ROLE OF CHELATION IN DEOALOIFICATION SYSTEMS ()47 



the evidence that areas of inflammation are usually acid, although 

 he states that when infection is present, acidity may not develop 

 owing to damage to the acid-producing cells by the bacteria. The 

 intense autolvtic activit\' in pus might be expected to release the 

 acid contents of cells as well as manv substances with chelating 

 properties. It seems possible that pus might have a direct solvent 

 action on bone and not be dependent on osteoclasis. 



As few data could be found on the chemistry of pus, a few pre- 

 liminary observations have been made. Five samples have been 

 collected with pH values ranging between 6.1 and 6.7, and lactate 

 estimations suggested that this was the main acid. It has not yet 

 been possible to obtain pus from infected bone. 



These very limited data suggest tentatively that acidity brought 

 about largely by lactate ( presumably released from autolyzing cells 

 or formed from their contents ) is probably one factor in the removal 

 of infected bone. It is realized that study of pH alone cannot decide 

 the importance of acid. It is essential to know the concentrations of 

 calcium and phosphate ions in order to decide whether, even under 

 acid conditions, the environment of the bone is or is not saturated 

 with bone salt. 



Chelation as a Mechanism for Demineralization 

 hij Miiricid Boring Gastropods 



In this symposium (chapter 3) Carriker et al. showed that an 

 alkaline buffer extract of the secretory gland associated with the 

 boring mechanism of a muricid boring gastropod was capable of 

 etching ovster shells. As this extract was alkaline, the most reasonable 

 explanation of the etching is that a chelating agent is involved. 



Chelation and Proteolysis-Chelation Theories of 

 Dental Caries 



Martin et al. (1954) pointed out that many substances known 

 to occur in the mouth have chelating properties, and suggested that 

 chelation under neutral or alkaline conditions might therefore be 

 the cause of dental caries. After further consideration of possible 

 sources of chelators, Schatz and Martin ( 1955, 1962 ) proposed that 



