Abstract
Periodontal disease (PD) is a prevalent infectious condition in companion animals and represents an irreversible oral disorder; therefore, preventive dentistry is strongly recommended to inhibit and delay symptom progression. In this study, we investigated the synergistic effects of cetylpyridinium chloride (CPC) and platinum nanoparticles (PT) on the growth, halitosis, and inflammatory responses of the major canine PD pathogen Porphyromonas gulae (P. gulae) both in vitro and in a clinical study involving PD-affected dogs following dental scaling. The growth of P. gulae was significantly inhibited by CPC + PT treatment. Hydrogen sulfide and methyl mercaptan-key components of halitosis-produced by P. gulae were also significantly suppressed by the CPC and PT mixture, even after short-term treatment. Co-treatment with CPC and PT significantly inhibited P. gulae-induced pro-inflammatory cytokine production and SAPK/JNK phosphorylation in response to infection. These in vitro findings were corroborated by clinical results, in which daily oral administration of CPC + PT significantly suppressed the exacerbation of gingivitis, plaque adherence, halitosis, and PD pathogen activity following dental scaling. Our results suggest that daily CPC + PT treatment may be an effective approach to delay the progression of PD symptoms in affected dogs. There is no argument that mechanical dental care including regular brushing and dental scaling is necessary as the best way to prevent dental plaque formation. A dental rinse can be used as a suitable additional treatment to extend the interval between dental scaling procedures.