title: Assessing the oral microbiota of healthy and alcohol-treated rats using whole-genome DNA probes from human bacteria.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to evaluate the capacity of whole-genome DNA probes prepared from human oral bacteria to cross-react with bacteria from the oral cavity of rats, and to assess the influence of alcohol ingestion on the animals' oral biofilm.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty four mature Wistar rats were equally divided in two groups. One group (control) was fed balanced diet of rat pellets and water. The alcohol-treated group (AT) received the same diet and 20% ethanol solution. Upon euthanasia after 30 days, bacterial samples from the oral biofilm covering the animals' teeth were collected using microbrushes. Bacteria identification and quantification were performed using the DNA checkerboard hybridization method with 33 probes prepared from human oral bacteria. Signals corresponding to bacterial genome counts and percentages were compared using a Mann-Whitney U test with a significance level <0.05.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cross-reaction for all targeted species, except Streptococcus mutans and Streptococcus mitis-like species, occurred in the control group. Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Porphyromonas endodontalis, and Veillonella parvula-like species only produced detectable signals in the AT group. Significantly more signals were detected in the control group compared to the AT group (p=0.001). The percentage of E. coli-like species was highest in both groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whole-genome DNA probes prepared from human oral bacteria can cross-react with rats' oral bacterial species. Alcohol consumption is associated with lower levels and diversity of bacterial species in the oral cavity of rats.
authors.affiliation: Division of Restorative Dentistry, Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
authors.forename: Zaher
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jabbour
authors.forename: Cássio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: do Nascimento
authors.forename: Bruna Gabriela Dos Santos
authors.initials: BG
authors.lastname: Kotake
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: El-Hakim
authors.forename: Janet E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Henderson
authors.forename: Rubens Ferreira
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: de Albuquerque Junior
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*; D058491:Bacterial Load / Q000187:drug effects; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D015342:DNA Probes; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016680:Genome, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009055:Mouth / Q000382:microbiology*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D045202:Porphyromonas endodontalis / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013291:Streptococcus / Q000145:classification; D034361:Streptococcus mitis / Q000145:classification; D013295:Streptococcus mutans / Q000145:classification; D014678:Veillonella / Q000145:classification
chemical_list: D015342:DNA Probes; D000431:Ethanol