The role of H2O2 and the lactoperoxidase-SCN(-)-H2O2 system on the interaction between two bacteria originating from human dental plaque, Streptococcus rattus (mutans) BHT and Streptococcus mitior LPA-1, grown on human teeth in an artificial mouth.

Teeth were inoculated with either the organisms separately or with a freshly-prepared mixture of both. The apparatus was swept with 5 per cent (v/v) CO2 in either air or N2, and incubated for 90 h. A nutrient supplement containing 1 per cent (w/v) glucose was supplied for 1 h in every 6 h. Both organisms achieved similar numbers when grown aerobically in pure culture, yet in mixed culture there was pronounced inhibition of BHT (p less than 0.001). When the synthetic saliva was supplemented with catalase the strain BHT count in mixed culture was much higher (p less than 0.001). It was concluded, therefore, that the strain LPA-1 produced inhibitory levels of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on the tooth surface under aerobic conditions. This was supported by finding that a lower viable count of LPA-1 in pure culture was attained when lactoperoxidase (LPO) was included in the saliva (p less than 0.005), as all components of the LPO-SCN-H2O2 system were presumably present. With the N2-CO2 mixture, conditions were not strictly anaerobic and both catalase and LPO increased all viable counts. Under these conditions, therefore, when H2O2 was limiting, LPO protected bacteria against its bactericidal effect.