Journal of Dental Research, Vol 62, 1196-1200, Copyright © 1983 by International & American Associations for Dental Research Online Journals
Fluoride concentrations in rat and human tooth pulps and their possible interference with phosphatase activities
Y. Ericsson and B. Angmar-Mansson
Alkaline and acid phosphatases (p-ases), fluoride (F), and calcium (Ca)
were analyzed in the pulps of rat incisors and young human pre-molars.
P-ase activities were about ten times higher in the rat than in the human
pulps; in the latter, high p-ase activity appeared to be connected with
rapid mineralization. Average total F was 3-4 ng/mg in both rat and human
pulp, while Ca showed values several times higher, although greatly
varying, in human than in rat pulps. Ionized F was two to three times
higher in ultrafiltrates from rat and human pulps than in the blood plasma
of the species; in the rat, the F content of the ultrafiltrates increased
only three to four times when plasma F was experimentally elevated over 100
times. In vitro, rat pulp alk. p-ase activity was slightly inhibited only
in the range above 100 mM NaF, while acid p-ase showed weak inhibition in
the region from 0.15-0.25 mM and 40-60% inhibition in the range from 10-100
mM NaF. In vivo, no effect on pulp p-ases was found, even from sublethal
NaF doses.
