Effect of pH-sensitive nanoparticles on inhibiting oral biofilms

Drug Deliv. 2022 Dec;29(1):561-573. doi: 10.1080/10717544.2022.2037788.

Abstract

Dental caries is a biofilm-related preventable infectious disease caused by interactions between the oral bacteria and the host's dietary sugars. As the microenvironments in cariogenic biofilms are often acidic, pH-sensitive drug delivery systems have become innovative materials for dental caries prevention in recent years. In the present study, poly(DMAEMA-co-HEMA) was used as a pH-sensitive carrier to synthesize a chlorhexidine (CHX)-loaded nanomaterial (p(DH)@CHX). In vitro, p(DH)@CHX exhibited good pH sensitivity and a sustained and high CHX release rate in the acidic environment. It also exhibited lower cytotoxicity against human oral keratinocytes (HOKs) compared to free CHX. Besides, compared with free CHX, p(DH)@CHX showed the same antibacterial effects on S. mutans biofilms. In addition, it had no effect on eradicating healthy saliva-derived biofilm, while free CHX exhibited an inhibitory effect. Furthermore, the 16s rDNA sequencing results showed that p(DH)@CHX had the potential to alter oral microbiota composition and possibly reduce caries risk. In conclusion, the present study presents an alternative option to design an intelligent material to prevent and treat dental caries.

Keywords: S. mutans; chlorhexidine; dental caries; intelligent material; nanocarrier; pH-sensitive drug delivery system.

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local / administration & dosage
  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local / pharmacology*
  • Biofilms / drug effects*
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Chemistry, Pharmaceutical
  • Chlorhexidine / administration & dosage
  • Chlorhexidine / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Drug Carriers / chemistry
  • Drug Liberation
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
  • Keratinocytes / drug effects
  • Methacrylates / chemistry
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Polymethacrylic Acids / chemistry
  • Saliva
  • Streptococcus mutans / drug effects*
  • Surface Properties

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents, Local
  • Drug Carriers
  • Methacrylates
  • Polymethacrylic Acids
  • hydroxyethyl methacrylate
  • Chlorhexidine

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81870759, L.C.; 82071106, L.C.), the Youth Grant of the Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province, China (2017JQ0028, L.C.), and Innovative Research Team Program of Sichuan Province (L.C.). National Nature Science Foundation of China (81900998, H.W.).