demineralization suffer from several limitations to overcome, calling for novel strategies with great potency in eliminating cariogenic bacteria and dental plaque that forms, as well as in inhibiting the demineralization of enamel, into an integrated system. Considering the potency of photodynamic therapy in bacteria inactivation and the composition of enamel, we herein report that the novel photodynamic nano hydroxyapatite (nHAP), named Ce6 @QCS/nHAP, was useful for this purpose. Ce6 @QCS/nHAP, comprised of quaternary chitosan (QCS)-coated nHAP loaded with chlorin e6 (Ce6), exhibited good biocompatibility and non-compromised photodynamic activity. In vitro studies revealed that Ce6 @QCS/nHAP could effectively associate with cariogenic Streptococcus mutans (S. mutans), leading to a significant antibacterial effect through photodynamic killing and physical inactivation against the planktonic microbe. Three-dimensional fluorescence imaging suggested that Ce6 @QCS/nHAP exhibited a superior S. mutans biofilm penetration capacity to free Ce6, resulting in effective dental plaque eradiation when light irradiation was applied. The number of surviving bacteria in biofilm was at least 2.8 log units lower in the Ce6 @QCS/nHAP group compared to that in the free Ce6 group. Further, in the S. mutans biofilm-infected artificial tooth model, treatment with Ce6 @QCS/nHAP also resulted in the significant prevention of hydroxyapatite disks from demineralization, with lower percentage of fragmentation and weight loss These data suggest that our photodynamic nanosystem can effectively eradicate dental plaque while also significantly protecting artificial tooth from demineralization, opening up new possibilities in treating bacterium-associated dental caries.

Keywords: Biofilm; Demineralization; Dental caries; Hydroxyapatite; Photodynamic antibacterial therapy.

MeSH terms

Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
Biofilms
Dental Caries* / drug therapy
Dental Caries* / prevention & control
Dental Plaque* / drug therapy
Dental Plaque* / prevention & control
Humans
Streptococcus mutans

Substances

N-hydroxy-2-aminopyrene
Anti-Bacterial Agents