Protein Factors and Experimental Rat Caries

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Abstract
A cariogenic diet containing a roller-process skimmilk powder remained highly cariogenic after supplementation with known vitamins and essential amino acids. Caries severity was significantly reduced, however, by the addition of 11% of casein in place of cornstarch to this diet. A supplement of blood albumin proved as effective as L-lysine in the reduction of caries produced by a lysine-deficient skimmilk powder diet. Diets containing 13% of casein developed a high incidence of severe caries but caries was very limited with 24% casein in the diet. This striking caries difference was accompanied by only a slight difference in rate of growth. An autoclaved mixture of casein, lactose, and Hubbell, Mendel and Wakeman salts compared with unautoclaved casein was associated with an increased incidence of caries when the casein content of the diet was 13% but not when it was 24%. An inhibitory effect of a lysine supplement on caries was observed using purified diets containing zein as a source of protein. The result supports prior evidence that the cariogenicity of diets containing heat-processed skimmilk powders and deficient in lysine is due under some conditions to a critical deficiency of lysine. The combined results of these studies suggest that the quantity of protein in the diet may be an important factor in the development of cariogenicity by experimental diets.