IADR Abstract Archives
Functionalised Polyethylene Glycol for Relief of Dry Mouth
Objectives: Hyposalivation can be attributed to a range of aetiologies including Sjögren’s Syndrome, radiotherapy of the head and neck, or an adverse effect of medication. Consequently, the prevalence of oral diseases in such patients is common, in addition to dysphagia, dysgeusia, and difficulty with speech. Therefore, effective and persistent saliva mimics are needed. The objective of this study was to assess the lubricative capacity and longevity of PEGylated lectins on explanted oral tissues.
Methods: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) of three molecular weights (40kDa, 20kDa, 5kDA) were conjugated to fluorescein-labelled wheat germ agglutinin (f-WGA) by esterification, and subsequently purified by size exclusion chromatography. Quantification of conjugate- substrate binding was undertaken by measuring fluorescence intensity of the conjugates incubated with either human salivary protein, or porcine gastric mucin films. The boundary lubricative properties; in comparison to human saliva, were assessed on an ex vivo porcine tongue and enamel tribology system.
Results: PEGylation of f-WGA decreased binding to human salivary films, and porcine gastric mucin films by 92-95% and 63%-85% respectively, with decreased binding corresponding to the molecular weight of the conjugated PEG. Friction coefficient of the conjugates on explanted oral tissues demonstrated strong similarity to that conferred by stimulated saliva collected from healthy individuals.
Conclusions: Conjugation of PEG to f-WGA reduces substrate binding, however, such conjugates confer boundary lubrication attributes similar to that of native saliva and therefore have the potential to relieve some symptoms associated with dry mouth.
Methods: Polyethylene glycol (PEG) of three molecular weights (40kDa, 20kDa, 5kDA) were conjugated to fluorescein-labelled wheat germ agglutinin (f-WGA) by esterification, and subsequently purified by size exclusion chromatography. Quantification of conjugate- substrate binding was undertaken by measuring fluorescence intensity of the conjugates incubated with either human salivary protein, or porcine gastric mucin films. The boundary lubricative properties; in comparison to human saliva, were assessed on an ex vivo porcine tongue and enamel tribology system.
Results: PEGylation of f-WGA decreased binding to human salivary films, and porcine gastric mucin films by 92-95% and 63%-85% respectively, with decreased binding corresponding to the molecular weight of the conjugated PEG. Friction coefficient of the conjugates on explanted oral tissues demonstrated strong similarity to that conferred by stimulated saliva collected from healthy individuals.
Conclusions: Conjugation of PEG to f-WGA reduces substrate binding, however, such conjugates confer boundary lubrication attributes similar to that of native saliva and therefore have the potential to relieve some symptoms associated with dry mouth.