Sub-gingival microflora in Macaca mulatta species of rhesus monkey

The Macaca mulatta species of rhesus monkey is one of several non-human primate (nhp) models for periodontal disease. This report presents the bacteriology of the gingival sulci in M. mulatta monkeys. Three sub-gingival sites (maxillary right central incisor, the disto-buccal of the mandibular left second molar and mesio-buccal of the mandibular right second molar) of 9 monkeys were evaluated clinically before scaling and 7 days after scaling. Plaque samples were obtained from sub-gingival sites before clinical examination and studied bacteriologically by dark field microscopy, selective and non-selective culture, and by primary phenotypic characterizations of culture isolates. Several gingival sites presented with mild gingival inflammation. Anaerobic and facultatively anaerobic bacteria were the predominant flora colonizing the gingival sulci. The major microbial groups were Haemophilus species (100% of sites; percentage of total anaerobic count (TAC); 21-51), Peptostreptococcus micros (89%, 7.5–29.5), Actinomyces sp. (85%, 7–27), Fusobacterium nucleatum (90%, 5–8), Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (73%, 1.3–12), black-pigmented anaerobic rods ( BPAR ) (80%, 0.6–6.5) and oral streptococci (80%, 0.2–1.0). Microbial groups detected less often were Wolinella sp. (66%, 0–2.6), Capnocytophaga sp. (30%), Eikenella corrodens (4.7%, 0), Campylobacter sp. (28%, 0–0.1) and spirochetes (4.7%, 0–0.07). Seven days after gingival sites were scaled, the plaque score and indices for gingival inflammation declined significantly. The gingival flora after scaling were characterized by lower proportions of the Actinomyees sp., P. micros and BPAR; and increased proportions of the oral streptococci, relative to pre-scaling levels. The major microbial groups at scaled gingival sites were the Haemophilus sp., oral streptococci, F. nucleatum and A. actinomycetemcomitans. The mutual proportions of microbial groups varied non-significantly within gingival sites and between monkeys. In conclusion, the M. mulatta gingival sulci are colonized by microbial species that resemble putative pathogens of periodontal disease, and the composition and character of the gingival flora are similar to the gingival flora of other Old World monkey models.