[Vitamin E and experimental caries in rats fed a cariogenic diet and zinc].

A cariogenic diet with zinc and vitamin E administered to rats for 90 days led to a reduction in caries of 21.87% by comparison with animals fed with the cariogenic diet only, and 3.12% by comparison with those that received the diet plus zinc. Although the details of the mechanism of action of vitamin E are not fully known, it is felt that its demonstrated cariostatic effect depends on its antioxidant activity and its protection of the sulphydryl groups of some enzyme system, together with its direct intervention in cell respiration. Since both vitamin E and zinc activate NAD-dependent LDH, their simultaneous administration enhances their individual cariostatic effects by bringing about a lower accumulation of lactic acid in the bacterial plaque.