Harper D S, Mann P H, Regnier S
Fairleigh Dickinson University, Oral Health Research Center, Hackensack, New Jersey 07601.
J Dent Res. 1990 Feb;69(2):447-50. doi: 10.1177/00220345900690020501.
Most animal models for the study of calculus accumulation and control currently use rodents or dogs. In an effort to overcome limitations inherent in the use of these species, we investigated calculus formation in domestic ferrets, a species used by King et al. in the 1940's and 1950's. Ferrets are much smaller than dogs, and, unlike rodents, can be scored while alive. In this study, we examined the kinetics of calculus formation in female ferrets fed with moist canned cat food--either plain or supplemented with sucrose--and two combinations of mineral salts. An additional group given supplemented cat food was treated twice daily with regular Crest toothpaste. Animals were sedated with a 1:1 mixture of ketamine and xylazine solutions and given a mechanical prophylaxis prior to the trial period, then scored for area and extent of calculus accumulation at two, four, six, and eight weeks thereafter. The data showed that the mineral-supplemented groups accumulated calculus at a significantly faster rate than the unsupplemented or dentifrice-treated groups, but the differences were no longer significant at eight weeks. This demonstrated that the ferret is a suitable model for the study of calculus, that dietary mineral content influenced calculogenesis, and that the application of regular dentifrice initially slowed, but did not prevent, calculus accumulation.
目前，大多数用于研究牙石形成与控制的动物模型使用啮齿动物或狗。为了克服使用这些物种所固有的局限性，我们研究了家养雪貂的牙石形成情况，雪貂是金等人在20世纪40年代和50年代使用过的物种。雪貂比狗小得多，而且与啮齿动物不同，在活着的时候就可以进行评分。在这项研究中，我们研究了喂食普通或添加蔗糖的湿罐装猫粮以及两种矿物盐组合的雌性雪貂牙石形成的动力学。另一组喂食添加猫粮的雪貂每天用普通佳洁士牙膏治疗两次。在试验期前，用氯胺酮和赛拉嗪溶液1:1混合对动物进行镇静，并进行机械预防，然后在之后的两周、四周、六周和八周对牙石积累的面积和程度进行评分。数据显示，补充矿物质的组牙石积累速度明显快于未补充或使用牙膏治疗的组，但在八周时差异不再显著。这表明雪貂是研究牙石的合适模型，饮食中的矿物质含量影响牙石形成，定期使用牙膏最初会减缓但不能阻止牙石积累。
