Effects of chronic isoproterenol treatment or submandibular and sublingual ablation on microflora of mouse tooth surfaces.

BALB/cA mice were examined for the effects of chronic isoproterenol treatment or submandibular-sublingual gland ablation on the natural patterns of oral bacterial colonization on tooth surfaces. Indigenous microflora on the tooth surfaces of BALB/cA mice was relatively simple. The predominant bacterial groups were Enterobacteriaceae (45.9%), enterococci (29.4%) and staphylococci (15.7%). Isoproterenol, which resulted in the induced synthesis of proline-rich proteins, caused a decrease in the total cultivable bacteria on the tooth surfaces. The proportion of Enterobacteriaceae in the isoproterenol-treated mice decreased, although the proportion of other bacterial groups increased. Salivary gland ablation, which caused the loss of mucins in saliva, showed essentially the same number of total bacteria as the control. Salivary gland ablation resulted in a decrease in the proportion of Enterobacteriaceae, while the proportion of Gram-positive rods and staphylococci increased.