Generation of a humanized FXII knock-in mouse-A powerful model system to test novel anti-thrombotic agents

BACKGROUND

Effective inhibition of thrombosis without generating bleeding risks is a major challenge in medicine. Accumulating evidence suggests that this can be achieved by inhibition of coagulation factor XII (FXII), as either its knock-out or inhibition in animal models efficiently reduced thrombosis without affecting normal hemostasis. Based on these findings, highly specific inhibitors for human FXII(a) are under development. However, currently, in vivo studies on their efficacy and safety are impeded by the lack of an optimized animal model expressing the specific target, that is, human FXII.

OBJECTIVE

The primary objective of this study is to develop and functionally characterize a humanized FXII mouse model.

METHODS

A humanized FXII mouse model was generated by replacing the murine with the human F12 gene (genetic knock-in) and tested it in in vitro coagulation assays and in in vivo thrombosis models.

RESULTS

These hF12KI mice were indistinguishable from wild-type mice in all tested assays of coagulation and platelet function in vitro and in vivo, except for reduced expression levels of hFXII compared to human plasma. Targeting FXII by the anti-human FXIIa antibody 3F7 increased activated partial thromboplastin time dose-dependently and protected hF12KI mice in an arterial thrombosis model without affecting bleeding times.

CONCLUSION

These data establish the newly generated hF12KI mouse as a powerful and unique model system for in vivo studies on anti-FXII(a) biologics, supporting the development of efficient and safe human FXII(a) inhibitors.

Development and validation of a new vision screening test algorithm for public use mobile application- A pilot study

OBJECTIVES

To design and develop a simple vision test algorithm for mobile application and perform a pilot study to determine its validity and reliability as a tool for vision test in the community.

METHODS

A simple visual acuity test algorithm in the form of a single letter E display was designed as the optotype for development of a mobile application. The standardised optotype is presented at random to test visual acuity for corresponding level of 3/60, 6/60, 6/18, and 6/12. The final result is auto-generated based on the classification of the WHO for visual impairment and blindness. The Snellen chart was used as the gold standard to determine its validity while five different users were involved to determine its inter-rater reliability. A pilot study was performed between April till November 2019, in the Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin Medical Centre (UMC) at Kuala Nerus and Mooris Optometrist Centre at Marang, Terengganu. A total of 279 participants aged four years old and above were involved in this study.

RESULTS

The highest sensitivity was found at the vision level cut-off point of 6/12 with the percentage of 92.7% and 86.8% for the right and left eye, respectively. The specificity was more than 89% for all vision levels in both eyes. The Krippendorff's alpha value for the inter-rater reliability was 0.87 and 0.83.

CONCLUSION

The relatively high level of validity and reliability obtained indicate the feasibility of using the designed optotype to develop a valid and reliable mobile app for vision test. The app can be used to screen vision by nonmedical persons, at anytime and anywhere to help improve public awareness and capability to correctly determine their visual status.

Structural variations in human ACE2 may influence its binding with SARS-CoV-2 spike protein

The recent pandemic of COVID‐19, caused by SARS‐CoV‐2, is unarguably the most fearsome compared with the earlier outbreaks caused by other coronaviruses, SARS‐CoV and MERS‐CoV. Human ACE2 is now established as a receptor for the SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein. Where variations in the viral spike protein, in turn, lead to the cross‐species transmission of the virus, genetic variations in the host receptor ACE2 may also contribute to the susceptibility and/or resistance against the viral infection. This study aims to explore the binding of the proteins encoded by different human ACE2 allelic variants with SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein. Briefly, coding variants of ACE2 corresponding to the reported binding sites for its attachment with coronavirus spike protein were selected and molecular models of these variants were constructed by homology modeling. The models were then superimposed over the native ACE2 and ACE2‐spike protein complex, to observe structural changes in the ACE2 variants and their intermolecular interactions with SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein, respectively. Despite strong overall structural similarities, the spatial orientation of the key interacting residues varies in the ACE2 variants compared with the wild‐type molecule. Most ACE2 variants showed a similar binding affinity for SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein as observed in the complex structure of wild‐type ACE2 and SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein. However, ACE2 alleles, rs73635825 (S19P) and rs143936283 (E329G) showed noticeable variations in their intermolecular interactions with the viral spike protein. In summary, our data provide a structural basis of potential resistance against SARS‐CoV‐2 infection driven by ACE2 allelic variants.

Structural modelling and molecular superimposition analyses shows variations in the interactions between proteins encoded by some human ACE2 alleles and SARS‐CoV‐2 spike protein. The findings provide direction to the targeted allele screening in COVID‐19 patients, which could further be used in predicting the prognosis of the disease and allocation of the health resources.

A Cdc42/RhoA regulatory circuit downstream of glycoprotein Ib guides transendothelial platelet biogenesis

Blood platelets are produced by large bone marrow (BM) precursor cells, megakaryocytes (MKs), which extend cytoplasmic protrusions (proplatelets) into BM sinusoids. The molecular cues that control MK polarization towards sinusoids and limit transendothelial crossing to proplatelets remain unknown. Here, we show that the small GTPases Cdc42 and RhoA act as a regulatory circuit downstream of the MK-specific mechanoreceptor GPIb to coordinate polarized transendothelial platelet biogenesis. Functional deficiency of either GPIb or Cdc42 impairs transendothelial proplatelet formation. In the absence of RhoA, increased Cdc42 activity and MK hyperpolarization triggers GPIb-dependent transmigration of entire MKs into BM sinusoids. These findings position Cdc42 (go-signal) and RhoA (stop-signal) at the centre of a molecular checkpoint downstream of GPIb that controls transendothelial platelet biogenesis. Our results may open new avenues for the treatment of platelet production disorders and help to explain the thrombocytopenia in patients with Bernard-Soulier syndrome, a bleeding disorder caused by defects in GPIb-IX-V.

TMEM16F-Mediated Platelet Membrane Phospholipid Scrambling Is Critical for Hemostasis and Thrombosis but not Thromboinflammation in Mice—Brief Report

Objective—

It is known that both platelets and coagulation strongly influence infarct progression after ischemic stroke, but the mechanisms and their interplay are unknown. Our aim was to assess the contribution of the procoagulant platelet surface, and thus platelet-driven thrombin generation, to the progression of thromboinflammation in the ischemic brain.

Approach and Results—

We present the characterization of a novel platelet and megakaryocyte-specific TMEM16F (anoctamin 6) knockout mouse. Reflecting Scott syndrome, platelets from the knockout mouse had a significant reduction in procoagulant characteristics that altered thrombin and fibrin generation kinetics. In addition, knockout mice showed significant defects in hemostasis and arterial thrombus formation. However, infarct volumes in a model of ischemic stroke were comparable with wild-type mice.

Conclusions—

Platelet TMEM16F activity contributes significantly to hemostasis and thrombosis but not cerebral thromboinflammation. These results highlight another key difference between the roles of platelets and coagulation in these processes.

A comparative study of the metastable equilibrium solubility behavior of high-crystallinity and low-crystallinity carbonated apatites using pH and solution strontium as independent variables

Using solution strontium and pH as independent variables, the metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) behavior of two carbonated apatite (CAP) samples has been examined, a high-crystallinity CAP (properties expected to be similar to dental enamel) and a low-crystallinity CAP (properties expected to be similar to bone mineral). CAP samples were prepared by precipitation/digestion: (CAP A: high-crystallinity, 1.3 wt% CO3, synthesized at 85 degrees C; CAP B: low-crystallinity, 6.4 wt% CO3, synthesized at 50 degrees C). Baseline MES distributions were determined in a series of 0.1 M acetate buffers containing only calcium and phosphate (no strontium) over a broad range of solution conditions. To assess the influence of strontium, MES profiles were determined in a similar fashion with 20, 40, 60, and 80% of the solution calcium being replaced on an equal molar basis by solution strontium. To determine the correct function governing CAP dissolution, ion activity products (IAPs) were calculated from the compositions of buffer solutions based on the hydroxyapatite template (Ca(10-n)Sr(n)(PO4)6(OH)2 (n = 0-10)) and the calcium/hydroxide deficient hydroxyapatite template (Ca(9-n)Sr(n)(HPO4)(PO4)5OH (n = 0-9)).

FINDINGS

(a) for CAP A, at high solution strontium/calcium ratios, the MES profiles were essentially superimposable when the solution IAPs were calculated using the stoichiometry of Ca6Sr4(PO4)6(OH)2 and for CAP B by a stoichiometry of Ca7Sr2(HPO4)(PO4)5OH; (b) for CAP A, at low strontium/calcium ratios, the stoichiometry yielding MES data superpositioning was found to be that of hydroxyapatite and for CAP B, that of calcium/hydroxide deficient hydroxyapatite. When other stoichiometries were assumed, good superpositioning of the data was not possible.

Metastable equilibrium solubility behavior of carbonated apatite in the presence of solution strontium

The purpose of this study was to use the concept of metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) to describe the anomalous solubility behavior of carbonated apatite (CAP) in the presence of solution strontium. A CAP sample (4.8 wt% CO(3), synthesized at 70 degrees C) was prepared by precipitation. Baseline MES distributions were determined in a series of 0.1 M acetate buffers containing only calcium and phosphate (no strontium) over a broad range of solution conditions. In order to assess the influence of strontium, MES profiles were then determined in a similar fashion with 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, and 80% of the solution calcium being replaced on an equal molar basis by solution strontium. From the compositions of the equilibrating buffer solutions, ion activity products (IAPs) of the form Ca(10-n)Sr(n)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2) (n = 0-10) were calculated in an attempt to determine the correct function governing the dissolution of the CAP preparation. The results demonstrate the following important findings: (a) at high solution strontium/calcium ratios (i.e., when 60% or more of the solution calcium was replaced by strontium), the MES profiles in all the experiments were found to be essentially superimposable when the solution IAPs were calculated using the stoichiometry of Ca(6)Sr(4)(PO(4))(6)(OH)(2), and (b), at low solution strontium/calcium ratios (i.e., when 40% or less of the solution calcium was replaced by strontium), the stoichiometry yielding MES data superpositioning was found to be that of hydroxyapatite. When other stoichiometries were assumed, good superpositioning of the data was not possible.

Effect of fluoride pretreatment on the solubility of synthetic carbonated apatite

The purpose of this research was to address the following question: How is the solubility of fluoride-pretreated carbonated apatite (CAP) in aqueous acidic media related to the equilibrium solution fluoride and/or the CAP adsorbed fluoride levels? A CAP sample prepared by a precipitation method at 70 degrees C containing approximately 6% carbonate was fluoride-treated (F adsorption from neutral aqueous solutions) to yield a approximately 1000 ppm F CAP and a approximately 3300 ppm F CAP. Metastable equilibrium solubility distributions were determined in acetate buffers at pH 5.0. Solution fluoride, calcium, phosphate, and pH were determined from the equilibrated solutions. The equilibrium solution fluoride levels were extremely low, e.g., as low as approximately 0.10 ppb to approximately 0.30 ppb at 50% dissolved for the two CAP preparations. The approximately 3300 ppm F CAP yielded a lower solubility than the approximately 1000 ppm F CAP (shift in the mean pKHAP value of 1.5-2 units). This can be attributed to the lower solution F(-) for the sample containing approximately 1000 ppm fluoride compared with the approximately 3300 ppm fluoride-containing CAP. These important findings suggest that a fluoride treatment simply may provide an adsorption fluoride depot for subsequent release, providing a solution fluoride effect upon the CAP solubility and not necessarily any intrinsic alteration of the mineral solubility.

Influence of dentifrices and dietary components in saliva on wettability of pellicle-coated enamel in vitro and in vivo

In vitro salivary pellicles were found to be less hydrophobic by water contact angles than clinically formed pellicles. In this study, water contact angles were measured on enamel coated with pellicles adsorbed from reconstituted human whole saliva (RHWS) and after exposure to dentifrices or dietary components. In addition, adhesion of Streptococcus oralis J22 to pellicles formed from RHWS with minor amounts of milk added and after exposure to dentifrices was studied. Exposure of RHWS-pellicles to milk or salad oil yielded an increase in the hydrophobicity of in vitro pellicles to values observed in vivo, but a decrease was seen after exposure to a sugar solution. Pellicles formed from saliva with 0.4% milk added attracted less S. oralis cells than pellicles formed in the absence of milk components. Exposure of pellicles formed from saliva with milk added to various dentifrices had a variable effect on bacterial adhesion: markedly lower numbers of adhering S. oralis were found for a dentifrice with NaF, but exposure to dentifrices containing SnF2 or hexametaphosphate showed slightly increased adhesion. In summary, dietary components have influence on the hydrophobicity of enamel pellicles, while combinations of dietary components and dentifrices certainly influence the adhesiveness of the pellicles. The effects of dietary components on pellicle conditioning film should be taken into consideration in research on the development of ingredients to control intraoral surface chemistry and microbiology, as well as in the development of oral products.

Effect of age on rat bone solubility and crystallinity

It has been shown that biominerals such as dental enamel and bone demonstrate a non-thermodynamic equilibrium state following initial dissolution where no further mineral dissolution or precipitation occurs; this state is termed metastable equilibrium solubility (MES). Furthermore, these minerals are composed of a distribution of domains each with their own MES. Recent studies have also demonstrated a linear relationship between crystallinity and the mean MES of these minerals, with solubility decreasing with increasing crystallinity. This study investigates the effect of age on the MES and crystallinity of rat bone mineral. The bone mineral samples were prepared by protein extraction with a series of hydrazine and alcohol solutions. The MES distributions of the bone mineral were measured by exposure to 0.1 M acetate buffers containing a range of calculated amounts of calcium (Ca) and phosphate for 48 h. The amount of mineral dissolved in each solution was determined from Ca and phosphate analyses of the undissolved residue. The full width of the half maximum (FWHM) of the 002 reflection of the X-ray powder diffraction was used as an indicator of crystallinity. The MES of mineral from bone of rats of different ages (1-25 months) were compared. Results of this study indicate that (l) there is a difference in the mean MES of bone mineral from rats of different ages, with older bone mineral being less soluble and more crystalline than bone mineral from younger rats; (2) the nature of the solubility distribution changes from a narrow to a broader distribution with age; and (3) all of the bone samples demonstrated an inverse-linear correlation between crystallinity and mean MES value consistent with previous results obtained with synthetic apatites and dental enamel.

Relationships involving metastable equilibrium solubility, surface complexes, and crystallite disorder with carbonated apatites

Previous studies have shown that the metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) behavior of carbonated apatites (CAPs) may be described by a surface complex with the hydroxyapatite (HAP) stoichiometry in the absence of solution fluoride and by that with the fluorapatite (FAP) stoichiometry when appreciable solution fluoride is present. Studies have also shown that the magnitude of the MES is directly related to the crystallinity of the CAP. The aim of the present investigation was to examine the relationship between the CAP MES determined in the presence of solution fluoride and CAP crystallinity and to examine the effect of the change in the stoichiometry of the surface complex (from that of HAP to that of FAP) upon the relationship of the CAP MES to crystallinity. CAP samples were prepared by methods based on the precipitation of CAP from calcium phosphate solutions and the hydrolysis of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate in bicarbonate solutions. From X-ray diffraction experiments, the crystallite microstrain, and the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the 002 reflection were determined for the CAPs. From CAP MES experiments conducted in the presence of solu tion fluoride, linear plots of the mean MES (i.e., mean pK(FAP)) values vs the crystallinity parameter (i.e., microstrain and FWHM) were obtained that yielded slopes that were essentially the same as those obtained in the absence of solution fluoride (i.e., mean pK(HAP) values vs crystallinity). This parallel finding suggests that the CAP crystallite disorder affects the energetics of the two surface complexes essentially to the same extent and provides new insight into the nature of CAP surface complexes.

Calcium-level responsive controlled drug delivery from implant dosage forms to treat osteoporosis in an animal model

The effects of plasma calcium levels on estradiol release from a self-setting apatite bone cement containing 0.5% estradiol and on the bone mineral density (BMD) of ovariectomized rats were investigated. Apatite cement consisting of an equimolar mixture of tetracalcium phosphate, dicalcium phosphate dihydrate and 0.5% beta-estradiol was prepared. The in vitro release profiles from the cements in simulated body fluid containing 0, 5 and 10 mg/100 ml calcium indicated that estradiol release rate decreased with increasing calcium concentration in the dissolution medium. After subcutaneous implantation of the cement, in vivo estradiol release in diseased rats (ovariectomized rats on a low calcium diet) was significantly higher than that in normal rats. The diseased rats maintained a low calcium level during drug release. The bone mass of the recovery model rat was greater after the experiment than before. The results suggested that the severity of osteoporosis in this animals can be reduced by the implantation of this estradiol-loaded apatite cement.

Metastable Equilibrium Solubility Behavior of Carbonated Apatites in the Presence of Solution Fluoride

The aims of the present investigation were to assess the applicability of the metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) concept for the carbonated apatites (CAPs) over a range of pH and a wide range of solution fluoride concentrations and to examine the hypothesis that, in the presence of solution fluoride, a surface complex with the stoichiometry of fluorapatite (FAP) governs the MES behavior. Two CAP samples were prepared by precipitation from reaction media containing calcium nitrate (Ca(NO(3))(2).4H(2)O) and sodium phosphate (NaH(2)PO(4).H(2)O) at two different levels of sodium bicarbonate. The MES distributions of the two CAP preparations were determined by equilibrating approximately 10 mg of CAP powder in 2 L of 0.1 M acetate buffers (ionic strength=0.50 M) at pH 4.5 and 5.5 and at various levels of calcium, phosphate, and fluoride. The fluoride concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 12 ppm. From the compositions of the equilibrating buffer solutions, ion activity products based upon the stoichiometries of hydroxyapatite (HAP) and FAP were calculated in an attempt to determine the correct function governing the dissolution of the CAP preparations. The results of this study demonstrated that both CAP preparations exhibit the MES distribution phenomenon in solution media of varying pH and fluoride concentrations. Furthermore, the experimental MES data obtained with both CAP preparations at the lower pH (4.5) and at higher solution fluoride levels (>/=0.1 ppm) were essentially superimposable when plotted against the ion activity product based upon the stoichiometry of FAP, suggesting that in the presence of solution fluoride the MES governing surface complex may be an entity possessing a stoichiometry approximated by that of FAP. When the HAP stoichiometry was assumed to represent the surface complex, good superposition of the data was not possible. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

Use of Dicalcium Phosphate Dihydrate as a Probe in an Approach for Accurate Calculations of Solution Equilibria in Buffered Calcium Phosphate Systems

Both synthetic and biological carbonated apatites have been shown to possess metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) distributions. Investigation of their MES behavior requires accurate knowledge of the activities of the relevant ions over a range of solution compositions. This in turn requires that the activity coefficients for these ions and the stability constants for the various solution complexes be accurately known. Since the solubility of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) can be easily determined, it can be used as a probe to study the appropriateness of proposed sets of stability constants and activity coefficients. In the present study, the solubility of DCPD was determined in acetate buffer solutions at pHs ranging from 4.5 to 6.5 and this allowed for the determination and evaluation of the stability constants of the NaHPO(-)(4), CaHPO(0)(4), CaH(2)PO(+)(4), and CaAc(+) complexes. The activity coefficients were calculated by a modification of the extended Debye-Hückel method and also by Bockris and Reddy's method, in which the activity of water and the hydration numbers of ions are also considered. The solution conditions were controlled to simulate the dissolution media used for the determination of MES distributions of apatites in our laboratory. Both methods of activity coefficient determination gave very consistent DCPD solubility product (K(DCPD)) values, and values for the stability constants of the relevant complexes determined using the two methods were close to each other. This approach of determining the stability constants under a set of conditions similar to those in apatite dissolution studies offers an effective set of parameters which, though not necessarily always exactly correct in absolute terms, are internally consistent and should allow for the quantitative characterization of the MES behavior of apatites. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Metastable Equilibrium Solubility Distribution of Carbonated Apatite as a Function of Solution Composition

Previous studies have shown that carbonated apatites (CAPs) exhibit the phenomenon of metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) in weak acid media. The purpose of the present investigation was to examine two questions: first, whether the MES concept is applicable to a broader range of solution conditions and, second, whether a driving force function associated with a surface complex having a constant stoichiometry governs the dissolution of CAP and, if so, what is this stoichiometry. CAP preparations with carbonate contents of 1.8-5.7 wt% (synthesized by hydrolysis of dicalcium phosphate anhydrate in solutions of varying bicarbonate levels or by direct precipitation from supersaturated calcium/phosphate/carbonate solutions) were studied as follows. MES distributions for each of the CAP preparations were determined by equilibrating the CAP under stirred conditions in a series of acetate buffers (0.10 M) containing various levels of calcium and phosphate in the pH range 4.5-6.5 and a solution calcium/phosphate ratio in the range 0.1-10. The amount dissolved in each instance was regarded as the fraction of the CAP possessing an MES value greater than that corresponding to the ion activity product (IAP) of the equilibrating solution. The solution IAPs were calculated from the solution compositions using plausible calcium phosphate stoichiometries, viz., dicalcium phosphate dihydrate, octacalcium phosphate, tricalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, carbonated apatite (based on the bulk composition of the particular CAP involved in the experiment), and tetracalcium phosphate. The fraction of CAP dissolved was plotted against the solution IAPs for each experimental set using each of the six assumed stoichiometries for the surface complex. The results demonstrated that the MES concept was applicable to all of the CAP preparations in media of various solution compositions and different pH levels. The most important new outcome of this study was that MES profiles for each of the CAP preparations in all of the experiments were found to be superimposable when solution IAPs were calculated using the hydroxyapatite stoichiometry, while such was not the case when other stoichiometries were used to calculate the solution IAPs. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Relationships among carbonated apatite solubility, crystallite size, and microstrain parameters

The use of the metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) concept to describe the solubility properties of carbonated apatites (CAPs) and human dental enamel (HE) has been well established in previous studies using a range of CAPs with varying carbonate contents and crystallinities. It was shown in these studies that the mean value of the CAP MES is directly related to the broadening parameter full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the 002 reflection of the X-ray diffraction profile. The apparent solubility of the CAPs increased monotonically with an increase in the broadening of the diffraction peaks, and when this peak broadening was taken into account, carbonate had no additional effect upon the MES. The broadening of the diffraction peaks has been used as an indicator of crystallinity, and is generally influenced by both crystallite size and microstrain. The purpose of the present study was to extract the crystallite size and microstrain parameters separately from the X-ray diffraction peaks and then to determine their relationships to the corresponding MES values. The samples studied were CAPs synthesized by precipitation from Ca(NO3)2 and NaH2PO4 solutions in carbonate containing media at temperatures of 95, 80, and 70 degrees C, and powdered HE. The crystallite size and microstrain parameters were determined simultaneously with the refinement of the structural parameters with the Rietveld method of whole-pattern-fitting structure-refinement. A modified pseudo-Voigt function was used to model the observed peak profiles. The MES distributions for the CAPs and HE were determined by a previously described method. The results of this study showed that the CAPs possessed an MES distribution and therefore provided further support that MES distribution is a common phenomenon, regardless of the method of CAP synthesis. The crystallite size decreased and the microstrain increased with increasing carbonate content and decreasing temperature of synthesis of the CAPs. A plot of the mean of the MES distribution versus the microstrain parameter showed that the apparent solubility of the CAPs and HE correlated very well with the microstrain parameter. On the other hand, a plot of the mean of the MES distribution versus the crystallite size parameter showed a poor correlation between MES and crystallite size. These findings support a view that microstrain, rather than crystallite size, is the dominant factor governing the effective solubility of the CAPs and dental enamel.

Metastable equilibrium solubility behavior of bone mineral

Previous studies have shown that carbonated apatites with a range of carbonate contents and crystallinities exhibit the phenomenon of metastable equilibrium solubility (MES) distributions. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the solubility behavior of bone mineral using the concepts of MES and MES distributions and, together with crystallinity and chemical composition data, examine the similarity of bone mineral to carbonated apatite (CAP). Bone samples were harvested from 1-, 5-, and 8-month-old rats. The organic components of the bone samples were removed by hydrazine deproteination. Carbonated apatite was synthesized by the hydrolysis of dicalcium phosphate dihydrate (DCPD) in a NaHCO3-containing media at 50 degrees C. The MES distributions of bone mineral and CAP were determined by equilibrating predetermined amounts of CAP or bone mineral in a series of 0.1 M acetate buffers containing calculated levels of calcium and phosphate and maintained at essentially constant pHs of 5.0, 5.3, 5.7, and 6.5. From the compositions of the equilibrating buffer solutions, ion activity products based upon the stoichiometries of octacalcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite, and carbonated apatite were calculated in an attempt to determine the function governing the dissolution of CAP and bone mineral. The results of this study demonstrated that the MES distribution phenomenon appeared to hold for bone mineral and that the changes in crystallinity of bone mineral with age correlated well with changes in the MES values. A CAP sample was prepared that was found to be an excellent synthetic prototype closely mimicking the physicochemical behavior of bone mineral from an 8-month-old rat. Another finding of this study was that the ion activity product function based upon the hydroxyapatite stoichiometry well described the MES results obtained with both CAP and bone mineral. The interpretation that a surface complex with hydroxyapatite stoichiometry governs the solubility behavior of bone mineral is, therefore, consistent with the experimental data. Other calcium phosphate stoichiometries for the surface complex showed systematic variations in the MES profiles when the pH of the equilibrating solution was varied.

Calculation of intercrystalline solution composition during in vitro subsurface lesion formation in dental minerals

Applications of a novel technique to calculate intercrystalline solution composition during enamel demineralization are presented. Bovine tooth enamel blocks and carbonated apatite (CAP) compressed disks were demineralized in an in vitro subsurface lesion system. The demineralization medium was a 0.1 M acetate buffer at pH 4.5, containing calcium, phosphate, and fluoride (0.5 ppm). Mineral samples were demineralized for various times, and fluoride profiles and mineral density profiles of these samples were determined by electron microprobe and X-ray microradiography, respectively. A model independent data analysis (MIDA) technique uses these data along with the differential equations for mass transfer and permits calculation of the local intercrystalline solution composition profiles inside the porous mineral matrix as functions of time and position. The invariance in diffusivity with time as calculated in the analysis was taken as an indicator of the physical reasonableness of the method. Current outcomes suggest that it is the sharp gradient of fluoride concentration in the intercrystalline solution which causes the formation of subsurface lesions. Since the driving force for mineral dissolution is a function of solution composition, a gradient of this driving force is consequently formed. Using a compressed disk of carbonated apatite powder as a model for block enamel excluded the possibility of the existence of a gradient of mineral composition which could also cause a gradient of the driving force for mineral dissolution. An FAP surface complex hypothesis is consistent with the current view that fluoride in the intercrystalline solution has a stronger inhibition effect on the dissolution of mineral than does fluoride in the mineral phase. With the help of the MIDA technique, calculated results indicate that the mechanism of the formation of subsurface lesions is dynamically controlled by the intercrystalline solution composition.